Salt Lake City Will Host 2034 Winter Olympics

The Games are coming back to Utah.

Jul 24, 2024; Salt Lake CIty, Utah, USA; The Olympic rings on display during the announcement for the host city for the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games at Washington Square. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

The Winter Olympics are returning to Utah.

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee announced it had awarded the 2034 Winter Games to Salt Lake City. It will mark the second time Utah has played host to the Olympics, with the first coming back in 2002.

In ten years, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be hosted in Salt Lake City, Utah. ❄️🏔️😍

We can't wait to see the best snow and ice sports athletes in action again!

📸 Jay Dash Photography, courtesy of the Utah Office of Tourism#SLCUT2034 @stateofsport @USOPC_News pic.twitter.com/mGCNdO1tbR

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 24, 2024

The next decade of Olympic play promises to be rather American-centric now between the 2028 Los Angeles Games and now 2034 in SLC. But there will still be plenty of variety in host countries. In 2026 Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will share hosting duties for the Winter Games in Italy. Four years later, the French Alps will play host, and in 2032 the Summer Games will be held in Brisbane, Australia.

Landing the 2034 Games is a big deal for the city and the state but it wasn't a particularly competitive selection process. In fact, Salt Lake City was the only host city under serious consideration for this rotation. ESPN notes enthusiasm for hosting the Winter Games has waned considerably around the world due to climate change and operational costs. Utah, however, is ideally suited to host due to its latitude and existing infrastructure from the 2002 Games.

Regardless of context, Salt Lake City will host another Olympics, and it's a big win for everyone involved.