User:JonMoore/2002 Winter Olympic Games

Early bids

In 1929, only five years after the first games in Chamonix, France was the first year Salt Lake City tried to bid for the Winter Olympics. The Utah Ski Club tried to procure the 1932 games for Salt Lake, but they went to Lake Placid, New York instead. Due to early Olympic rules (which have since changed) Salt Lake could not bid for the 1936 games in Germany, since the summer game host had rights to the winter games.

The next attempt for the 1972 games was more organized. State and city officials got the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to endorse the city, but they again lost, this time to Sapporo, Japan. In the next round of bidding for the 1976 games the USOC picked Denver, Colorado to represent the United States in bidding. The city was picked, but taxpayers voted to not fund the games. Salt Lake put itself forward as a candidate, but in the fallout, the games were awarded to Innsbruck, Austria, who had recently hosted in 1956.

Salt Lake City did not try to big again until 1985 for the 1992 games, but the USOC went with Anchorage, Alaska. After Anchorage lost the 1992 as well as the 1994 games, Salt lake was back in the running for 1998.

The winning bid

Ogden-born lawyer Tom Welch and car salesman Dave Johnson were in charge of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) and took an aggressive approach to winning the Olympics. They flew out to Europe to meet with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. They also convinced taxpayers to foot the bill for a $59 million Olympic-ready winter sports complex, even without the guarantee of the games.

Even after all of this the 1998 games went to Nagano, Japan in a 46-to-42 vote. Many felt the reason was because the US had recently been awarded the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Others, including Welch believed it was because Nagano had wined and dined the officials better.

Welch and Johnson decided to try harder the next round. Prior to the IOC vote for 1998, they had given out Stetson hats to delegates. For 2002 they decided to give out more than hats.

Millions were spent on all-expense-paid ski trips, thirteen scholarships, Superbowl trips, plastic surgery. The members were given deals on real estate, family members were given jobs. More controversially, cash bribes may have been employed. When scandal broke, the cryptic "geld document" allegedly recorded personal preferences of IOC members. Beside some member's names, the document said "geld," the German word for "money," arguably indicating such member's receptiveness to cash bribes.

The plan worked, in 1995 the IOC announced Salt Lake City the winner. 50 thousand people gathered outside the Salt Lake City and County Building to hear the formal announcement.

Scandal

Scandal broke on December 10, 1998 when Swiss IOC member Marc Holder, head of the coordination committee overseeing the organization of the 2002 games, announced that several members of the IOC had taken bribes. Soon four independent investigations were underway: by the IOC, the USOC, the SLOC, and the United States Department of Justice.

Before any of the investigations could even get under way both Welch and Johnson resigned their posts as the head of the SLOC. Many others soon followed. The Department of Justice filed charges against the two, but Johnson and Welch were eventual acquitted of criminal charges in December 2003.

As a result of the investigation ten members of the IOC were expelled and another ten were sanctioned. This was the first expulsion or sanction for corruption in the more than a century the IOC had existed. Although nothing strictly illegal had been done, it was felt that the acceptance of the gifts was morally dubious. Stricter rules were adopted for future bids and ceilings were put into place as to how much IOC members could accept from bid cities. Additionally new term and age limits were put into place for IOC membership, and fifteen former Olympic athletes were added to the committee.

Although Salt Lake was not the first city to use creative bid tactics, it was the first to get caught. There was also evidence that Atlanta, Nagano and Sydney had used similar tactics.

Aftermath

Meanwhile, Massachusetts resident Mitt Romney was brought in to head the SLOC. Romney aided in further cleaning out of the committee and helped to begin re-enthusing sponsors and fixing the budget, which at the time was $379 million short.

Romney got the Olympics back on their feet. The games were so successful that they were one of the few to turn a profit, thanks in part to heavy marketing and a built-in American audience. More than 2500 athletes representing 80 nations attended, 200 more athletes and 8 more nations than Nagano. The athletes competed in 15 disciplines and 78 medal events. This is ten more events than Nagano and more than double the last Winter Olympics in the US in Lake Placid in 1980.

The games

The games opened with the 1980 US hockey team lighting the torch and President George W. Bush officially opening the games.

Controversy erupted when in the first week the pairs figure skating competition resulted in the French judge's scores being thrown out and the Canadian team of Jamie Salé and David Pelletier being awarded a second gold medal. Athletes in short-track speed skating and cross-country skiing were disqualified for various reasons as well (including doping), leading Russia and South Korea to file protests and threaten to withdraw from competition.

Fears of terrorist attacks following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks turned out to be unfounded, and the games proved safe.

The 2004 games ended with a dazzling closing ceremony, including bands such asBon Jovi and KISS (who shared the stage with figure skater Katarina Witt).

Most of the 2500 athletes paraded into Rice-Eccles Stadium, watching from the stands. Bobsledding bronze medalist Brian Shimer carried the American flag. Russia and South Korean both threatened to boycott the ceremony to protest what they felt was unfair judging, but showed up anyway.

Legacy

Improvements to Salt Lakes infrastructure are also apparent. $1.59 billion were spent on highway improvements, including new overpasses and an improved highway to Park City. A new light rail system now runs from downtown to the University of Utah.

The Athlete's Village is now student housing at the University of Utah. Many venues in and around the city still stand even after the games.

Many hotels, motels and restaurants were built for the games and still exist today.

Among the most important things left to Salt Lake City after the games is a respect and recognition previously unknown. Before the games, the area had been perceived by many as a back-water religious community. After the games Salt Lake has earned a place among the great cities of the nation.