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Denver committee formed to probe possible bid for Winter Olympics

Posted at 11:39 AM, Dec 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-18 13:39:39-05

DENVER — Should Denver bid for the Winter Olympics? That is what a group of people assembled by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock will decide. 

An exploratory committee has been commissioned to determine if the city should bid for the 2026 Winter Games, which take place two years before the Summer Olympics return to Los Angeles.

Some of the challenges the committee will look at is the lack of infrastructure to support a large event like the Olympics. It’s one of the reasons the city turned down the 1976 Winter Games.

Interstate 70 would need to be widened to accommodate the flow of traffic from Denver to the mountains. That’s true with or without the Olympics.

The 36-member committee, chaired by Rob Cohen of the IMA Financial Group, has some notable people on board, including Peyton Manning. 

The committee's findings will be presented to Mayor Hancock and Gov. Hickenlooper. 

Any decision to submit a bid for a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be based on the assessment completed by the exploratory committee, as well as any outcomes related to the IOC and USOC decision-making processes.