The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced on Wednesday, July 24, that Salt Lake Metropolis will host the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. This would be the first time the occasion has returned to the Crossroads of the West, Utah’s capitol metropolis since 2002.
This IOC choice has been within the making for a very long time. In 2018, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee picked Salt Lake as its main alternative for the subsequent Winter Video games. Then, in November 2023, the IOC engaged with Salt Lake Metropolis in a “focused dialogue” about being the host metropolis for 2034.
Salt Lake Metropolis enthusiastically welcomed the Video games again.
“Utah loves the Video games and what they imply to the world,” stated Fraser Bullock, Salt Lake Metropolis’s 2034 Olympic Video games President and CEO, on the IOC session. “It has been our dream to be right here again in entrance of you nearly ever since we submitted our last report for the 2002 Video games.”
Salt Lake Metropolis Winter Olympics 2034
Historically, the host metropolis is chosen by means of a bid race course of. Cities worldwide submit purposes to the IOC, and members vote to pick out a winner. Nevertheless, beneath new bidding reform insurance policies, the IOC can as an alternative enter focused dialogues with a most popular candidate and make a direct choice. That was the case with Salt Lake Metropolis, in addition to the French Alps area chosen to host the 2030 Winter Olympics.
In Salt Lake Metropolis, the College of Utah’s soccer stadium shall be open for most of the Video games’ occasions, together with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The Utah Jazz Area will host determine skating and short-track pace skating. Deer Valley and Park Metropolis ski resorts will maintain most of the snowboarding and snowboarding occasions.
“We’re extraordinarily excited to assist welcome the world to Utah for the 2034 Olympic Winter Video games,” stated Jared Smith, president & CEO of Deer Valley’s dad or mum firm, Alterra Mountain Firm, in a press launch. “By 2034, Deer Valley may have been reimagined to turn out to be an much more spectacular vacation spot.”
In 2002, Utah spent $1.9 billion to host the Winter Olympic Video games, in response to KSL-TV. The projected working funds for 2034 is about $2.83 billion. Financial projections from the College of Utah estimate the 2034 Video games may have a $6.6 billion financial impression on Utah over the subsequent 10 years.
Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer time Olympics earlier than Salt Lake hosts the 2034 Winter Video games. Curiously, in 2002, when Salt Lake final hosted the Winter Olympics, it was equally solely 6 years after one other American metropolis, Atlanta, hosted the 1996 Summer time Video games.
Regardless of the Salt Lake Olympics being a decade away, the IOC sounds assured Utah is already ready to host them.
“I believe Salt Lake Metropolis can be prepared to start out the Olympic Winter Video games tomorrow,” stated IOC Future Host Fee chair Karl Stoss.