As thousands of athletes prepare to compete in Paris this week, another team is headed to France to bring future gold back to Utah.
The Utah delegation that will make the official presentation to host the 2034 Winter Olympics jetted off to Europe Monday, sharing their thoughts on what the moment means before departure at Salt Lake City International Airport.
"When we go to Paris, we're representing Utah. We're representing all of you and we're so excited to do that. To show the best of who we are. To show the best of the Utah people and what they stand for," said SLC-UT 2034 President and CEO Fraser Bullock.
All dressed in Team USA shirts, the 100 member delegation will arrive in Paris and hit the ground running ahead of Wednesday's International Olympic Committee meeting where the Games are expected to be awarded to Salt Lake City.
"This is the closest I'll ever get to wearing Team USA gear in real life," joked Gov. Spencer Cox, "and I'm not athletic enough to compete in the Olympics, but on this trip we are all part of Team USA, which is truly incredible."
The governor shared memories of the 2002 Winter Olympics that were hosted in Utah, and how he had just graduated from law school and couldn't afford tickets to the events. Instead, he and his wife, Abby, walked around the city to soak in the global atmosphere.
"Everywhere we walked we heard people speaking different languages that we didn't understand," he said, "and yet we were all smiling at each other, we were taking this in together, there was this sense of community.
"I haven't had that feeling since that time. I'm excited to feel it again in Paris, but 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, the very best of the United States of America."
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said Utah's time in the spotlight 20 years ago has become a lasting legacy for the entire state, fueling the drive to bring the Games back to the Wasatch Front.
"The Olympics are who we are and this is our moment," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall implored. "Salt Lake City and Utah, we are ready for this. We're ready to put that new foot forward."
The bid to bring the Olympics back has been a decade in the making, but Cox said the real work will begin Wednesday once the documents are signed and the countdown to 2034 gets underway.
"Now we have to do the work," said the governor, "and that means all of us pulling together to make the state the best possible version of itself over the next 10 years."
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