Los Angeles 2024 officials asked Team USA Olympians and Paralympians to look back on the warm welcome they received from their hometown fans upon returning from Rio 2016, and describe their hopes to compete on home soil should the Games return to the United States for the first time in 28 years.
The athletes’ inspiring answers are captured in LA 2024’s latest video series – “Coming Home” – which highlights the support and electrifying atmosphere that the Olympians and Paralympians from around the world would experience here in Los Angeles. “Coming Home” is LA 2024’s second video series, following its “Going for Gold” series that highlighted Team USA’s hopes in advance of Rio 2016.
The series, which is available on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, furthers LA 2024’s commitment to engaging youth culture and sparking enthusiasm in a new generation around the values of the Olympic Movement.
“Olympic and Paralympic athletes will tell you that the pinnacle of their athletic achievement was competing at the Games in front of roaring crowds and an electric atmosphere,” said LA 2024 Vice Chair and Olympic champion Janet Evans. “As a city where 88 percent of residents support hosting the Games, LA can guarantee an unparalleled atmosphere in 2024, not only for US athletes, but for Olympians and Paralympians from all over the world.”
In her video, five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky says: “I’ve always dreamed of competing at a big international meet on U.S. soil. To have so many people in the stands cheering for Team USA, I know it could be nerve-racking, but I would just be so excited – I get goosebumps just thinking about it. I’ve always enjoyed getting to meet athletes from other countries, and seeing different countries, but I think it’d be really neat to show people from all across the world the US and what LA has to offer and I really hope that I can do that in 2024.”
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.