Salt Lake Organizers Run Smoothly

Organization of the 2002 Winter Games so far is unmatched by other recent hosts, with work on most competition venues ahead of schedule, members of an Olympic panel agree.

Marc Hodler, president of the International Skiing Federation, characterized the Salt Lake Organizing Committee’s efforts as “very much advanced … compared to the last 10 Winter Olympic Games.

“Planning and construction has begun several years in advance,” the Swiss member of the International Olympic Committee said Thursday as the second annual meetings of the Games’ coordination commission concluded.

Hodler praised organizers not only for early construction efforts, but the existence already of suitable venues for luge, bobsled, downhill and ski jumping events.

Salt Lake’s initiative will require IOC and U.S. Olympic Committee members to scramble for funding earlier than ever before, Hodler said. Still, he expected such hurdles - including prepayments on lucrative television contracts - to be cleared without much difficulty.

“This has been an important issue (for the coordinating commission), to make sure SLOC has the funding (for building) without having to appeal to very heavy bank loans,” Hodler said.

Francois Carrard, director general of the IOC, agreed, saying the commission was ready for the challenge.

“This is a particularly excellent coordinating commission, with a high level of expertise,” he said. “This commission is perfectly on track.”

SLOC president Tom Welch echoed the sentiment, declaring the 18-member panel represented “more expertise in hosting Winter Games than any in the past.”

Added USOC president William Hybl: “The U.S. Olympic Committee is particularly pleaded with Salt Lake’s program for the Games… . Here we are, five years out, with the opportunity to have all of this in place.”