Denver not chosen for Winter Olympics bid

Colorado won’t be vying for the Winter Olympics after all — Salt Lake City was chosen to represent the U.S. bid, likely for 2030.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said Friday it was selecting Utah’s capital, which stood out as a predictable, slam-dunk pick in a process that also included Denver and Reno, Nevada.

With venues still in place – some of them upgraded – from the 2002 Games, Salt Lake claims it can host again at a lower cost than other candidates, which aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s new blueprint for the Games.

It’s almost a certain bet the bid will be for 2030, though the USOC left open the possibility of 2026, which only has two bidders – from Sweden and Italy – after voters in Calgary, Alberta, rejected a proposed bid.

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U.S. Olympic Committee officials toured Denver aiming to choose a city for the bid for the 2030 winter games.

The Denver Post reports the organization is expected to select either Denver or Salt Lake City when it submits a U.S. host city for global consideration.

Organizers for the Reno-Tahoe area option say they will not bid for the 2030 games, citing the financial burden.

The officials were scheduled to spend Tuesday meeting with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

The committee officials are then visiting Salt Lake City on Wednesday.

The committee’s board of directors might make a recommendation for the bid city at its meeting in December.