Key Takeaways
- LA28 hosted a Day of Sport program in Oklahoma City on October 18, bringing Olympic and Paralympic athletes to work with local youth at the Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center
- Oklahoma City will host Olympic Softball and Canoe Slalom competitions in 2028 at two existing venues, the OKC Softball Park and OKC Whitewater Center
- The Games mark the first time the U.S. has hosted the Olympics in more than 30 years and will be the first Olympic Games to feature more women athletes than men
- Five Olympic and Paralympic medalists participated in youth clinics designed to promote core values of determination, inspiration, courage, friendship, excellence, respect and equality
Building Youth Engagement Through Olympic Programming
LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, and Team OKC President Michael Byrnes gathered in Oklahoma City on October 20 to mark 1000 days until the 2028 Olympic Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles. The weekend included structured youth programming featuring accomplished Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The Day of Sport initiative brought five medalists to work directly with young athletes. Participants included Jeremy Campbell, a five-time gold medalist in Para Track and Field who competed in five consecutive Paralympic Games from 2008 to 2024, and Nadia Comaneci, a nine-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics. Additional athlete instructors were Bart Conner (two-time Olympic gold medalist), Kelly Garrison-Funderburk (1988 Olympic gymnast), and Michelle Moultrie (2020 Olympic silver medalist in softball).
Regional Venue Strategy Creates Access Points
Oklahoma City’s role in the 2028 Games demonstrates a multi-city approach to Olympic hosting. The city will stage Olympic Softball at OKC Softball Park and Canoe Slalom competitions at OKC Whitewater Center, both existing facilities that require no new permanent infrastructure construction.
“Oklahoma City has proudly stepped up to the plate to welcome Softball and Canoe Slalom events, showcasing America’s collaborative spirit,” said Reynold Hoover, LA28 Chief Executive Officer.
This marks the first time Los Angeles will host the Paralympic Games, though the city previously hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984. Los Angeles will become only the third city globally to host three Olympic Games.
Institutional Coordination Between Cities
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September focused on innovation and coordination between the two cities. The agreement addresses planning for resident, fan and athlete experiences during the Games.
“Staging two sports and seven events here in the center of the country dramatically expands the reach of the Olympic experience and will leave a nationwide legacy for these Games,” said Mayor Holt.
The 2028 Games will feature more than 15,000 athletes and mark several historic milestones, including becoming the first Olympic Games to feature more women athletes than men. LA28 operates as an independently funded nonprofit organization with commercial partnerships, licensing, hospitality and ticketing revenue, supported by the International Olympic Committee.
Looking Ahead
The 1000-day milestone positions LA28 and partner cities in active planning and youth engagement phases. The Day of Sport model, which combines athlete access with values-based programming, provides a framework for pre-Games youth outreach that could extend to additional markets before 2028. Oklahoma City’s participation demonstrates how secondary host cities can build local youth sports programming around Olympic venue infrastructure that will remain in use after the Games conclude.
via: LA28
photo: Olympics
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