08 May 2024 – The election of the hosts of the Olympic Winter Games 2030 and 2034 has moved a step closer following successful visits by the Future Host Commission to the French Alps and Salt Lake City-Utah. The Commission, led by International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Karl Stoss, President of the Austrian Olympic Committee, spent nine days visiting proposed sports and non-competition venues in each Preferred Host’s masterplan, supported by a number of experts from the IOC.

“During both visits, we were deeply impressed by the quality of the facilities we saw,” said Mr Stoss. “They showed us a strong legacy from previous Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“And they showed us that they have the full backing of all the people who make the magic of the Games happen – the athletes, the sports fans, the venue operators and the local communities.”

Karl Stoss, IOC Member Karl Stoss, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games

These were the first visits to Preferred Host regions by the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, which was set up in 2019 as part of the IOC’s new dialogue and partnership approach to electing Olympic and Paralympic hosts, a direct result of the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020.

While the approach has previously been used to elect Brisbane 2032 as a summer host, and had a strong influence on the election of Milano Cortina 2026 as a winter host, this is the first opportunity for it to be fully put into practice for the Olympic Winter Games.

The IOC works closely with every potential host to help them to optimise their project, prioritising sustainability and benefits for local communities, and to identify opportunities and challenges at an early stage. Prospective hosts are invited to present projects that best fit their sporting, economic, social, environmental and planning needs.

“This is a totally different way for the IOC to elect hosts,” explained Mr Stoss, “It saves a lot of money and a lot of time for all of us.”

The Future Host Commission visit forms part of Targeted Dialogue between the IOC and the Preferred Host. This represents a deep dive into the project and the local context, and an opportunity for the IOC to provide expert advice and support.

Two Targeted Dialogues, one for the 2030 and one for the 2034 Games, were opened by the IOC Executive Board in November because of the strengths of the two projects, led respectively by the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) and the French Paralympic Committee (CPSF); and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

The regions of the French Alps and Salt Lake City Utah are highly experienced hosts, with well-maintained venues, which are seeking to build on the legacy of hosting previous Olympic and Paralympic Games. Both projects have high public and private support, and respond in a contextual way, in line with their own vision and their own socio-economic development plans, to the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5.

The Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games comprises representatives from across the Olympic Movement, including athletes, the Winter Olympic Federations, the International Paralympic Committee and National Olympic Committees.

The visit is part of the due diligence carried out by the Commission to inform its report to the IOC Executive Board (EB), which decides if a Preferred Host should be recommended for election by the whole IOC membership at the IOC Session.

The next step will be for each Preferred Host to present its project to the Winter Olympic Federations and to all IOC Members, answering any questions they may have, at internal meetings planned in May and June.

Mr Stoss will present the Future Host Commission’s report to the IOC EB at its meeting from 12 to 14 June.

If the EB decides to recommend the 2030 and 2034 projects for election, the votes will take place at the 142^nd IOC Session in Paris on 24 July. The Preferred Hosts will be invited to make presentations to explain their vision and Games plan. The Session will be broadcast live on YouTube.

At the opening of the Targeted Dialogue last year, the IOC Feasibility Studies on all the projects in Continuous Dialogue for the Olympic Winter Games 2030 and 2034 were published.

More information

The IOC Feasibility Studies on French Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City – Utah 2034.

Watch the joint IOC-French Alps 2030 press conference that took place on 13 April at the end of the Future Host Commission visit.