SALT LAKE CITY — The Olympic cauldron that lit up Salt Lake City over 20 years ago shined again Friday to celebrate the likely return of the Winter Games to Utah.
Former Olympic athletes and those hoping to participate in the 2034 Games gathered outside Rice-Eccles Stadium for the ceremony that comes days after the International Olympic Committee named Salt Lake City its preferred host.
Derek Parra, Shannon Bahrke, Monte Meier, Stephani Victor and Chris Waddell all participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and were on hand to light the cauldron once again.
With most, if not all, venues from 2002 still in place, and no public money being used, Salt Lake City's bid for the 2034 Olympics was considered nearly perfect by most officials.
"I don’t think there’s another place in the world that has as much support to host the world through the Olympics and Paralympics as we do in Salt Lake City and the state of Utah," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall after Wednesday's announcement.
