Discussions on whether Denver should bid for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games continue. A Denver committee is exploring the possibility of Denver bidding for the 2018 Winter Games even though the U.S. Olympic Committee hasn’t made a decision whether there will be an American bid. The committee was formed three years ago and is made up of about 30 people, including community leaders.
Robert Cohen, chairman of the Metro Denver Sports Commission and the Olympic exploratory committee told the Vail Daily, “we’ve been up in Vail and had preliminary discussions with people – nothing formal”.
The committee is studying whether the Games would benefit the state and what towns may be included in a bid, said Cohen. He added that the committee has eliminated the Summer Games as a possibility for Denver and is focusing on the Winter Games. “If the USOC would make a decision tat they would open up bids for 2018 from any U.S. city then we would like to be considered as a potential contender for that”.
Cohen said committee members have talked informally to Vail Resorts officials “and other key influences within the community” but declined to say who those influences are.
Colorado voters rejected funding the Games in 1972 and Denver withdrew as host, but John Dakin, vice president of communications for the Vail Valley Foundation, contacted by the Denver group said, “I don’t see any fallout existing from ’76. I think if there was price to be paid for that decision that invoice has been cancelled a long time ago”.
