From George Aluo, Los Angeles
Olympic gold medalist, Carl Lewis and a host of other Olympic and Paralympic athletes have thrown their weight behind the bid by the city of Los Angeles to host the world biggest sports fiesta, the Olympics for the second time.
The city which in 1984 hosted the games is bidding to do it again in 2028 and the
Los Angeles’ City Council have voted unanimously to authorise the signing of a Host City Contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It would be noted that Los Angeles which had initially planned to bid for the 2024 games had at the last minute opted last week to go instead for the 2028 event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to announce winners of the 2024 and 2028 bids on September 13 in Lima, Peru.
Report by insidethegames.biz disclosed that Lewis who 33 years ago in Los Angeles won his fourth Olympic gold medal and set a new world record in the 4 by 100 meters relay was among more than 50 athletes that last week threw their weight behind the games returning to the USA city.
According to the report, “More than 50 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and city leaders joined Los Angeles 2028 in Council Chambers to express their support for bringing the Games back to the city. Among the athletes in attendance was Carl Lewis…”
Speaking on the bid, LA Mayor, Eric Garcetti was quoted as saying: “We negotiated the deal of a lifetime to bring the Games back to America, create a new Olympic legacy for the next generation, and deliver access to sports and fitness programmes to every community in Los Angeles.”