Salt Lake City was officially named as the host of the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics on Wednesday (July 24), NBCOlympics.com reports.
The International Olympic Committee approved a return to the Utah capital, which had previously hosted the 2002 Winter Games, the last held on American soil. The committee also awarded the 2030 Winter Games to the French Alps region pending anticipated government approval.
Salt Lake City began its bid for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2018 and the IOC announced that the city was recommended for "targeted dialogue" for the future event last November. Last month, the IOC Executive Board announced it recommended IOC members to vote on Salt Lake City's election at a session held in Paris on Wednesday, two days prior to the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“I think Salt Lake City would be ready to start the Olympic Winter Games tomorrow,” said IOC Future Host Commission chair Karl Stoss last month via NBCOlympics.com.
The next Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy in 2026. Salt Lake City will host the 2034 Winter Games six years after the Summer Games make their return to the U.S. for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.