SALT LAKE CITY — Representatives of the International Olympic Committee walked onto the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium, taking photos and looking around.
WATCH: Utah gets in-person chance to share 2034 Olympics vision with IOC
"The stadium is incredible," said Karl Stoss, the chair of the IOC's Future Host Commission. "I've never seen such a stadium before for an Olympic Winter Games."
Utah leaders accompanied the IOC delegation to a number of Salt Lake City-based venues, including the proposed Olympic Village at the University of Utah and the Delta Center, which will be the site of figure skating events.
At a meeting on Wednesday morning, state and local political leaders welcomed them and tried to sell the IOC on Salt Lake City for the 2034 Winter Games.
"We are so excited for the possibility of having the Olympics come back to Utah," said Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson. "It’s part of who we are as a state at this point. So we’re excited for the IOC to be here."
The reception from the IOC delegation seemed positive, as the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games highlighted its features: venues are largely ready and there's overwhelming public support for another Olympics and Paralympics.
"I think they will be so positively impressed because our venues are fantastic and they’ve only been enhanced since '02. I’m so excited to show things off to them. I think they’ll just say 'Utah is the place to be,'" said Fraser Bullock, the bid committee's CEO.
In Wednesday's meeting, IOC officials impressed upon Utah leaders the need to keep enthusiasm for hosting a future Winter Olympics. The Utah State Legislature has already committed millions of dollars to venue upkeep. The good news is Utah has maintained its venues. In fact, more than 1,100 events have been hosted at them since the 2002 Winter Olympics ended.
"We have to take care of those facilities over the next decade and then host the world in 2034," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. "That’s going to take some coordination, some money and some focus from this team and hopefully support from the IOC."
Mayor Mendenhall touched on some key IOC priorities including addressing climate change in her remarks to the delegation. She unveiled plans for a new solar farm in Salt Lake City to help push the city to be on renewable energy sources.
"I think right now the state, the county, the city and the other host cities are doing everything that we can to not only save the Great Salt Lake and ensure we have a great snowpack year after year but cleaner air quality," she told FOX 13 News afterward. "We’re transitioning toward more transit from single-occupant vehicles. What we’re hearing from the IOC is they see that great coordination happening."
The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games also offered something new: plans for a future Olympic Village just for athletes' families. Lt. Gov. Henderson said the state would also look to improve infrastructure.
"We’re working on our mass transit, we’re working on making sure we have got the transportation and venues and hotels and all of that infrastructure put in place," she told FOX 13 News.
With a 10-year ramp up to a 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Salt Lake City has another opportunity to evolve (the build up to the 2002 Winter Olympics led to massive infrastructure investments to expand I-15 and bring TRAX to Salt Lake City). Investments are already being planned in Salt Lake City, including efforts to lure Major League Baseball and National Hockey League teams to the city.
Those stadiums could become future venues.
"We're prepared already without Major League Baseball or a National Hockey League. If we’re successful on either one of those or both, then we just add more venues that can be used for the Olympic games," said Steve Starks, the CEO of The Larry H. Miller Company, who is one of the advisors for Salt Lake City's 2034 bid. "We have modernized a venue potentially if hockey comes, and we have another venue that can be used on the west side of Salt Lake for a medals plaza, big air snowboard, and so yes, I think it helps but it’s not a requirement."
While the IOC visit has already been promising, and Salt Lake City has already been named the "preferred host" for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, no one is treating it like it's a certainty.
"We want to treat it like we’re auditioning for the first time. The reality is that Utah has changed a lot in 22 years," Starks said. "This is an opportunity to talk about the growth that we’ve had."
The IOC Future Host Commission will be in Park City and Midway on Thursday and in the Ogden area on Friday.
