Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics by the International Olympic Committee, but the decision came with strings attached. The IOC pressured Utah officials to end an FBI investigation into a suspected doping cover-up involving Chinese swimmers. The U.S. is investigating WADA’s acceptance of Chinese explanations for positive drug tests at the Tokyo Games. As part of the host contract, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other officials must lobby to shut down the investigation or risk losing the Olympics.
The clause inserted into the contract requires Utah officials to work with current and future U.S. presidents and Congress to address concerns about the federal investigation into doping. The move is seen as a power play by the IOC to force government officials to comply with their demands.
Salt Lake City’s bid for the Winter Olympics was the only candidate, and the city will have almost 10 years to prepare for the event, the longest lead-in for a modern Winter Games. This will be the fifth Winter Games in the U.S., following previous events in Lake Placid, Squaw Valley, and Salt Lake City.
The decision for the 2030 Winter Games was awarded to France for a regional project split between ski resorts in the Alps and the city of Nice. The project still needs official sign-off from the national government, with the Prime Minister yet to be confirmed after recent elections.
In a surprising move, the IOC’s decision-making body also welcomed USOPC chair Gene Sykes as a full IOC member with an 82-3 vote. This development comes amidst ongoing tension and concerns surrounding doping investigations and the role of WADA in overseeing anti-doping measures in Olympic sports.
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