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SALT LAKE CITY — The Winter Olympics are officially coming back to Utah.
Members of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games who had traveled to Paris to make one final pitch to lock the event jumped with joy Wednesday as International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach announced that Salt Lake City will host the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Some 5,000 miles away back in Salt Lake City, a boisterous crowd of about 2,000 people erupted into jubilation as the announcement was streamed outside of the Salt Lake City-County Building.
Some launched fireworks they brought with them in the morning, while the crowd stuck around to view an Olympic-themed drone show over the Salt Lake City-County Building and a confetti drop as the official 2034 Olympics logo was unveiled.
It marks just the fifth time that the United States has hosted the Winter Olympics and the future event will be the first on U.S. soil since Salt Lake City hosted it in 2002. The IOC also voted early Wednesday to formally award the 2030 Winter Olympics to France.
Utah's capital city was beaming with Olympic pride beyond Washington Square, where the watch party was held.
The state's Olympic Cauldron outside of Rice-Eccles Stadium was relit moments after the vote and the host flag was raised at the Utah Capitol. In downtown, the Walker Center tower rotated in a blend of red, white and blue, while other downtown buildings with lighting also flashed red and blue.
The view of the crowd as the official announcement was made that the Winter Olympics will return to SLC in 2034: pic.twitter.com/3LHJWEr4dZ
— Carter Williams (@cwilliamsKSL) July 24, 2024
Olympic-related events are also planned for other cities along the Wasatch region throughout the day as the state celebrates its second Winter Games.
"This is such a special day for us," Gov. Spencer Cox said in Paris after the vote. "It's a historic day and something that we will never forget."
Locking down the bid
Wednesday's decision was nearly eight months after Utah's capital city was named the "preferred host" of the global event. Many in the Utah crowd had waited hours in the early morning to watch the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games make its last pitch to host the Games, which began shortly after 2:30 a.m. Mountain time.
Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, committee president and CEO Fraser Bullock and a mix of Olympic athletes touted their ability to host the Games without needing to build any new venues, the state's strong community support and the success of the 2002 Winter Olympics as major selling points for Utah's 2034 bid.
The rowdy Salt Lake crowd broke out into cheers of "USA" and "SLC" as the committee spoke about every aspect of the plan — and when Karl Stoss, chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, gave his full endorsement of the bid.
"Enthusiasm for the Games was always our feeling from the first minute to the last minute in every interaction we had both at the venues and in all of our meetings" in Utah, Stoss said from Paris before the announcement was made.
Cox said members of the committee were taken aback as they saw a live feed of the Salt Lake crowd before the presentation began, saying it brought "tears in the eyes of all of us" after they had worried only a dozen people would show up for an early morning event.
Hosting a second time around is projected to cost about $4 billion altogether with $2.83 billion the listed operating budget for the events. Fraser Bullock, the committee's president and CEO, said last month leaders believe they can at least "break even" without local, state or federal taxpayer dollars to cover the operating costs.
Stoss also referred to a Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute report that estimates the Games could generate $6.6 billion for the state of Utah, due in part to the long lead to the Games between 2024 and 2034.
The IOC ultimately voted 83-6 in favor of awarding Salt Lake City the event. Bullock confirmed that the host contract has already been signed, as the two sides pre-signed the deal that went into effect once the IOC voted.
Other prominent Utahns also chimed in on Wednesday after the vote.
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement Wednesday congratulating Salt Lake City on securing the Olympic bid.
"We celebrate this news, recalling the feelings of unity, peace and friendship that characterized the event when it was last hosted in Utah in 2002," the statement said. "We stand ready to support the 2034 Olympic Games in welcoming athletes, volunteers and visitors from around the world. The church is committed to efforts that make Salt Lake a host city that embodies values of service, cooperation and mutual respect. As the home of the international headquarters of the church, we will work with organizers at both local and international levels to welcome the world as 2034 draws near."
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who was the CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, also expressed enthusiasm for the Games returning to Utah.
"Now, when I was involved in the 2002 games, I was inspired by the Olympians who demonstrated the greatest qualities of the human spirit through their grit and athleticism, their determination and their courage. But I was also inspired to see so many Utahns come together — in official as well as voluntary roles — to serve those who were visiting from nations across the globe," Romney said.
"During those games, Utah demonstrated to the entire world its unique spirit of service and fellowship. And Utah is well-prepared to host the world once again for the Winter Games. We are a leading hub for winter sports; our economy is resilient and growing; our sporting venues and infrastructure are well kept and regularly used for competition; and of course, we have the 'greatest snow on Earth.'"
The IOC's concern
IOC leaders didn't bring up any concerns about Utah's event logistics, but something out of the state's control created some tension Wednesday. The rowdy crowd quieted as the governing body brought up concerns about differences that have emerged between the U.S. and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Members of Utah's committee appeared nervous as the debate dragged the meeting out longer than anticipated. And one person in the Salt Lake crowd whispered aloud, "What if we don't get it?" as the conversation played out in front of them.
Utah's committee along with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee committed to abiding by the World Anti-Doping Code during the meeting, which was included in an agreement amendment discussed during the meeting.
Bullock said the committee was alerted that the disagreement would be brought up earlier this month, so the group prepared to be grilled on the topic. Both he and Cox added that Utah takes the issue seriously and will work with U.S. leaders to make sure that it's handled appropriately by 2034.
"The United States cannot clean up sport by itself. That's impossible," the governor said. "Conversely, (the World Anti-Doping Agency) cannot clean sport by itself without countries willing to participate and work together. That's what we're going to do. ... I'm confident that we'll get through this."
Preparing for 2034
The race is on now to get Utah ready for 2034.
Cox reiterated that the state is in a unique position where it doesn't need to build new venues, so it can get to work at looking at what types of legacy projects could enhance Utah cities over the next decade.
"Those are the things we get to work on that will bless the lives of the people of Utah not just for the Olympics, but for generations to come," he said.
Salt Lake City leaders say they hope this will unlock many of the long-term projects on their radar, which could spark legacy projects like how the 2002 Winter Olympics led to freeway enhancements and the creation of Utah Transit Authority's TRAX network.
Housing and transportation projects, Mendenhall explained, are things the city would be looking at regardless of the Games. The city will now begin to look at new federal infrastructure funds with the bid in hand, added Salt Lake City Councilman Alejandro Puy, who attended the early-morning viewing party along with his colleagues.
He said the city has a "big laundry list of needs" that could be addressed over the next decade. While he didn't say what projects could be prioritized, the city is already looking at plans to build a Green Loop surrounding downtown and turning Main Street into a promenade, while it is also engaging with UTA on expanded TRAX service and Smith Entertainment Group on a downtown revitalization plan around the Delta Center.
"You can count on Salt Lake City is not going to look the same in 10 years," Mendenhall said. "But it may look similar to what it would (if) we were not hosting the Games."
