Salt Lake City Officially Named Host For 2034 Winter Olympics
Jul 24, 2024, 4:23 AM
SALT LAKE CITY - FEBRUARY 23: A general view of downtown Salt Lake City at night during the Salt Lake Winter Olympics on February 23, 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Brian Bahr)
(Photo by Brian Bahr)
SALT LAKE CITY – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Salt Lake City will host the 2034 Olympic Games. The announcement came from Paris early Wednesday morning after an official vote.
After receiving the ‘preferred host’ designation late last year, Utah can now look forward to hosting its second Olympics over 30 years after the 2002 Winter Olympics.
BREAKING: Salt Lake City will officially host the 2034 Winter Olympics.#SLCOlympics pic.twitter.com/bcD1MFuGO1
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 24, 2024
From Hopeful To History: Salt Lake To Host 2034 Winter Olympics
With the Winter Olympics officially coming back to Utah in 12 years, Salt Lake City will join a prestigious group of cities.
Only 10 cities have ever hosted more than one Olympics. SLC will become the third U.S. city to do so, joining Los Angeles, California, and Lake Placid, New York.
How Did We Get Here?
Over the last few years, there were signs that the Olympics could be coming back to Utah.
It started in 2019 when the U.S. Olympic Committee announced Salt Lake would be its selection for a future Winter Olympics bid.
In June 2022, reports came out from IOC meetings that Salt Lake was most likely getting the nod. It just was about picking between 2030 and 2034.
As the 2024 Paris Games crept closer and no other city had a comparable bid, Utah governor Spencer Cox caused a stir with his confidence on the topic.
“99.9 percent.” – @SpencerJCox on his confidence level in getting the #WinterOlympics back in Utah in 2030 or 2034@KSLSportsZone @KSL5TV
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 9, 2023
Finally, in November 2023, Salt Lake City was announced as the ‘preferred host city’ for the 2034 Olympic Games.
Olympic History: Salt Lake City 2002
The 2002 Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City, and the surrounding areas from February 8-24 in 2002. Those games hold memories dear to many Utahns’ hearts, like the Miracle on Ice team lighting the torch and the incredible display of patriotism the Games produced following the events of 9/11.
Events for the Games were held across ten competitive venues in downtown Salt Lake City, Park City, Provo, and in the mountains near Salt Lake City.
We are LIVE on @KSL5TV at Washington Square in downtown SLC, where Utahns are gathering to watch the events in Paris! #Celebrate2034 #KSLOlympics pic.twitter.com/P7qF5Zre38
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) July 24, 2024
Many venues of past Olympics are torn down, not cared for, or are left abandoned after the Games are over, but that is not the case here in Utah.
All ten venues used for competition during the 2002 Olympics are still in use, which made Salt Lake an ideal candidate for future Games.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
