Organizers behind Utah’s bid to bring back the Olympics requested a final vote by the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday to coincide with the Pioneer Day state holiday. Families were lined up overnight along the streets downtown in anticipation of the Days of ‘47 parade later Wednesday morning.
The big news came shortly after 4 a.m. when IOC officials voted to approve the Salt Lake City bid for 2034.
And the crowds approved.
Murray resident Misse Betts says she’s been ready for the Games to come back ever since Utah last hosted in 2002.
“It was so awesome,” Betts said. “That’s why anybody who was here then is so excited to do it again, because it was so wonderful.”
Salt Lake resident Kelly Hass was in her pajamas. She said missing sleep was worth seeing the historic announcement.
“This is once in a lifetime,” Hass said. “It was here in 2002 but to be able to see this announcement and then know it’s going to be here in 10 years and maybe take our future kids to it one day, is so cool.”
Chris Fogt also attended the early morning event. Reminiscing on the 2002 Winter Games, he said he was encouraged to try out bobsled after seeing it live.
“I was a freshman in college and so we came down here to Salt Lake and watched a lot of the events," Fogt said. "It was just so cool to see Salt Lake on that world stage back then in 2002 and definitely inspired a lot of us to at least watch the Games and it kind of inspired me trying out for the sport four years later.”
Fogt found success in bobsled, competing at three Olympics and winning one silver medal. He was named head coach of the USA Bobsleigh Team last year.
Fogt said they plan to use the 2034 Games announcement as a recruiting push.
“We’re hosting a combine at the Olympic Oval on the 17th of August, trying to recruit local talent to put them on to win medals in 2034,” he said.
The combine is for both bobsled and skeleton. The top three participants will be flown to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid for a rookie camp. More details can be found here.
Park City is hosting its own celebration of the Games’ return later Wednesday at Utah Olympic Park from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
