French Alps, Salt Lake City preferred as hosts of 2030, 2034 Winter Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday invited National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of France and the United States into targeted dialogues towards hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2030 in the French Alps, and the 2034 edition in Utah’s Salt Lake City.

The IOC said it aims to award both editions to the preferred hosts at the 142nd IOC Session in July 2024 in Paris, reports Xinhua.

Furthermore, the IOC decided to grant a non-edition-specific project, Switzerland 203x, to invite Switzerland into “privileged dialogue” for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2038.

The IOC Future Host Commission met in Lausanne earlier this month and the NOCs with interest in hosting the Winter Games presented their projects to the Commission, the IOC said.

The principle of a potential double allocation of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2030 and 2034 was approved by the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India, in October.

IOC said the reason to choose the French Alps is “to renew the north and south Alps as winter sports destinations by transitioning to a more sustainable tourism strategy for winter sports in the context of climate change.”

Meanwhile, the IOC said Salt Lake City’s candidacy aims “to build on the positive legacies of the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002 and increase the existing Games Legacy Fund, in order to extend the lifecycle of numerous venues and sports programs.”

The decision to invite Switzerland 203x into privileged dialogue is based on “the many existing venues; the great experience of Switzerland in hosting international winter sport events; and its role as host country of the IOC and many International Sports Federations,” the IOC continued.

IOC said that during the privileged dialogue, it will not engage in discussions with other potential hosts for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2038.