Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

Now that the International Olympics Committee has officially awarded Salt Lake City and Utah the 2034 Winter Games, preparations to once again host the entire world are underway.

As the work truly begins to ensure another successful Winter Games like the state pulled off 22 years ago in 2002, Provo — the home of Utah County’s only identified Olympic venue, the Peaks Ice Arena — is displaying signs of excitement for the opportunity to accommodate world-class sporting events and athletes.

Around town, branding has begun solidifying Provo once again as an official Olympic venue city: Olympic rings have been painted sporadically along streets and parking lots in the city. The Olympic tower in the center of the roundabout at Seven Peaks Boulevard and 300 North is sporting a facelift.

And speaking of Seven Peaks Boulevard, street signs show that portions of the road have been honorarily renamed Olympic Boulevard, which Provo Parks & Recreation Director Gordon Haight said is no easy feat, as it impacts addresses along those streets, and there has to be a significant reason for the change. “With the announcement of Utah as home for the 2034 Winter Olympics, Provo is embracing its legacy as an Olympic city and preparing to welcome the world,” he said.

As community members continue to revel in the excitement, on Wednesday evening, dozens flocked to Peaks Ice Arena for a post announcement celebration.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

Tana Hoover of Provo, just one of the hundreds in attendance, said she was only 7 years old when the Olympics were last in Utah.

“Like a lot of people, I remember the energy (of the Olympics) but not necessarily the actual importance of the community,” she said.

Tana is an avid user of the facility’s fieldhouse and the ice rink. She said she loves the legacy that Peaks Ice Arena holds and its relation to the Olympics and is excited for the chance to experience it as an adult when the games return in 2034.

“Our facilities are still utilized to this day by our youth. So, hopefully, we see some future Olympians from right here in our city,” Hoover said.

Eagle Mountain resident Lawana Campos takes figure skating classes at Peaks Ice Arena and also is excited for the games to return to Utah. Originally from Brazil, she barely missed the experience of the Winter Games in 2002, as she moved to Utah one year later.

Courtesy Provo City

“I wanted so badly to come, (but) it was too expensive for me to be here in 2002,” Campos said.

A Utah resident now, she hopes to possibly volunteer during the 2034 Winter Games and help inspire young athletes to realize their dreams of participating in world-class sports.

“I want to help my club and the girls be there in the Olympics, the little ones, because the little ones will be there in 10 years. It’s going to be awesome,” she said.

The IOC made the announcement granting Salt Lake City and Utah the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games from Paris, France, early Wednesday morning.

Several members of Utah’s Olympic delegation made the trek to Paris, home of the 2024 Summer Games, earlier this week, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi explained that she had an opportunity to join others from the delegation in Paris but said she wanted to celebrate the news with the community.

“Having served on the strategic board of Utah’s Olympic Exploratory Committee since 2017, I was given the opportunity to hear this momentous announcement live in Paris,” Kaufusi said in a press release. “I politely declined because I can’t imagine a better place to celebrate than with the exceptional community helping Utah become the frontrunner for the 2034 Winter Olympics.”

Provo City Chief Administrative Officer Scott Henderson said Kaufusi has been instrumental in making sure Peaks Ice Arena remains in good structural standing, through her work with Utah County.

“Within her first month of office, Mayor Kaufusi renegotiated to secure continued operations of the 2002 Olympic Venue Peaks Ice Arena in Provo,” Henderson said in the release. “It’s proven to be a forward-looking decision as the IOC now showcases the Peaks Ice Arena as one of the best examples of transition from Olympic Venue to daily use in the world. The community continued to support our Olympic facility making it financially self-sufficient with no tax subsidy to cover operational costs.”

Lee Adamson, executive director of Explore Utah Valley, said the 2034 Winter Olympics provides another opportunity to bring the world’s largest stage back to Provo.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

“Provo boasts an incredible setting, venue and community that make this a world-class place to be,” Adamson said in the release.

During the 2002 Winter Games, the arena hosted 24 ice hockey games for both men’s and women’s competition. Athletes from around the world converged on Provo to compete for Olympic gold, the release said.

In the lead-up to the 2034 Games, however, the facility is expected to receive several upgrades, as the Daily Herald previously reported.

Nonetheless, Kaufusi says Provo will be prepared. “We are honored to host the world, and we will be ready,” Kaufusi proclaimed to the crowd of attendees Wednesday.

A countywide celebratory event is slated for Friday starting at 11 a.m. at TopGolf in Vineyard.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald