As fans processed the impact of the first record, the competitive momentum of the day continued to heighten the tension. The combination of talent, preparation, and ideal conditions turned the rink into a stage where everything seemed possible. Thus, both an established star on the circuit and a team intent on rewriting its own history demonstrated that speed skating is experiencing a moment of rapid evolution.

Femke Kok and a personal quest that made history

For Femke Kok, the day was not just another competition but the opportunity to fulfill a goal she had set just a day earlier. A three-time consecutive world champion, the Dutch skater had noticed that her qualifying time was dangerously close to the world record—only 0.12 seconds away. That detail sparked a special motivation, strengthened by her analysis of the Utah Olympic Oval, a rink where altitude allows for greater glide and demands earlier anticipation in every movement. Kok knew she could improve, and she did so decisively: she lowered her time by 0.27 seconds and broke a record that had stood untouched for 12 years.

Her words reflected both respect for the track and confidence in her ability to adapt to its particularities. “Here, you have to start gliding earlier. It’s something I can improve,” she had said. That drive for self-improvement became a memorable performance, showing that even those who dominate the world stage continue to find ways to surpass themselves.

United States claims gold and redefines the team pursuit

The excitement did not end with Kok’s individual feat. In the men’s team pursuit, the United States made clear why it has become a powerhouse in this discipline. Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman, and Ethan Cepuran not only claimed gold but delivered a performance that rewrote the limits of the event. They stopped the clock at 3:32.49, beating by more than a second the record they themselves had set in January 2024.

The new time was not only a technical achievement but a display of perfect synchronization among three athletes who understand the discipline as an exercise in absolute trust. Their ability to maintain a fierce pace while preserving impeccable harmony in every relay turned their performance into a clear demonstration of the level a team can reach when collective work and ambition meet in perfect balance.

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Utah Governor Spencer Cox and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) CEO Sarah Hirshland made the official announcement from the Utah State Capitol. In addition to establishing the committee, they introduced the leadership team that will oversee the organization of the Games.

SALT LAKE CITY 2034 ORGANIZATION

Fraser Bullock, an Olympic Movement veteran with experience in the successful Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics, has been appointed as CEO. Brad Wilson, a business leader and former Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, will take on the role of Executive Director. Steve Starks, former president of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and liaison to Governor Cox during the 2034 bid committee, will serve as one of the vice presidents.

The Executive Committee will include key figures such as Bullock, Hirshland, Starks, USOPC President Gene Sykes, Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn, and U.S. bobsledder Chris Kinney. Catherine Raney Norman, who chaired the bid committee, will lead the Organizing Committee’s Athletes’ Commission. This leadership team will oversee the preparations for the 2034 Games and ensure their success.

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The French Alpes 2030 delegation was led by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron in addition to presidents of the two regions where the Games will be held, Laurent Wauquiez of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Renaud Muselier of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the presidents of the French Olympic and Paralympic Committees, David Lappartient and Marie-Amélie Le Fur.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: ‘We have every confidence that France will host an exceptional Winter Olympic Games, with the same creativity, imagination and style that we are currently experiencing in Paris 2024.

And the Olympic Winter Games 2030 will be…

the #FrenchAlps2030 🇫🇷🏔️!!

A delighted French delegation, led by @EmmanuelMacron, with @DLappartient & @FranceOlympique reacts to the election at the IOC Session. pic.twitter.com/eJgrP7Xcfq

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2024

President Macron said: ‘France pushes the limits of excellence every time it organises a sporting event. We believe in the future of our mountains and we must support its model for the future: innovative, ambitious, respectful of ecological challenges and accessible to all’.

Karl Stoss, IOC Member and President of the future Host Committee of the Olympic Winter Games commented that ‘the French Alps 2030 is a very solid project with strong public and political support, a proven ability to deliver high-level sporting competitions, excellent venues and opportunities to build on France’s knowledge and experience as host of Paris 2024’.

French Alps 2030, known as Alpes françaises 2030 in the French-speaking world, aims to unite the northern and southern French Alps and turn them into a winter sports hub, to deliver maximum social and economic benefits to their communities.

The 142nd IOC Session also approved the initial sports programme for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, as proposed by the IOC Executive Board. The seven sports (biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing) will be governed by the relevant International Winter Sports Federations (IFs) listed in the Olympic Charter. Approximately five years before the Games there will be a further step to determine the disciplines of each sport.

SALT LAKE CITY-UTAH REPEATS 32 YEARS LATER

The Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 delegation was led by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) President Gene Sykes and Salt Lake City-Utah Games Committee Chair Fraser Bullock.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: ‘Salt Lake City and Utah are long-time friends of the Olympic Movement and we are confident that they will host an outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Games, just as they did years ago. The legacy of 2002 is tangibly and passionately alive in Utah. The legacy of 2034 begins today.

The Olympic Winter Games 2034 will be…

Salt Lake City Utah! #SLCUT2034 🇺🇸

The Games will return, to extend the 2002 legacy. pic.twitter.com/hvDkILsY16

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2024

Governor Cox said: ‘The Olympic and Paralympic Games represent much more than competition. At its core, the Olympic Movement is about building community and celebrating excellence, things we do very well in Utah. More than 80 percent of Utahns and 100 percent of our elected leaders supported our Olympic bid. We are ready to host another Olympic Winter Games and look forward to welcoming the world back to Utah in 2034.

Karl Stoss, again stated that ‘the Olympic Winter Games in Utah represent a fantastic opportunity and this strong project has an exceptionally high level of public and political support. The athletes will benefit from the excellent facilities and opportunities that this project has to offer’.

Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 has the ambition to extend the transformative benefits of Salt Lake City 2002 to a new generation and make Utah’s resources and expertise available for the benefit of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

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Karl Stoss, president of the Future Hosts Commission, together with the Executive Director of the Olympics, Christophe Dubi and the Director of Future Hosts, Jacqueline Barret, visited Utah in April with the aim of speaking with local authorities and visiting the centers. sports, obtaining very encouraging results. “The legacy of 2002 has been maintained at a very high level. We have found great locations for the Winter Olympics”, Stoss told local media.

Catherine Raney, president of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee and four-time Olympic champion in skating, stated about the commitment and legacy of what will be SLC-UT 2034. “Our continued commitment to athletes in our planning and pursuit of new Innovative ways to improve our communities through sport have been recognized by the IOC. “Those efforts will not only help us produce a great Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2034, but will leave a lasting legacy in our Utah communities.”

Initially, the capital of Utah had the idea of ​​presenting its candidacy for 2030, but they changed their plans when they saw that they would be too close to the 2028 summer Olympics that will be held in Los Angeles. At the end of March, the guarantees from the federal, state and local governments were presented, attaching the agreements for the use of headquarters, accommodation and marketing rights.

Although the IOC’s decision is practically a fact, we will still have to wait until July 24, the day on which the venues for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympic Games will be officially selected.

Summer ☀️ activities at the @UtahOlympicPark are right around the corner! Click: https://t.co/6aAnPQS8Ui to buy your Summer Gold Pass 🥇 today! #Olympics #Summer #SaltLakeCity #Utah #SLCUT2034 pic.twitter.com/io0MM5NvlY

— Salt Lake 2034 (@SLC2030) April 26, 2024

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