Denver is among the ski regions in the United States that could be competing for a bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Among the possible contenders could also be Lake Tahoe/Reno. In late November, 2011, Lake Tahoe and Reno officially entered into the running for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Other interested cities could be Salt Lake City and Lake Placid, N.Y.
But hosting an Olympics will be an expensive proposition for any city. A Colorado-based sports marketing company recently told Denver city and state officials that hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics would cost about $1.5 billion. And most of the money would be privately raised.
According to an Associated Press story, the Denver estimate came at the first meeting of an exploratory committee that will decide within 90 days on whether to pursue or abandon a bid. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock convened the panel, which includes business leaders and other public officials.
Denver was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics, but voters later rejected the idea over concerns of pollution and sprawl. The games were eventually held in Innsbruck, Austria.
If the American effort is successful, the games would return to the United States for the first time since Salt Lake City was the host city for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Olympics. Hosting the games was a long shot then and that same status exists right now for the Lake Tahoe region. Despite its chances, Nevada and California officials have agreed to give it a
Getting the bid will depend on the backing of the USOC. Denver has also approached the national committee about hosting the Games.
The U.S. Olympic Committee won’t determine whether it will recommend a U.S. city to host the 2022 games. The International Olympic Committee will choose a host city in 2015.
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