Park City Mayor signs Olympic guarantee letter

Team USA letters on display at the Utah Olympic Park, a USOPC Training Site. Photo: Michele Roepke // TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah —Park City Mayor Nann Worel signed an Olympic guarantee letter at the Park City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 4.

The three-paged letter addressed to Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), affirms Park City’s support of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games to host future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games within the city.

The letter also makes 9 guarantees from Park City to the IOC, including non-descrimination toward those with reduced mobility, the protection of human rights during the Games, and the secure and peaceful celebration of the Games.

“Winter sport is in the DNA of Park City,” said a draft of the letter. “During the Salt Lake 2002 Games, more than 40% of the events were held in Park City, including one-third of all medal events. Every Park City venue used during the Games is proudly still in use today and recognized worldwide as premier winter sports venues for recreation and elite-performing athletes.”

Park City was just one of several northern Utah governments contacted to provide these guarantees to the IOC. Salt Lake City, Kearns, West Valley City, Provo, Ogden, Salt Lake County, Wasatch County, Summit County, and Weber County. also have competition or non-competition venues within the Games theater, and were also asked to make guarantees.

“SLC-UTGC anticipates that the International Olympic Committee will invite SLCUTGC into a targeted dialogue regarding hosting a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games sometime in 2023,” said a Park City Council staff report. “As part of that process, local Guarantee Letters, which confirm information and obligations from public authorities and other organizations, are being sought to enhance the SLC application.”