Paris, Jul 24 (IANS): Salt Lake City in Utah state of the USA will host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2034. The decision was taken by the IOC Members during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris here on Wednesday. Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2002. Out of 89 valid votes, Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 received 83 ‘yes’ votes from the IOC Members. Six said ‘no’ while there were six abstentions,

The Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 delegation was led by the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Erin Mendenhall, the President of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Gene Sykes, and the President of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, Fraser Bullock.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Salt Lake City and Utah are long-time friends of the Olympic Movement, and we are confident that they will organise exceptional Olympic and Paralympic Games, just as they did years ago. The legacy of 2002 is tangibly and passionately alive in Utah. The legacy of 2034 starts today.”

There was a final report by Karl Stoss, IOC Member and Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, the IOC body responsible for monitoring and analysing interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games and Winter Youth Olympic Games.

“Olympic Winter Games in Utah represent a fantastic opportunity,” he said. “This very strong project benefits from an exceptionally high level of public and political support. The athletes will benefit from the great facilities and opportunities this project has to offer.”

Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 has the ambition to extend the transformative benefits of Salt Lake City 2002 to a new generation and make the resources and experience of Utah available for the benefit of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

It is fully aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5, as well as regional socio-economic development plans, especially around creating long-term benefits for the region and potentially the country, for example by expanding existing sports and social programmes for young people and athletes.

The Games will be hosted in world-class, 100 percent existing or temporary venues, and will assist efforts to drive sustainable change in Utah.