By Scott Mammoser, Team FSO contributing writer
The Paris Olympics are just getting started, and the USA has already scored a milestone victory.
Salt Lake City will host the 2034 Winter Games. The International Olympic Committee made the announcement on Wednesday during its session in the French capital. In addition, the Alpine region of France will host the 2030 Games, with events in several locations and figure skating centered in Nice.
The official announcement came to no surprise, as the two hosts were pinned down to those dates several months ago, but the news was still cause for celebration.
“Today’s decision by the International Olympic Committee is as much about the Olympic and Paralympic movement as it is about Salt Lake City-Utah,” organizing committee President and CEO Fraser Bullock said in a press release from the USOPC. “We are proud to show the world how our living legacy brings value to our communities, enriches the lives of youth, and helps contribute to the world of sport.”
It will be the fifth time the U.S. hosts the event, following Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980, Squaw Valley in 1960, and most recently Salt Lake in 2002. The Delta Center, which opened in 1991, is slated to host the figure skating competition again, as of now. It would join the outdoor St. Moritz Olympic Ice Rink (1928 and 1948) and Innsbruck’s Olympiahalle (1964 and 1976) as the only venues to host twice.
The 2002 Winter Games highlighted one of the most-memorable figure skating platforms in Olympic history. Sarah Hughes came from fourth after the short program to upset Irina Slutskaya and Michelle Kwan. An American woman hasn’t found the top of the podium since. Drama from the judging tables in the pairs event led to the shared gold between Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze and Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. This would usher in the new scoring system we see today. In addition, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China won bronze, eight years before they took gold in Vancouver.
The French team of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat claimed the ice dance championship. It was France’s first gold in a figure skating event in 70 years. Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh of Russia followed with the silver and Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio of Italy the bronze.
Meanwhile, Alexei Yagudin of Russia captured the men’s event over Evgeni Plushenko (who won in 2006) and American Timothy Goebel.
As a 19 year old, I was fortunate enough to be seated in the audience for the ladies’ free skate, free dance and pairs short program. I still remember when Salt Lake won the bid to host in 1995, and I made it a goal of mine to attend. Nearly 30 years later, I am sitting in the press box at the Paris Games, and it’s all coming full circle. I just hope there is another kid out there who is inspired to go to Salt Lake in 2034, and the circle will continue.
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Scott Mammoser is a writer for Figure Skaters Online and was credentialed media for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. When he’s not covering figure skating, he covers women’s basketball. He is at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris as credential media for The Next. Follow his updates from Paris at @SMammoser on X.
