Lee Benson writes: "It took them long enough, but finally enough people had died, or forgotten or forgiven — nah, probably not forgiven — that the International Olympic Committee came to its senses and awarded another Olympic Winter Games to Salt Lake City and environs.
"The statute of limitations on holding a grudge, it would seem, is 26 years.
"That’s how long it’s been since Marc Hodler of Switzerland, a longstanding IOC delegate with a sterling reputation, cleared his throat in the late fall of 1998 and said the kindnesses certain IOC delegates were receiving from Salt Lake’s Olympic bidders weren’t gifts, but bribes.
"When the IOC voted 83-6 last week in Paris to award the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City-Utah, just 10 delegates remained from those who voted for Salt Lake 2002.
"It seems all grudges have either disappeared, or been outvoted.
"The good news for the IOC is that no way is Salt Lake City ever going to embarrass the organization as a place to stage the Games. Hosting the Olympics a second time gives Salt Lake the chance to emphasize again not just that it checks all the important boxes required of a host city, but why it should be a shoo-in, should the IOC decide on a rotation of select cities, as a permanent host."
Read more about the grudges that have faded from the scandal of 2002, opening the door for another Salt Lake City-hosted Games.
More in Olympics
-
After getting the 2034 Winter Games, here's the gift Utah gave the IOC leader (Deseret News)
-
Two former Utes will play for an Olympic medal on Monday (Deseret News)
-
How the U.S. 3x3 men’s team, minus an injured Jimmer Fredette, can stay in Olympic medal contention (Deseret News)
-
Rachel Miner and Haifa Tlili: Headscarves shouldn’t stop a woman from competing in the Olympics (Deseret News)
.png?width=1200&upscale=true&name=Utah%20Today%20Banner%20(v2).png)
.jpg?width=1120&upscale=true&name=Untitled-31%20(1).jpg)
.png?width=750&upscale=true&name=Round%20out%20your%20day%20(v5).png)
