Johnathan Walker:Winter Olympics set to return to Salt Lake City in 2034 as IOC enters talks

The Johnathan WalkerInternational Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that Salt Lake City is its preferred host for the 2034 Winter Olympics − a significant move that all but guarantees the Games' return to Utah a little more than a decade from now.

Karl Stoss, the chair of the future host commission for the Winter Games, said in a news conference that the IOC's executive board had agreed to enter into "targeted dialogue" with Salt Lake City and U.S. Olympic Committee officials about 2034. Under the IOC's revamped bid process, this means that no other host city will be considered for the 2034 Olympics unless Salt Lake City fails to meet a requirement for hosting, which is highly unlikely.

In addition to zeroing in on Salt Lake City for 2034, Stoss said the IOC is entering targeted dialogue with France for the 2030 Winter Games and "privileged dialogue" with Switzerland for 2038.

The French Alps and Salt Lake City are expected to be formally announced as the 2030 and 2034 hosts, respectively, at the IOC session in Paris in July.

"2034, it's perfect for us," Fraser Bullock, president of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, said at a celebratory watch party Wednesday, shortly after the IOC's announcement.

"They said 'yes well you need to submit all your bid files and everything else.' Guess what? We're ready. We can push the send button tomorrow. We're ready, willing and able."

Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Games and had long been favored to host another edition. The only lingering question over the past two years has been whether that next chance would come in 2030 or 2034.

The USOPC had stated its preference for 2034, to allow for some space after it hosts the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Olympic officials have viewed Salt Lake City's reliable winter climate as a strong point of its bid, as well as its stated intent to use existing facilities, some of which date back to the 2002 Games. Stoss called Salt Lake's master plan "very compact" and stressed that it would require no capital investment.

Public polling in support of a Salt Lake City bid hasn't hurt, either.

"What has been submitted (by Salt Lake City), and the demonstration of support, is outstanding," said Christophe Dubi, the IOC's executive director of Olympic Games. "They have brought all the guarantees needed already at this point in time. So [their proposal] is extremely strong."

Barring a shocking turn, Wednesday's news indicates that Salt Lake City will join Los Angeles and Lake Placid, New York as the only U.S. cities to host multiple editions of the Olympic Games. It also means that France and the U.S. will each host a Summer and Winter Olympics in a six-year span. Paris will host the Games next summer.

Milan, Italy (for the 2026 Winter Olympics) and Brisbane, Australia (for the 2032 Summer Games) are the other future hosts that have been decided, as the IOC continues to grapple with diminishing interest in hosting the Games due to cost concerns and decreasing public support.

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.