Salt Lake City Scores the 2034 Winter Olympics!

Salt Lake City has been officially awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics following a vote by the International Olympic Committee in Paris on Wednesday. This marks Utah's second time hosting the Winter Games, with the first being in 2002.

Around a thousand die-hard sports fans swarmed downtown at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. local time — 11 a.m. in Paris — just to catch the live announcement. Some folks rocked their ski gear in the summer heat, while others repped Team USA merch and waved flags decked out with Olympic rings. When the Olympic officials finally dropped the news, the crowd went wild, celebrating the return to a city where the stoke for the Games is still electric, even twenty years after its first legendary hosting.

Climate change and rising operational costs have significantly narrowed the pool of cities capable of hosting the Winter Games. Amidst this dwindling interest, Utah has seized the opportunity, positioning itself as an enthusiastic and reliable repeat host. The state has actively pitched to Olympic officials the idea of a permanent rotation of Winter Olympic cities, with Salt Lake City emerging as a prime candidate. According to Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, Salt Lake City stands out as an ideal contender for this strategy.

American freestyle skier Christopher Lillis, who clinched gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, expressed that the 2034 Games will be a dream come true for young athletes with Olympic aspirations. Having trained at the nearby Utah Olympic Park, Lillis praised the area's "top-notch" sports facilities.