[2002 Salt Lake City]The Moment the Winter Olympics Host City Was Decided

On June 16, 1995, at the 104th IOC Session held in Budapest, Hungary, Salt Lake City, USA, was selected as the host city for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The moment the host city was announced

The afternoon when tension peaked after the final presentations by each candidate city at the IOC Session and the IOC members’ vote concluded.

President Juan Antonio Samaranch took the stage, opened the envelope containing the host city’s name, and announced loudly, “Salt Lake City!”

“The International Olympic Committee has decided to award the obligation of the XVIIIIth Olympic winter games in 2002 to the city of Salt Lake City!”

The Bid Battle That Left a Stain on the IOC

It Began with a Humiliating Defeat ― The “Nightmare” of Nagano’s Olympic Selection

June 16, 1995, at the 104th IOC Session in Budapest, Hungary. The Salt Lake City bid delegation stood there, determined to avenge the “humiliation” suffered four years prior.

At the 1991 Birmingham Session that decided the 1998 Winter Games, Salt Lake City had prepared flawlessly and was widely considered the overwhelming favorite. Yet it lost by a mere four votes to Nagano, Japan.

This “Birmingham Nightmare” planted a deep trauma within the bid committee, imparting a lesson bordering on madness: “No means should be spared.” Salt Lake City fundamentally reevaluated its strategy, launching a literally “thorough” approach targeting each and every IOC member.

This marked the origin of the overwhelming lobbying campaign that left other candidate cities like Sion, Switzerland, and Östersund, Sweden, in the dust.

The “Shadow” Behind the Landslide Victory

Salt Lake City secured a historic landslide victory in the first ballot, winning 54 votes—over 60% of the total. However, this jubilation was overshadowed years later by the bidgate scandal, which became the greatest stain in Olympic history.

In 1998, facts of bribery came to light: scholarships offered to IOC members’ families, lavish gifts, and cash payments. This scandal led to the expulsion of some IOC members and plunged the IOC into crisis.

The IOC was forced to implement fundamental organizational reforms, including prohibiting members from conducting on-site inspections and introducing mandatory retirement. Through these self-cleansing measures, the IOC narrowly averted disaster.

Beyond the Trials of 911

The trials for Salt Lake City continued.

Then, on September 11, 2001, just six months before the Games were to begin, the world witnessed a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that would forever mark history. The Games faced the threat of cancellation. Yet Salt Lake City built an impenetrable security system and sent a message to the world: “Light conquers darkness.”

Overcoming suspicion and fear, the 2002 Games became a symbol of America’s resilience and indomitable spirit, staking the nation’s prestige on their success.

Final Voting Results

Salt Lake City dominated the competition, securing a majority in the first round of voting. It achieved a landslide victory, finishing nearly four times ahead of the runner-up.