Utah Olympic Park to host 2029 IBSF Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships

Bobsled and skeleton World Championships to be hosted in 2029 at the Utah Olympic Park. Photo: Michele Roepke // TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah – Utah Olympic Park has been selected to host the 2029 IBSF Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships. It marks the first time Utah has been awarded an IBSF World Championship and the news comes just in advance of Salt Lake City being awarded the 2034 Olympic Winter Games Bid. The two world class events being held at the UOP will make Park City’s track one of the most important venues in the world. 

The announcement was made during the 2024 IBSF and FIL Sliding Congress in Lake Placid, New York. Lillehammer, Norway, and St. Moritz, Switzerland, will host the 2027 and 2028 World Championships, respectively.

“We are thrilled to welcome the 2029 IBSF Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships to Utah Olympic Park,” Calum Clark, COO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation said. “Utah is a prime destination for world-class events, and this opportunity will greatly benefit Utah as the preferred host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

Utah Olympic Park’s successful bid was supported by USA Bobsled Skeleton (USABS), the Utah Sports Commission, Park City’s Chamber of Commerce, and the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games.

“The 2029 World Championships are an excellent stepping stone for Utah and the anticipated 2034 Olympic Winter Games just five years later,” Fraser Bullock, President and CEO of SLC-UT 2034 said. “It’s yet another example of our living legacy with modern, proven venues to welcome the best athletes in the world.”

The bid document highlighted Park City’s tradition of hosting international winter sports events, recent upgrades to track refrigeration and timing systems, and planned future improvements. The Utah Olympic Park’s track features 15 curves and a competition length of 1,335 meters.

“Hosting the IBSF World Championships in 2029 presents an exceptional opportunity for the United States to showcase its commitment to the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton,” Aron McGuire, CEO of USA Bobsled/Skeleton said. “This honor offers our Team USA athletes and coaches a chance to compete on a world stage with home track advantages and fans.”

Built for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Utah Olympic Park’s sliding track regularly hosts international bobsleigh and skeleton competitions. Most recently, Utah hosted the IBSF Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup in December 2022. To date, the Utah Olympic Park has hosted 15 IBSF World Cups, six IBSF North America’s Cups, and one IBSF Junior World Championships.

“Utah is truly the state of sport and a year-round destination for world-class events,” said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “We look forward to hosting the IBSF athletes and federations in 2029.”