2030 Winter Games set for France, 2034 in US Salt Lake City

The 2030 Winter Olympics are set to be held in the French Alps pending certain conditions while the 2034 edition will be hosted by Salt Lake City in the US after a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Paris today. Controversy around both bids meant a handful of IOC members voted against the candidatures despite no other bids being on the table. The International Olympic Committee's executive board had already recommended the two bids as hosts back in June but the full meeting of IOC members had to rubber-stamp the decisions. The Paralympics will follow the Olympics in each case. France's bid, just as the country prepares to host the Paris Summer Games, still has a slight degree of uncertainty following the recent French parliamentary elections. The national and regional governments have not yet committed finances. But President Emmanuel Macron told the 142nd IOC Session: "I confirm the full commitment of the French nation, and assure you that I will ask the next prime minister to i nclude not only this guarantee but also an Olympic Law in the priorities of the new government." Despite there being no rival 2030 bid, there were four no votes and seven abstentions among 95 IOC members with regards to the candidature of the French Alps. The nation last hosted a Winter Olympics in Albertville in 1992, a Games not fondly remembered by athletes due to various challenges. The Games in 2030 would be the fourth time France has hosted the Winter Olympics. This time the Olympics would be shared among several winter sports hubs in the French Alps, with the IOC increasingly willing to spread Games if it helps with cost and sustainability. The 2026 Winter Games are in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Paris Summer Games start on Friday. Los Angeles hosts 2028 and Brisbane 2032. Source: Oman News Agency