Utah became the sixth state in the United States to hold an Olympic Games, and the 2002 Winter Olympics were the last to be hosted in the United States until the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. These were the first Olympic Games held under Jacques Rogge's leadership of the International Olympic Committee. They were also the last Winter Olympics until 2022 when Beijing hosts them again. Salt Lake City was chosen as the host city on March 17, 1997. The games were scheduled to start on February 12, 2002, but were postponed for the day because of snowstorms that affected most of the country. When it was time to resume competition, all eyes were on Salt Lake City since no other cities had been approved by the IOC to hold the event. After much debate at their meeting in October 2001, the voting members of the IOC decided that Salt Lake City would also host the 2004 Summer Olympics. The two cities are separated by only 105 miles (169 kilometers) but requires a five-hour drive to get from one side of the valley to the other. Organizers say this will be the fastest transportation system in any previous Olympics. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that some athletes and officials were surprised by this decision since Salt Lake City had not yet built any of the facilities needed for such an event. But others felt it was the right choice since the city has done a lot of work toward becoming more competitive in sports and was sure to put on a great show for those attending.