Salt Lake City awarded 2034 Winter Olympics as French Alps get 2030 Games

• Utah city also hosted Winter Olympics in 2002
• New French government must seal bid for 2030

Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid on Wednesday. The French Alps was also named as the host for the 2030 Games, though with conditions attached and signoff required from whoever is the next prime minister of France.

Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, was the lone contender the Olympic committee was considering for 2034. Climate change and high operational costs have reduced the number of cities willing and able to welcome the Winter Games. Utah has capitalized on low interest elsewhere, pitching itself to Olympic officials as an enthusiastic repeat host if the committee goes forward with a proposed permanent rotation of Winter Olympic cities. Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi had said Salt Lake City would be a prime candidate for such a plan.