Brief Description: Supporting the Vancouver 2010 Olympic bid.

Sponsors: Representatives Morris, Anderson, Linville, Veloria, Skinner, Quall, Hunt, Cox, Miloscia, Ericksen, McDonald, Pearson and Sullivan.

Hearing Date: 1/24/03

Staff: Tracey Taylor (786-7196).

Background:

The modern Olympic Movement was born in 1892, when Pierre de Courbertin announced the re-establishment of the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created on June 23, 1894 and the first Olympic Games of the modern era opened in Athens on April 6, 1896. The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

There is a two phase host city election procedure. Cities must pass an initial selection phase during which basic technical requirements are examined by a team of experts and then put forward to the IOC Executive Board. Once approved by the Executive Board, the cities become official Candidate Cities and are authorized to go forward into the full bid process. An assessment was made of each Applicant City's ability to stage high-level, international, multi-sport events and their ability to organize the Olympic Winter games in 2010, against a set of 11 technical assessment criteria: government support and public opinion; general infrastructure; sports venues; Olympic village; environmental conditions and impact; accommodations, transport; security; experience from past sporting events; finance and general concept. Currently, there are three Candidate Cities to host the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010. The cities are: Vancouver, Canada; Salzburg, Austria; and Pyeongchang, Korea.

During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Utah, there were an estimated 220,000 total visitors. The total economic output from the Olympics was $4.8 billion dollar, including 35,000 job years, $1.5 billion in investment, $435 million in infrastructure investment, $123 million in visitor spending and a net revenue to local and state government of $76 million. The Salt Lake City Olympic Committee budget was $1.9 billion and it finished with a $100 million profit. The estimated value of print media exposure during the games with a tourism theme was $22.9 million. Consumer spending with Visa cards between February 1, 2002 and February 24, 2002, was $172.7 million. Fifty-four percent of the downtown Salt Lake City businesses experienced increased sales and only 28 percent of the businesses experienced a business reduction.

Summary of Bill:

The joint memorial communicates to the International Olympic Organizing Committee, the United State Olympic Committee, the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation, the Prime Minister of Canada, and the Premier of British Columbia, Washington's support of Vancouver, British Columbia’s bid to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not Requested.