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Al Michaels will serve as a host for NBC's coverage of next year's Winter Olympics, returning to the event where he made his iconic call.

updated 1:16 p.m. ET March 5, 2009

NEW YORK - Al Michaels is returning to the event where he made his iconic call.

The announcer will serve as a host for NBC’s coverage of next year’s Winter Olympics, the 30th anniversary of his call of the “Miracle on Ice.” The network announced Thursday that Michaels will host more than 50 hours of live weekend and weekday daytime coverage from Vancouver.

“I’ve really been an Olympic freak my entire life,” Michaels said on a conference call.

Michaels famously exclaimed, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” when the U.S. hockey team shocked the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Vancouver will be his sixth Olympics and first as a host — but his first since the 1988 Calgary Games.

Since Michaels joined the network’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts in 2006, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol had intermittently gauged his interest in calling other events. Last month, Michaels said he’d love to host an Olympics.

“I immediately offered him this role,” Ebersol said.

Michaels never expected to go so long between Olympics. He had a clause in his contract at ABC to serve as a host at futures games on the network.

“That was never manifested,” Michaels said, “because Dick kept stealing the Olympics away from everyone else.”