GENEVA (AP) Outgoing IOC President Thomas Bachsaid Thursday that Olympic officials are quite comfortable and optimistic about working with the incoming Trump administration in the lead-up to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Although a White House meeting with an Olympic group that included Bach during that campaign was unsuccessful, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has emphasized his personal contribution to securing the games for Los Angeles in 2017.
However, the two men might cross paths again as early as Saturday in Paris, the city that hosted the 2024 Olympics that Los Angeles had first bid for.
For festivities this weekend to reopen Notre Dame Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire five years ago, Trump is visiting the French city.
Bach is also asked to return to the city that is hosting the Olympics, where he enjoys a great relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, who on July 26 officially launched the Summer Games.
At the LA Olympics opening ceremony on July 14, 2028, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, President Trump ought to fulfill the same obligation.
Despite being privately organized and sponsored, the LA Olympics require governmental financing and guarantees for security, as well as visas to allow athletes, coaches, and officials from 206 national teams—as well as a team of refugees—to travel to the United States for competition and training.
Bach stated on Thursday that the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) executives and organizing committee representatives in Los Angeles are in charge of making initial contact with the Trump administration’s incoming staff.
Following an International Olympic Committee executive board meeting, Bach stated at a press conference, “We are very confident there with regard to the steps and efforts being undertaken.” Additionally, we observed that President-elect Trump has consistently stated his support for the games, which we never questioned because he has done so from the start.
Trump said on Wednesday that he has named Monica Crowley as his envoy for important U.S.-hosted events, such as the 2026 World Cup in men’s soccer and the LA Olympics.
FIFA has invited Trump to present the trophy to the winning captain at the World Cup final as head of state. MetLife Stadium, which is close to New York City, will host that game on July 19, 2026.
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