When the Winter Games return to Utah, the federal government will be in charge of security, just as it was during the state’s last Olympics that were held only months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States.
That’s giving Utah’s Olympic organizers confidence that the 2034 Winter Games will be safe despite Wednesday’s fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.
As a “National Special Security Event,” Utah’s next Olympics “will already have the highest level of security,” said Fraser Bullock, president and executive chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
The federal designation, established by President Bill Clinton after the deadly bombing at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, puts the U.S. Secret Service in charge of security at major national events.
Designated events, which also include Super Bowls and the Republican and Democratic national political conventions where presidential candidates are nominated, are provided with “exceptional” security, Bullock said.
As the chief operating officer of Utah’s 2002 Winter Games, he knows firsthand how security planning can be impacted by violent acts. After 9/11, both state and federal authorities worked to overhaul how the Games would be protected.
Military jets flew overhead during Utah’s first Olympics and armed soldiers in uniform, many from the National Guard, joined volunteers at venue checkpoints in an effort to make participants and spectators feel safe during Utah’s first Olympics.
Then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge promised the 2002 Games attended by President George W. Bush and a slew of international dignitaries would be “clearly the safest sporting event ever.”
There were few problems during the 17 days of the Olympics, other than a clash between police and beer drinkers in downtown Salt Lake City. Utah ended up earning high praise from the International Olympic Committee president at the time, Belgium’s Jacque Rogge.
What measures will be taken when the state once again welcomes the world some 8½ years from now won’t be decided for some time. After being awarded the Games in July 2024, organizers have more than the typical seven years to prepare.
Bullock said he doesn’t see changes coming to what would be seen as the highest level of security, at least not yet.
“Not at this point,” he said. “But with increasing technology capabilities, including AI, security strategies and tactics will continue to evolve and improve.”
The National Special Security Event designation likely won’t be made official for a while. The next Olympics in the U.S., the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, received the designation and began the formal planning process with federal authorities last year.
The U.S. Secret Service said it was the furthest in advance that the designation has been granted.