Snowbasin, Utah Selected As 2034 Olympic Downhill Skiing Venue

Snowbasin Resort , UT, is scheduled to host downhill skiing for the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This announcement comes shortly after a successful bid from Salt Lake City to host the Olympic Winter Games for the second time. The first year the Olympics came to Salt Lake City was in 2002, when Snowbasin was the alpine skiing venue for the Downhill, Super-G, and combined race events.

To gear up for the 2002 hosting of the games, many developments were made to Snowbasin , including the addition of three lodges, terrain expansion, two new gondolas, a tram, and high-speed quad. These courses, the Grizzly and Wildflower Downhill, are still accessible to guests at the resort today. It's one of the resort's claims to fame: Snowbasin is one of three resorts in North America to offer start-to-finish skiing on a downhill Olympic trail.

The courses were designed by Swiss Olympic champion and architect Bernhard Russi. The Grizzly Downhill spans 3,000 vertical feet across two miles of terrain, and is regarded as one of the most difficult downhills in the world, even referred to as the “Kitzbuhel of North America.” Coming in at a close second, the Wildflower Downhill drops 2,625 vertical feet and follows a similarly steep path.

Davy Ratchford, General Manager of Snowbasin Resort, said, “Snowbasin is honored to be chosen once again as a venue for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. Over the last four years we've been working with the Organizing Committee to provide our world-renowned terrain to the best Alpine athletes from around the globe."

"With Snowbasin now hosting all Alpine events for the 2034 games, we will once again showcase what makes this mountain special. Guests to Snowbasin have been skiing our famous downhill runs since the first games in 2002, and we are thrilled to host the world again in 2034."

This time around, things are going in similar direction with upgrades to infrastructure prior to the Olympic and Paralympic games. The resort recently added or upgraded five chairlifts, built multiple restaurants and improved infrastructure through snowmaking installations and renovations, parking expansion and new restrooms.

The former site of the 25,000-seat stadium remains protected and open to once again seat a captivated audience as skiers battle it out for the gold.

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