OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — LA Mayor Karen Bass met with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt on Friday, and made official an agreement allowing Oklahoma City to some Olympic events during the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
Mayor David Holt welcomed Bass to Oklahoma City for the first time, presenting her with a key to the city and giving her a guided tour of Riversport OKC’s whitewater facility.
Riversport will host Olympic canoe slalom and kayak cross events during the LA 2028 Games. Oklahoma City’s Devon Park will host Olympic softball.
The two mayors signed a memorandum of understanding to finalize the deal.
“I know it will be a tremendous infusion into the local economy of both of our cities and just a win-win to put our country on the stage for the entire world,” Bass said.
“I promise you, we will not let you down. It will be we will deliver the experience for the athletes, officials and spectators that that everyone is expecting to get. And we will help contribute to these amazing games and we will deliver a united game,” Holt said.
Bass said Los Angeles turned to Oklahoma City to help fulfill a promise LA leaders made to taxpayers when the city won its bid to host the Games.
“We are committed to delivering a successful, no build Olympics. That was very important because Olympics, as they happen around the world, get into trouble if they have to build all of the stadiums. And as you don’t need to build here and we don’t need to build in Los Angeles, it allows us to be assured that we will have games that will not have any problems because we won’t meet certain deadlines,” Bass said.
There is still planning to do.
Holt said the city is working to figure out where to house athletes staying in Oklahoma City for the Games.
“I doubt we will build anything, I guess if I can eliminate that possibility, I think that’s fair,” Holt said.
Holt said the city expects to have a final location picked within six months to a year.
He also said the city is working to secure more nonstop flights between Oklahoma City and Los Angeles during the Games.
“I literally had an American Airlines representative in my office two weeks ago, and I was having this exact conversation with him. And I’m sure we will all be, especially on the city side of that. We’re having those conversations, and I suspect they’ll rise to that occasion,” Holt said.
