PARIS (AP) — Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid on Wednesday, after a power move by Olympic officials who want to shut down a U.S. federal investigation of suspected doping by Chinese swimmers.
The capital city of Utah was the only candidate after the International Olympic Committee gave Salt Lake City exclusive negotiating rights last year in the process that was fast-tracked for 2034. …
The fact that an industry depends on it won’t bring the snow. I’m worried about the ski industry where I am because we didn’t have any lasting snow this past winter and I worry that it’s only a matter of time before that becomes the norm. If it’s not the case already, that is.
The fact that there’s a whole industry shows a proven track record. It snowed for the 2002 games. It’s unlikely there won’t be snow for 2032. The athletes that train in SLC year after year keep coming back. The suggestion there won’t be snow is the more unrealistic outlook.
As someone that lived in Utah for over 20 years, snow is not always guaranteed, especially recently. Snow totals have decreased almost every year, with this last winter season being an exception.
In other words, it is unrealistic to say that there will, for a fact, be natural snow. They might have to make artificial snow.
The question wasn’t about natural snow, just about snow. Yes, snow will be there, natural or artificial.
I’ve lived in Utah for 49 years. Even in the worst years, there is enough snow to hold an Olympic games and more snow for other recreational applications. It is improbable and unrealistic to expect otherwise. The Governor of Utah and others think so, along with the IOC. The ski resorts think so too, or else they’d stop selling ski passes. If anybody has actual facts and data to prove otherwise, information that these officials lack, then share it and show it. The contrariness seems to be about something else, like not liking the Olympics or what-if scenarios speculating about climate change.
Huh? I went to the 2002 Olympics, so I don’t have other motives. I am literally stating my lived experience, before last year, there was a 5 year stretch of little snow. The resorts (Brighton was where I liked to snowboard) had to frequently close large parts of the mountain for the majority (if not the entire) year.
Yes, I don’t doubt the governor and IOC say there will be snow. I don’t doubt that there won’t be enough snow, artificial or no, for something like this. But the ski resorts, IOC, and governor can’t tell the future, especially in 10 years, and they have a huge reason to make people believe what they want, it’s tourism money on the line. The ski resorts will sell passes so long as they have one route open, that’s their business. It has little to do with the climate.
I really don’t know why me commenting my actual lived experience pissed you off so much.