Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games President & CEO Fraser Bullock had been on the phone with IOC officials and they “essentially assured him hours before any formal announcement that Salt Lake City would be selected as the favorite" for 2034 Winter Olympics, according to Carter Williams of KSL.com. Bullock said that it was a “‘magical moment’ to hear Utah's capital city read out loud.” Bullock said he is just “so happy for the people of Utah -- that we can finally have this moment after a decade of work.” He added, “Now, we have these next 10 years to bask in the limelight a little bit, to make sure that our preparations are just off the charts, and have the greatest experience possible.” Williams wrote Salt Lake City had “a leg up in its proposal.” The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee had “made it clear to the IOC it preferred to host the event in 2034,” but “could also host in 2030, if needed.” This made Salt Lake City “the only candidate for the 2034 Winter Olympics.” IOC host Chair Karl Stoss explained the IOC “was impressed” by the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee's “very compact” master plan and how the city could host the event with no significant capital investment required. Stoss said that the IOC “determined the bid could ‘build on the legacies of 2002.’” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said this is “as good as an award;” it is “a huge day for Utah.” He added, “We've been dreaming about this day for a long time" (KSL.com, 11/29).
