Winter Olympics
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On Friday, February 9, United States Olympic Committee Chairman Larry Probst ruled out the possibility of bringing the Winter Olympics to Denver, or any other American city, in 2026. “It would make things extremely complicated from a financial standpoint with Los Angeles,” Probst said, citing the 2028 Summer Games set for L.A. Just the day before, Sharing the Gold, the committee exploring whether Colorado should make a bid for the Winter Games, had hosted an online forum to discuss the possibility of going for the Winter Games in eight years; it still plans to hold a public hearing on February 24 to discuss whether to pursue the Winter Olympics in 2030. But some readers aren’t waiting to share their opinions. Says Ryan:
To the powers that be: Having the Winter Olympics in Denver is a terrible idea. As a fifth-generation Coloradan, I think our state has changed in many ways over the years and not for the better. We seem to be becoming the “New California,” and it appears that more and more people are exploiting our natural resources as they rape, pillage and plunder what is left of our great state.
Colorado is already a world destination and with pollution, traffic, crime and animosity towards visitor/ transplants at an all-time high (no pun intended) we don’t need any more attention than we already have.
Adds Jill:
Denver might want to explore teleportation before bidding for anything. If DIA rail can’t make a reliable run to downtown and a normal weekend of I-70/US 285 traffic is exasperating, just how can one promise to move the Olympic ticket holders and athletes of the migratory scale that mountain events will draw?
Counters Jeff:
Denver is much better suited for the Winter Olympics now, many more ice rinks, could also use Colorado Springs to host events. And fewer cities want to bid, so Denver would not have to promise so much.
Concludes Scott:
You are an idiot if you believe it is a good idea to host the Olympics in your city. It costs BILLIONS of dollars…the only thing you get for this massive ponzi scheme is a debt that will never be repaid. Make the right choice and never allow the Olympics into America again.
Keep reading for more of our Olympics coverage:
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Spo at Flickr
”Ten Things We’d Like to See at Olympics Opening Ceremony in Denver”
vgallova
“Eight Events Only a Denver Olympics Could Host”
Denver Public Library
“Denver Exploring Bid for Winter Olympics, Paralympics Games”
Denver Public Library
“How a Citizen Revolt Snuffed the 1976 Olympics”
Yes, Denver had a chance to host the Winter Olympics before…in fact, the city’s bid for the 1976 Games had been accepted in 1970. But then a young state representative, Richard Lamm, started asking if citizens really wanted to pay to bring the Olympics here, and in 1972, Colorado residents voted resoundingly not to subsidize the Games.
Two years later, Lamm was elected governor of Colorado. And now, 44 years later, Denver boosters are again exploring bringing the Games here.
You don’t have to wait until the next public hearing to share your opinions with the exploratory committee: You can fill out a Sharing the Gold survey here. You can also post your thoughts in a comment, or email them to editorial@westword.com.