SALT LAKE CITY — The last time Christophe Dubi was in Salt Lake City was during the 2002 Winter Olympics, when the city was making its first foray onto the world stage.
The Swiss Olympic secretary is now back in the Beehive along with other International Olympic Committee leaders, after the capital was selected as a “priority venue” for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I'm impressed. How the city has grown.
“When you have a 20-year gap, it's just not the same anymore,” Dubi said Thursday during a panel discussion at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City. “I remember coming to Salt Lake one Sunday, and there were only a few residents at the time, so it must have felt very lonely around. … This really is night and day.”
Dubi said it's not just changes in the physical landscape, such as high-rise buildings and improved infrastructure, but also changes in the attitudes of Utahns more than 20 years after hosting the Olympics.
Dubi outweighed the excitement and anxiety the state had as it prepared for the 2002 Olympics, saying the state and its capital were “confident” after pulling off what was widely considered a success as host. ” he said.
Dubi recalled hearing about Sen now and feeling that the 2002 Olympics would be something different. Mitt Romney, who headed the Salt Lake organizing committee, forego the usual grand opening ceremony pomp and declare, “Is this a party or what?”
“Wow, this is America. This is different,” Dubi remembers thinking.
From “hidden gems” to known quantities
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who was newlywed the last time the Olympics were held, called the occasion a “coming of age” for the city and state.
“It was a recognition of our place in the world and our potential in the world,” she said.
Fraser Bullock, CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Convention Committee, said this was “an opportunity for the world to really see Utah for the first time, because it's kind of a hidden… “Because it was a gem. And we knew it was great.” A gem… That's when the world saw not only our beautiful mountains, but also our wonderful people. ”
Local leaders see the opportunity to host again in 2034 not only as a way to further solidify Utah's legacy on the world stage, but also as a way to continue the growth the state has seen in recent decades. I'm also watching it.
The economic impact of another successful Olympics could be $4 billion statewide and up to $15 billion in personal income, said Natalie Goschner, executive director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. It is estimated that there is. However, she noted that economists “know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” and that “the true economic impact of the Games is a living legacy that will live on in people's hearts.” Ta.
“It's about hope, inspiration and belief in ourselves,” Gochenor said. “It’s a huge benefit to our state.”
Mendenhall proudly pointed out that 22 years later, many Utahns can still be seen wearing “free volunteer memorabilia.”
Nubia Peña said Utah is known for its “service-oriented culture” and was proud to see that heritage on full display when she visited the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. Told.
“We were able to use this world stage to create unity, inspire, and welcome an international audience,” said Peña, director of the Utah Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Sports as a “common language”
That sense of unity is one of the goals of the Olympics, said Karl Stoss, a member of the International Olympic Committee and chairman of the future host committee. Stoss, an Austrian, pointed out that Austrians won six more medals than Swiss at the Salt Lake City Games, and emphasized the friendly relationship between his country and neighboring Switzerland.
Dubi said the athletes competing may come from different countries and represent different political beliefs and religions, but they are united by the sport.
“This is important for us and our community, to show the world that sport is just one language, a universal language,” Stoss said.
After two consecutive Olympics affected by the coronavirus, Katherine Rainey Norman, a former Olympic speed skater and Salt Lake City-Utah Games Committee Chair, said the athletes themselves were “reunited again.” I hope to do so.” Olympic Village without pandemic restrictions. The 2024 Paris Summer Games “will be a beautiful, almost joyful celebration,” she said, adding that the same sense of unity would persist even if Salt Lake City wins the 2034 bid. Ta.
If the stars align again for the city, Mendenhall said he hopes leaders will work together to meet the demands of the times and that unity will be on display at the state and local level. There is. While the government is typically and deliberately slow, she said, “when we approach the Olympics, there is a clear deadline for leaders to make improvements that will benefit Utah long after the Olympics.” Stated.
“One of the best ways to feel like you’re a part of something is to know where that something is going,” she said.
