SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) — The United States is expected to be chosen as the host country for its fifth Winter Olympic Games, with Salt Lake City set to get the nod for 2034.
Utah officials are already in Paris, France — the host of this year's Summer Olympics — awaiting the official announcement, which is expected to take place around 5 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. MT Wednesday. If elected, this would mark the second Winter Olympics for Salt Lake, which hosted the 2002 games.
Previously, the U.S. has also hosted the Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York (1932 and 1980) and Squaw Valley, California (1960).
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended Salt Lake during their executive board meeting on June 12. The full board will vote on the final approval tonight. IOC members toured the 2002 Olympic sites in April. Karl Stoss, chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, said he felt Utah could be ready to "host tomorrow" if needed.
According to Utah Committee for the Games Communication Lead Tom Kelly, the operating budget for the 2034 Games is estimated to be $2.83 billion — which is almost identical to the 2002 budget. The fact that Utah still has all of 2002's venues — and that they've remained in use as training facilities — has helped to keep costs down. No new permanent construction is expected.
"Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 will be one of the most compact Games in history, with all venues within a one-hour drive of the single Athlete Village at the University of Utah," said Kelly. "The sustainable venue footprint requires no new permanent construction and features 13 competition and non-competition venues already in place, each having played a role in 2002 and in continual use since. One venue will be temporary."
That said, in 2002, Salt Lake City produced 78 Olympic events. Kelly said in 2034, that program could grow by 40%.
A study released earlier this month by the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute estimated the Games could have a $6.6 billion economic output for Utah.
Kelly said one major difference from the 2002 Games will be the addition of an Athlete Family Village — a place for athletes' families to stay.
Even though Salt Lake City got caught in a bribery scandal that nearly derailed the 2002 Winter Olympics, it has worked its way back into the good graces of an Olympic committee increasingly reliant on passionate communities as its options dwindle. Salt Lake has become a prime candidate if officials eventually form a permanent rotation of host cities, Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi told the Associated Press.
“The International Olympic Committee needs Salt Lake City a lot more than Salt Lake City needs the International Olympic Committee, or the Olympics,” said Jules Boykoff, a sports and politics professor at Pacific University.
