The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had hoped to award the 2030 edition of the Games at next year's Session in Mumbai, but that is no longer the target after the Executive Board opted to provide the Future Host Commission with more time to "consult deeply with interested parties."

USOPC chair Susanne Lyons insisted the organisation is "perfectly comfortable" with the changes to the timeline.

Despite the prospect previously being downplayed by IOC President Thomas Bach, it was also revealed that the Executive Board discussed a potential double award for the 2030 and 2034 Games to "create stability for winter sport."

A future pool of host cities staging the Games on a rotational basis was also mooted by the IOC in response to growing climatic challenges related to winter sport.

Salt Lake City in the US and Sapporo in Japan are considered the two frontrunners for the 2030 and 2034 Games after Vancouver failed to secure British Columbia Government funding for the proposal, although the IOC referenced three interested parties.

Hirshland believes that a double award would be a suitable solution.

"The sooner cities, region, states and even countries have certainty they can begin to plan accordingly," she said.

"The Salt Lake and Utah state and region are incredibly excited and eager.

"I think there’s an absolute advantage to having certainty in what is to come in the future, allowing the community to begin to prepare."

US officials have previously suggested that the 2034 Games would be their preference, but feel that the IOC Executive Board's update leaves 2002 host Salt Lake City well placed.

"We came out of that news and the announcements from the Executive Board meeting incredibly, incredibly encouraged," Hirshland said.

"As you know, we have been working quite closely with the Salt Lake City-Utah organisation for the Games and I think we all, collectively, had a smile on our faces as we came out of that news.

"Salt Lake and the Utah region is so well positioned to be considered, long-term and over not just looking at '30 and '34, but even longer than that.

"It is a region and a part of the country here that will always be ready to host these Games, so we’re excited about that, we’re encouraged by the news.

"We have and will continue to remain flexible and nimble and adaptive as the IOC modifies its timelines and schedules, but as Salt Lake and the Utah folks would tell you, Salt Lake is ready, and we too at the USOPC are ready and eager and feel incredibly encouraged and confident about what’s in store for us on the Winter Games front."

Hirshland added that she felt it was too early to comment on whether Salt Lake City could form part of the IOC's pool of hosts for future editions of the Winter Olympics, but believes it is a resort equipped to stage the multi-sport event.

"It would be incredibly premature to either suggest that Salt Lake would be or wouldn’t be a candidate in that regard," she said.

"I think that the IOC is in the very, very early stages of contemplating where are the markets that have both the infrastructure as well as the climate and the weather circumstances to be able to somewhat on a regular cadence host a Winter Games.

"I think we can say at this point in time, Salt Lake could be in that position.

"That is far from suggesting that we understand the details of what that might look like or that anyone in Salt Lake has explored anything beyond what we are focused on right now which is looking at '30 and '34."