ISU President and IOC Member Jae Youl Kim and Director General Colin Smith were in Salt Lake City this weekend as the ISU World Cup Speed Skating season opened at the Utah Olympic Oval, marking the start of Olympic qualification events for speed skaters.

Alongside thrilling racing - featuring multiple record-breaking performances - ISU management met with local leaders to develop shared plans for engaging local communities ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. They also reaffirmed a mutual commitment to athlete wellbeing

Legacy of Salt Lake City 2002 and Road to 2034

Since hosting the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the Oval has welcomed 15 ISU World Cups and produced almost every current Speed Skating world record for Olympic events. With the venue set to welcome speed skaters again for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, the ISU President and Director General Colin Smith took the opportunity to meet with local community and government leaders, the 2034 Organizing Committee, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF), and US Speed Skating.

“It’s always good to be back in Salt Lake City, the fastest ice on earth,” President Kim said. “I’m very excited about the upcoming Olympics nine years from today because Salt Lake City is serving us, the skating community, as a great host for our event. I like your aspirations to inspire and unite the community through sport, and we would love to join you on the exciting journey leading up to the Olympics.”

The ISU is committed to exploring opportunities to bring Figure Skating and Synchronized Skating to Salt Lake City in the years ahead.

Connecting With Media Partners in Telling Skaters’ Stories

On Saturday, President Kim met with media, alongside Salt Lake City 2034 Organizing Committee CEO and Vice Chair Brad Wilson, UOLF President and CEO Colin Hilton, and the Huntsman Family Foundation President David Huntsman.