Soldier Hollow is the home of past, and maybe future, Olympics.
“This was the busiest venue of all in 2002,” said Howard Peterson, Soldier Hollow General Manager.
Ten years ago, this Midway resort was a bustling location for three different events: the Nordic Combined, Cross Country Skiing, and the Biathalon.
Now, Soldier Hollow is a quiet mountain resort for skiiers, snowboarders, and tubers, but it still has all of the tools needed for a second Olympics. Governor Gary Herbert proposed a $1 million bid for the 2026 Olympics yesterday.
“Utah has become the winter sports capitol here in America. We already have the venues in place,” he said. “There is no better place in the world than here.” However, some have expressed concern about the upkeep of the Olympic facilities.
“Some things will need to be replaced, but in terms of overall venue, [things] are here and functioning,” said Peterson. Besides a little fixing up that would need to happen, many say the friendliness in Utah is priceless.
“Utahans were fabulous,” Peterson said. “They were extremely friendly and helpful and that’s worth a lot.”
The U.S. Olympic Committee is also considering this gold-medal location for either the 2020 Summer Games or the 2022 Winter Games. The committee will vote for which Olympics to bid on early next year.
