The bid committee formed four years ago to bring the 2034 Olympic Games to Utah — and it succeeded. Salt Lake City was awarded the Games on Pioneer Day July 24.
During the bid committee’s last strategic board meeting, members reflected on their efforts. Chair Catherine Raney Norman, a four-time Olympic speed skater, said bringing back the Winter Games was a 20-year journey.
“It's really deeply personal, the work that we've done, and a lot of it wouldn't have been possible without many of you,” she said. “You all believed in us, you believed in the athletes, you believed in the youth coming up. And that's why we have a future Games coming back here to Utah again.”
She referenced the community support from Utahns across the state.
Norman shared the accomplishments of many athletes who supported Utah’s bid.
After crashing her sled twice at a race in February, Kaysha Love from Riverton, Utah, won bronze in the World Cup bobsled race Dec. 15. She also mentioned Park City native Lauren Macuga, who grew up training in Olympic legacy programs. She recorded her best-ever World Cup finish at the Birds of Prey ski race in Colorado Dec. 14.
President and CEO Fraser Bullock reflected on the July 24 announcement. The bid committee presented in Paris unsure if Utahns would show their support across the globe in the middle of the night.
“We didn't know if people would show up, and we thought, ‘Well, if we get 50 or 60 people, we could probably do a live feed from Utah.’ And of course, as you know, we had thousands of people, and so we went to a live feed from Utah, and what a moment that was,” Bullock said. “I just felt this immense emotion in that moment to be connected across the world to our people.”
Bullock also outlined Utah’s cost-effective bid. The average cost of a 2022 Games bid was $35 million. Utah’s bid came in at $3.9 million and all of it funded through private donations.
“Now, how did we do this? It's because of our team,” Bullock said. “I want to just take a moment to recognize our team. Most of these people are volunteers who have given thousands of hours to this effort over the years, and the expertise and capability is just mind-boggling.”
The bid committee’s final motion was unanimous. Members moved to congratulate all Utah residents on a successful bid for the 2034 Games.
With the bid committee dissolved, an organizing committee can be formed. Members of the committee, which will likely include many from the bid committee, will be announced in early 2025.
The International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee will ensure the organizing committee aligns with the host contract.
