LA28, Oklahoma City mark 1,000 days to Games, confirm softball, canoe slalom venues
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LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles 2028 organisers joined Oklahoma City officials on Oct 20 to mark 1,000 days until the Olympic opening ceremony, and said preparations are advancing to stage softball and canoe slalom events in the city as part of the Games.
LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman and chief executive officer Reynold Hoover appeared with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and Team OKC president Michael Byrnes after a weekend of youth clinics and venue visits to the OKC Softball Park and the OKC Whitewater Centre.
The organisers say the venue will host the Olympic softball tournament and canoe slalom competitions in 2028.
“The LA28 Olympic Games will bridge regions and communities from the Pacific coast in Los Angeles to the central plains of Oklahoma City,” Wasserman said. “We remain steadfast in our planning and working tirelessly towards creating an incredible Games experience for athletes, residents and visitors alike in 2028.
“In the end, the Olympic Games are about giving these athletes the greatest venues to have their greatest experience. And with your whitewater facility and with this, the single-best softball stadium on earth, we’re doing that with Oklahoma as our partner.”
Hoover said Oklahoma City’s role underscored a collaborative spirit as organisers look to use existing facilities for competitions outside the host metropolis. “We are marking 1,000 days out from the LA28 Games, reflecting a nationwide celebration of sport,” he said.
Holt called Oklahoma City’s participation a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” that would “dramatically expand the reach of the Olympic experience”, noting that two sports across seven events are slated to be staged in the city.
“The anticipation is almost as fun as the event itself. It is time for every American to get excited,” he added.
“We believe Los Angeles is going to deliver the greatest Olympic Games in history, and the opportunity for Oklahoma City to directly support that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for every resident of this city.”
The announcements were paired with an “LA28 Day of Sport” on Oct 18 featuring clinics with Olympians and Paralympians, including five-time Paralympic champion Jeremy Campbell, gymnastics greats Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner, 1988 US Olympian Kelly Garrison-Funderburk and US softball silver medallist Michelle Moultrie.
Los Angeles is set to host the Olympics for a third time after 1932 and 1984 and will stage its first Paralympics.
The Olympics will run from July 14-30, followed by the Paralympics from Aug 15-27.
The organisers have emphasised a plan to lean on existing venues across southern California and in select partner cities to control costs and avoid new permanent construction.
In September, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Holt signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate planning between the two cities, the organisers said.
The International Olympic Committee approved baseball/softball for LA28 alongside cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. Canoe slalom is part of the core programme. REUTERS
