2002 Winter Olympic Bid Scandal - Winning Bid

Winning Bid

Ogden-born lawyer Tom Welch and a Utah Economic Development Professional David Johnson were in charge of the Salt Lake Bid Committee and did a fantastic job winning the Winter Olympics. They dedicated their lives to the effort and from 1986 thru 1995 worked on support for Salt Lake City's bid in Europe, Latin America, and Africa to meeting with the International Olympic Committe Members and International Sport organizations. .

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

More than $16 Million was spent on Utah's Olympic Bidding. A priority for bidders was bringing each Member of the International Olympic Committee to Salt Lake City. More the 70 of the 100 members of the International Olympic Committee personally visited Salt Lake at Bid Committee expense. The much of costs of bidding was related to bringing members of the International Olympic Committe to Salt Lake City to see the Venues proposed to be used for the Games. Community Leaders were 100% behind the bid. Opportunities were created by Spencer Eccles Salt Lake Olympic Bid Committe Executive Board Member for IOC family members to be employed at First Security Bank, Jim Jardine Legal Advisor to the Bid Committee assisted IOC Member relatives to be admitted at the University of Utah and Intermountain Health Care made medical facilities and treatment available to IOC Members during their visits.

Jon Huntsman a committee leader hosted Juan Antiono Samaranch has his lavish Park City home and together with Tom Welch presented President Samaranch with Commemorative Browning Pistol.

In June, 1995, 50,000 people gathered outside the Salt Lake City Mayor's office to receive the result of the final annoucement.