Inside the last-minute drama that brought changes to Utah’s Olympics bid

PARIS — Why did Utah’s Olympic bidders bring up an anti-doping issue during their otherwise upbeat pitch to the International Olympic Committee Wednesday for the 2034 Winter Games ?

The last-minute addition — pledging the 2034 Winter Games would follow international doping controls — to the more than a half-hour presentation was the result of nearly a week of nonstop, behind-the-scenes negotiations to deal with questions about whether the bid would be awarded as anticipated on Utah’s Pioneer Day .

“There was concern over the impact on the award and the timing of the award,” Fraser Bullock , the president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, told the Deseret News. “But we also had confidence in our capabilities and in the strength of our bid and in our resolve to make sure that we do everything in our power to work on this going forward.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the controversy had put the bid award coming Wednesday at “significant risk.” The final vote was to give the Games to Utah, but not before several IOC members spent nearly an hour airing their frustrations with U.S. government officials.

What sports officials say about the U.S. doping investigation

What triggered the flurry of activity was the July 4 news that the U.S. Department of Justice had subpoenaed the top administrator of the international swimming federation to testify as a witness in a criminal investigation into allegations raised by the New York Times in April that Chinese swimmers failed a doping test but were allowed to compete in 2021.

The Associated Press, which broke the story , said going after a Switzerland-based sports official “could become the highest-profile use so far of a U.S. federal law passed in 2020 that allows investigations into suspected doping conspiracies even if they occurred outside the United States.”

On July 12, the Association of Summer Olympic International Sports Federations issued a statement expressing “great concern” about the subpoena, saying it threatened the authority of the Canadian-based World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) that was created by the IOC.

The statement said the “extraterritorial investigation raises doubts about the personal safety of athletes, sport officials and representatives of international sport organizations and the confidence with which they may travel to the US for international sporting competitions and commitments.”

The association also warned, “The investigation may lead IFs (International Federations) to consider the risks of allocating future international events to the U.S.” The winter international sports federations issued a similar statement the following day, stating that “having individual national approaches risks the solidarity of the global anti-doping system.”

Austrian IOC member Karl Stoss, the chairman of the IOC’s Future Host Commission that visited Utah’s proposed 2034 venues in April, also reached out to let U.S. Olympic interests know that the issue had to be addressed. Bullock said the concerns are valid and that he is “very sympathetic” to them.

“We understood that all of us,” between the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles and the Utah bid, “need to respond to these concerns,” he said, so they collaborated on a response, “worked almost around the clock for several days and had extensive interactions with the IOC to make sure we understood the depth of concern.”

What changes were made to the contract with the IOC to host in 2034?

In addition to drafting letters stating that the U.S. Olympic entities would respect WADA as the ultimate anti-doping authority and back the world anti-doping code, Bullock said each also made it clear they’ll “continue to absolutely ensure people in the U.S. feel welcome and safe.”

Utah’s bid, however, had to go further.

There is also a “one clause amendment” to the host contract with the IOC that spells out a 2034 Winter Games would respect WADA and the world anti-doping code. The contract, signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on behalf of the state, states that it can be terminated if WADA’s authority is not respected.

“It’s a must,” said Australian IOC member John Coates, who serves on the IOC Executive Board.

Cox told reporters there really wasn’t a choice.

“We have agreed if the United States does not support or violates the World Anti Doping (Agency’s) rules that they can withdraw the Games from us and from the United States. That was the only way that we could guarantee that we could get the Games. So we’re going to be working very hard obviously with U.S. officials to make sure that doesn’t happen, that we’re able to keep the Games,” the governor said.

He said there’s already been discussion with some members of Utah’s congressional delegation, which include the former leader of the 2002 Games, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

“Those conversations will be ongoing,” Cox said. “I think it’s less about changing the law and more about the way it is being implemented in ways that are fair. I think we can take care of those concerns working with the current administration and any future administration as well as our members of Congress.”

His message to Utahns about the possibility of seeing the Games taken away?

“I would tell Utahns that I’m not worried about that. I’m 100% convinced that we can work through this,” Cox said.

Bullock said Utah’s contract with the IOC allows for termination on a number of issues already, “just like any other contract.” He also expressed confidence there’s a fix. “One of the things that Utah does well is it brings people together. Even though we’re a tiny player in this overall thing, we have some capabilities of representing our perspective and working like the Utah way does.”

In his portion of the presentation to the IOC Wednesday, Bullock included five new paragraphs addressing the issue and referring to the contract changes.

“We want our friends to feel very welcome and safe in the United States. In this respect we totally support reinforcing the OHC (Olympic Host Contract),” Bullock told the IOC. “We are 100% committed to that effort.”

He also brought up the challenges faced during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, where he served as chief operating officer, including the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States months earlier.

“In such situations, we have the opportunity to show the best of who we are, to live up to the values of excellence, respect, and friendship,” Bullock said from the stage Wednesday. “You have Utah’s absolute commitment to be with you side by side to face any challenge together. You will find us to be the best of partners.”