Salt Lake City will host 2034 Winter Olympics

PARIS — As the Summer Olympic Games are about to start in Paris, Salt Lake City has been named the host for the 2034 Winter Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee made the announcement on Wednesday, but the naming was expected as the IOC game the city exclusive negotiating rights last year, The Associated Press reported.

The city will also host the Paralympic Winter Games the same year, The New York Times reported.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and former Olympian Lindsey Vonn joined the members of the Olympic committee to make the announcement from Paris.

Cox agreed to demands from the IOC where the committee added a clause to the contract between Salt Lake City officials and the Olympic governing body that said that local officials must work with current and future U.S. presidents and Congress “to alleviate your concerns” about federal investigations into doping. There had been an FBI investigation into doping allegations against Chinese swimmers, the AP reported.

About two dozen Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance before the 2021 Toyko Olympics, the Times reported. The newspaper also launched an investigation that questions if the World Anti-Doping Agency is willing to uncover doping in international sports. The federal government has also issued a subpoena for a top swimming official.

The newspaper called the decision to change the contract “dramatic” and allows the IOC to pull the games if there is an effort to undermine the WADA.

Salt Lake City last hosted the Winter Games in 2002, but had been marred by corruption related to the bidding for the games, the AP reported.

The decade-long leadup to the games is the longest for a modern Winter Olympics. It was granted for several reasons including not conflicting with the 2028 Summer Games that will be hosted by Los Angeles.

The 2030 Winter Games will be held in France in two areas, the Alps and Nice, the AP reported.

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