Denver got another push Thursday toward a possible bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics as U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet weighed in on an international dispute that is holding up any U.S. bids.
Bennet, who is co-chair of the Congressional Olympic and Paralympic Caucus, wrote a letter Thursday to the chair of the United States Olympic Committee’s board of directors urging a quick resolution to a revenue-sharing conflict with the International Olympic Committee.
Bennet, D-Colo., who lives in Denver, said the accord would allow leaders in Denver and the Rocky Mountain region to “continue the necessary work and preparation to produce a successful bid to host a future Olympic Games.”
The USOC is embroiled in a revenue-sharing dispute with the IOC, which wants a larger cut of the United States’ global sponsorship revenues and the U.S. broadcast rights.
The USOC recently announced that it was not going to bid for any future Games until the dispute is resolved.
“As you are aware, the work and preparation that it takes to produce a winning bid is extensive. It would be unfortunate if the current impasse undermined these efforts,” Bennet wrote in his letter to Larry Probst, chair of the USOC board of directors.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
