2034 Winter Olympics
The 2034 Winter Olympics, officially the XXVII Olympic Winter Games, and branded as Utah 2034, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place in the U.S. state of Utah, United States, from February 10–26, 2034.
The Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee initially nominated Salt Lake City as its preferred candidate on November 29, 2023. The bid was approved on July 24, 2024, during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris, and the games were eventually branded to Utah 2034 in November 2025 to better reflect the surrounding areas also hosting venues. They will be the fifth Winter Olympics, and tenth overall, to be hosted by the United States; having previously hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City will join St. Moritz, Lake Placid, Innsbruck, and Cortina d'Ampezzo as the fifth city to have hosted or co-hosted multiple Winter Olympic Games. This will also be the first Olympics held in the United States that will be branded under a host U.S. state instead of a city.
Bidding process
Under the new bidding process established under Olympic Agenda 2020, the Future Host Commission of the IOC engages in ongoing, non-committal "continuous dialogue" with parties that are interested in hosting a future Olympic Games. The Commission then recommends preferred candidates to be invited to "targeted dialogue" with the IOC Executive Board. In addition, a "host" can now consist of multiple regions or countries rather than just cities.Host selection
On November 29, 2023, per the recommendation of the Future Host Commission, the IOC Executive Board invited the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to targeted dialogue, with Salt Lake City named the sole preferred candidate for the 2034 Winter Olympics.During the 142nd IOC Session in Paris on July 24, 2024, Salt Lake City was elected as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics, via a referendum to the 95 IOC delegates.
| Region | NOC name | Yes | No | |
| Salt Lake City | 83 | 6 | 6 |
WADA vs USADA conflict
The IOC insisted that Utah agree that it may "terminate Olympic host city contracts in cases where the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the world antidoping code is hindered or undermined." This was intended to undermine the United States Department of Justice's criminal investigation into the allegations that the World Anti-Doping Agency failed to sanction and covered up drug use by Chinese swimmers. The Chinese have accused the western mainstream media, in particular The New York Times, of atrocity propaganda against the Chinese athletes. However, IOC president Thomas Bach has attempted to alleviate concerns that the city could lose its second Olympics if organizers do not fulfill an agreement to play a peacemaker between anti-doping authorities. Bach downplayed the gravity of a termination clause that the IOC inserted into Utah's host contract in July.Development and preparations
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City had left a strong legacy, with venues constructed for the Games having continued to host international events and world championships; in the 2013–14 period, Utah hosted 16 winter sports events, contributing $27.3 million to the state economy. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee stated in 2022 that it was "already in dialogue with the IOC, not yet for a specific year but as part of their evolving process" over the possibility of Salt Lake City hosting a future Winter Olympics; the Committee had named Salt Lake City its preferred candidate for a future U.S. Winter Olympics in 2022, citing its existing infrastructure.A report by the Future Host Commission estimated that the Games will cost $3.9 billion.
Venues
The Games will utilize nearly all the venues originally constructed for the 2002 Winter Olympics, but with some differences: alpine skiing will be hosted at Snowbasin instead of at Deer Valley and Park City, while big air events will take place at a temporary, 25,000-seat venue constructed on the former parking lot of the medal plaza from 2002. Curling will be held on a temporary rink at the Salt Palace instead of The Ice Sheet at Ogden; organizers cited an unwillingness to expand the Ogden venue with temporary seating, and a desire to host the event in Salt Lake City proper to capitalize on curling's growing American popularity.In early-April 2024, organizing committee president Fraser Bullock stated that he would not rule out the possibility that facilities built for new or relocated professional sports teams in Salt Lake City could also be used, noting that the exact venue plans may evolve as the Games draw closer.
Later that month, it was announced that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith had acquired the hockey operations of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League, and would relocate them to Salt Lake City as the Utah Hockey Club. As part of the relocation, US$900 million was earmarked by the city to renovate Delta Center and construct a sports and entertainment district around the arena by October 2027. On October 8, 2024, ahead of Utah Hockey Club's first home game, Smith announced that Delta Center would host ice hockey, with the Maverik Center hosting figure skating and short track speed skating instead. Bullock stated that he was caught off-guard by Smith's early announcement of the plan, but that he was "very excited to partner with Ryan and the NHL."