Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — As Utah's Olympic delegation prepared to board a flight for Paris from Salt Lake International Airport ahead of the 2024 Summer Games, their minds couldn't help but drift to 10 years in the future when an Olympic bid will mean a short drive instead of a transcontinental flight.
Even though the International Olympic Committee hasn't officially awarded the Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City in 2034, all expectations are that status will be granted in Utah's early hours Wednesday morning. When that happens, SLC-UT 2034 President and CEO Fraser Bullock said, the marquee outside the airport will read: Welcome to Salt Lake City, home of the 2002 and 2034 Winter Olympics.
"When we go to Paris, we're representing Utah; we're representing all of you," Bullock said. "And we're excited to show the best of who we are, to show the best of the Utah people, what they stand for.
"We get to show all of that to the world in two days," he added.
Nearly 40 athletes who live, train and/or were born in Utah will represent various nations when the Paris Summer Games kick off their long-awaited opening ceremony Friday.
But the earliest events will begin as soon as Wednesday, including a men's soccer team that includes Utah native Taylor Booth — the 23-year-old Real Salt Lake Academy product who plays for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands — taking on the host nation in Marseille (1 p.m. MDT, USA/Peacock).
The list includes Utah natives like Park City's Haley Batten, who at 25 years old will make her second Olympic Games in mountain biking, and Provo's Maka Unufe, who will help guide the U.S. rugby sevens team from the wing in Paris.
The USA Eagles' women's sevens team will also include Stephanie Rovetti, a former BYU basketball player whose sister Morgan is an All-American center for BYU and was recently named to the U-20 women's national team, and Alex "Spiff" Sedrick, a former Herriman High multi-sport athlete who played collegiately at Life University.
Plenty more athletes will present Utah among the respective nations, whether by birth, college or professional training environment.
"On this trip, we are all part of Team USA, which is truly incredible," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. "Our country and our world desperately needs something to bring us together — and over the next two weeks, we're going to see how sport can bring us together."
Four players from Utah Royals FC will play in the Olympic women's soccer tournament, but none for Team USA: Amandine Henry is a fixture with France, Ify Onumonu was recently elevated from alternate to full-time roster selection with Nigeria, rising New Zealand star Macey Fraser will represent the Football Ferns, and newly signed Mina Tanaka will put on a Japan shirt before she formally receives her Royals kit in NWSL play.
They'll join a handful of other international athletes with ties to Utah, including the University of Utah trio of Paige Crozon, Kim Gaucher and Michelle Plouffe playing 3x3 basketball for Canada; Herriman alum and former BYU standout Rory Linkletter earning an Olympic standard for his native Canada in the marathon; and Utah's Josie Eriksen, who ran the opening leg of Norway's 4x400-meter relay squad that became the first Norwegian relay to qualify for the Olympics since 1920.
The entire USA Climbing delegation will come from Utah, because the team's headquarters are in Salt Lake City and team members train out of the Beehive State regularly.
Then there's track and field, which will feature 12 athletes with ties to the state including six BYU alumni and current Cougar steeplechase standout James Corrigan.
Half of the U.S. track and field athletes from Utah are signed by Run Elite Program, the state-sponsored training group designed to bring world-class athletes to the Beehive State to live and train at altitude. That includes Corrigan, who recently signed a name, image and likeness deal with the Springville-based organization co-founded by Jared Ward, Isaac Wood and Landon Southwick.
Once the games are over (and even a little before), plenty of athletes, private trainers, coaches, policy makers and administrators will get back to work to bring world-class athletes to the state and inspire another generation of future Olympians — ones that will likely compete in Utah in a decade.
"I can't wait for Utah to host the Games again in 2034, so that we can show the world the very best of Utah and the very best of the United States of America," Gov. Cox said. "Yes, it's Salt Lake City's games and Utah's games — but these games in 2034 are the USA's games. We get to represent the United States to the world. That's special, it's a privilege, but it's also a burden.
"Once we sign those documents, it gets real. It's not just about talking about something in theory that will happen. … Now we have to do the work, and that means all of us pulling together to make this state the best possible version of itself over the next 10 years."
