U.S. Ski & Snowboard congratulates Salt Lake City on being named ‘preferred city’ for 2034 Winter Olympics

U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Wednesday issued a statement on the International Olympic Committee officially naming Salt Lake City as the preferred city for the Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games for 2034.

If Salt Lake is officially selected next year, it would mark the fifth time the United States has hosted the Winter Olympics — twice at Lake Placid, N.Y., once at Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe, Calif) and once before at Salt Lake City in 2002. Denver was awarded the 1976 Games, with Beaver Creek conceived as a venue, but voters later rejected those Olympics, which went to Innsbruck, Austria.

Here’s the USSA statement on Salt Lake City:

Big news this morning out of Salt Lake City! The International Olympic Committee officially named Salt Lake City as the preferred city for the Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games for 2034. Salt Lake City is now in the “targeted dialogue” phase with the IOC, and will await the final decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July of 2024, following the Paris Olympics.

“I want to offer my sincere congratulations to the SLC-UT bid committee, who have worked so hard to get us to this point,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We all know how inspiring the Games are, not only for those competing and supporting but for the next generation of elite athletes. We could not be more excited to clear the hurdle we did this morning, knowing that we are in the final stretch to securing the bid.”

The announcement this morning recognizes Salt Lake City as the only candidate for 2034 based on the use of existing world-class venues, no significant capital investment required and strong support from Utahns, the national government, and state and city governments. 

The IOC also named France as the preferred host of the 2030 Winter Games during the Nov. 29 meeting. If Salt Lake City secures the bid, it will be the fifth time the U.S. has hosted the Olympic Winter Games. 

“The decision of the IOC to invite Salt Lake City-Utah into targeted dialogue as the preferred host for 2034 is a credit to our communities working together to create a welcoming region for sport across our state,” said Frazer Bullock, president & CEO of Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games in a piece published by KSLtv.com. “For more than a decade, our state and community leaders have united towards this goal. The IOC has recognized our high level of preparedness, with all venues in place and active, as well as overwhelming support from our political and business leaders.”

Go Team USA!