Thirty-two years later, Utah will once again be the center of the global winter sports universe — for now.
The Beehive State was awarded the XXVII Olympic Winter Games early Wednesday morning at the 142nd Session of the International Olympic Committee in Paris, France, two days before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, with an 83-6 vote in favor of the bid.
However, due to concerns over potential power struggles over doping cases, the IOC announced they will terminate hosting rights if they feel the U.S. has overstepped their boundaries.
While that overshadowed what should have been a celebratory day, the awarding puts the cap on a remarkable last few months that began with the birth of the Utah Hockey Club.
The awarding of the Olympics will give Ryan and Ashley Smith a boost in the renovation of the Delta Center, which is already underway, and the future possible redevelopment of downtown Salt Lake.
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The largest impact will be on the fans; with Utah HC in its midst — and still plenty of Utah Grizzlies supporters — there will be many opportunities to connect with the community, which is what the Smiths are prioritizing.
And they haven’t done a bad job already, as seen from the draft party and prospect camp scrimmage held at the arena, where the lower bowl was nearly filled to capacity on both occasions.
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Regardless, Utah has proven they belong, and now have the NHL team and Olympics to prove it.
Now all that’s left is to find out what the team’s name and mascot will be.
“This strong project benefits from an exceptionally high level of public and political support,” Karl Stoss, chairman of the Future Host Committee for the Olympic Winter Games, said. “Enthusiasm for the Games was always our feeling, from the first minute to the last minute.”
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