The International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s General Assembly has announced that the French Alps have been conditionally selected to host the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Salt Lake City of the United States has been chosen to host the 2034 editions.
The decision was made in the second day of the 142nd IOC General Assembly in Paris on July 24, said IOC member Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul.France was the sole candidate for the 2030 Winter Games. However, the IOC set a deadline of October 1, 2024, for France to provide the government guarantees for budget to organise the games as France faced potential political deadlock after elections early this month threwing up a hung parliament.
French President Emmanuel Macron assured the IOC that the next government would secure the necessary financial backing.
Khunying Patama poses for a photo with IOC President Thomas Bach
IOC member from Malaysia Michelle and Khunying Patama
In addition to the 2030 announcement, the IOC confirmed Salt Lake City, Utah, as the host for the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Salt Lake City previously hosted the Winter Games in 2002, said Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul.
This selection means that the next three Winter Games will be hosted by Milan-Cortina in 2026, the French Alps in 2030, and Salt Lake City in 2034.
In the first day of the assembly, the IOC officially approved the establishment of the Olympic Esports Games, which will debut in Saudi Arabia in 2025.The IOC General Assembly was presided by IOC president Thomas Bach, with French president Emmanuel Macron delivering the welcome address. Mr Bach emphasised the enduring importance of Olympic values, such as unity, equality, and human dignity, especially in today’s complex world.
The assembly also discussed the Olympic AI Agenda, aiming to use AI technology to scout for athletic talent. A pilot project was conducted in Senegal with 1,016 young athletes, utilising mobile phones to capture test videos. The AI analysed this data to determine the athletes' potential in various sports. The IOC plans to distribute this tool to National Olympic Committees globally, enabling countries to identify talented youth in remote areas, said Khunying Patama.
Dr Somsak Leeswadtrakul, chairman of the National Doping Control Centre for Athletes, poses with Witold Bańka, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), at the IOC General Assembly.
Khunying Patama and Gianni Infantino, IOC member and President of FIFA.
Rita Ambani (right), an IOC member from India, and Erick Thohir (left), an IOC member from Indonesia, Indonesia’s Minister of Economic Development and Housing pose with Khunying Patama.
Khunying Patama poses for a photo with Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal (left), Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, and Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Al Saud, Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee