IOC weighs rotating host cities for Winter Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it is open to the idea of Salt Lake City and other cities hosting the Winter Olympics on a rotating basis.

Driving the news: The IOC decided this week to hold off on naming a host for the 2030 Winter Olympics, which looked like it would come down to Salt Lake City and Sapporo, Japan.

• Salt Lake City previously hosted in 2002 and Sapporo hosted in 1972.

What they're saying: The committee said it will seriously consider a rotation of hosts as it examines the impact of climate change on winter sports, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

• With this change, Salt Lake City, if selected, could host the Olympics every 20–30 years.

Between the lines: One proposal to ensure climate reliability would require host cities to have an average temperature at or below zero over a 10-year period. Salt Lake City organizers say they'd meet those requirements through at least 2050.

• "The rotation actually is an intriguing opportunity because we have everything in place," Fraser Bullock, the CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, told the Tribune.
• "We have different economics than a new city that doesn't have venues in place. We have the expertise ... we have competitions all the time."

Looking ahead: Two Italian cities — Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo — are still set to co-host the 2026 Winter Games.