Wednesday marked the first time Utah organizers spoke to all 107 members of the IOC, who will vote on whether to award the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on July 24.
Utah is not facing opposition and is widely considered to be named the 2034 host next month. Salt Lake City Committee for the Games President and CEO Fraser Bullock is not taking anything for granted.
“We are humble and hopeful,” Bullock said. “We believe we’re in excellent shape, but until the vote is taken, we are absolutely 100% focused on every element of our bid and making sure we do the absolute best we can.”
Under IOC rules, Bullock wasn’t allowed to comment on the specifics of the private virtual meeting. But he said the committee made the case for why Salt Lake City is a great candidate to host in 2034.
“We reviewed each venue,” Bullock said. “We went through our history of hosting events. We covered our transportation plans, the accommodations plans, the governance model and our vision.”
Bullock said they highlighted the announcement that the Bobsled and Skeleton World Championships will be held at Utah Olympic Park for the first time in 2029.
If the IOC gives Salt Lake City the go ahead next month, Utah Olympic Park, Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center are all slated to host events in 2034. The bid committee has already reserved 21,000 local hotel rooms, including over 1,200 rooms in Summit and Wasatch counties.
The bid committee will make a public presentation to IOC members on July 24 in Paris, ahead of the final vote. Tom Kelly, spokesman for Utah’s 2034 bid, said they are preparing for celebrations.
“This selection date has wound up on what Utah calls Pioneer Day,” Kelly said. “So there is a built-in audience overnight lining up for the Pioneer Day parade. We hope to capitalize on that with a watch party. We also have many communities around the region who are looking to do celebrations that day and tie in the Games.”
The vote on July 24 is scheduled for 11 a.m. Paris time, which is 3 a.m. in Utah.
Park City Mayor Nann Worel said the city is organizing a party in collaboration with Summit County, the Park City Chamber and Utah Olympic Park. Details will be announced soon.
