Utah's Olympic Oval Photo:

PARK CITY, Utah — Utahns eager to volunteer at the 2034 Winter Olympics will have to wait a few more years before applications open, but there are already opportunities to gain experience — including at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

LA28 announced that applications for its Games-time volunteer program will open July 14, exactly two years before the Opening Ceremony. Organizers are seeking approximately 60,000 volunteers to help support both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Volunteer positions will range from greeting spectators and assisting athletes to supporting transportation, language services, medical operations, and venue logistics. Volunteers will be asked to commit to a minimum of 10 shifts during either the Olympic or Paralympic volunteer period.

Utah 2034 volunteer hopefuls

For Utahns hoping to volunteer closer to home when the Winter Games return in 2034, the Utah 2034 organizing committee has not announced when applications for Games-time volunteers will open.

In the meantime, the committee encourages hopeful volunteers to gain experience by helping with sporting events throughout Utah in the coming years.

One of the easiest ways to do that is through the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, which relies on volunteers to support competitions and events at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway. Volunteers assist with everything from athlete services and hospitality to race operations and spectator support during World Cup competitions and other international events.

The Utah 2034 committee also recommends volunteering with the Utah Sports Commission, which hosts national and international sporting events across the state throughout the year.

Those experiences can help volunteers become familiar with the operations of large-scale sporting events before the Olympic Games arrive and make them more competitive in volunteer applications.

Salt Lake City and Utah will host the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, marking the second time the state has hosted the Winter Games after the 2002 Olympics.

While the wait for 2034 volunteer applications continues, Utahns interested in being part of the Olympic movement have multiple opportunities to get involved long before the Opening Ceremony.