yeah, I know. Im just hopeful that we can be flexible and have early morning and night games avoiding the peak sun times. But yes, I agree the US is probably the primary audience.

Wasn't the whole point of adding the diversion dam on the rec channel to create a combined-flow freestyle channel? Seems like an olympic level competition would've been their reasoning for creating that option. If not, then what is it for?

I also think it was so they could get higher flows without having to run all 6 pumps. Could be wrong, but when I've been and they had low flow in the rec channel for tubing it was with 3 pumps going and the comp channel was still nice and fluffy.

Just a formality or cause for concern?
https://freepressokc.com/okc-olympics-hosting-still-up-in-the-air-until-la-city-council-decides/

Just a formality or cause for concern?
https://freepressokc.com/okc-olympics-hosting-still-up-in-the-air-until-la-city-council-decides/

Nothing has changed since the original announcement.

This saves L.A. a ton of money by not having to construct very expensive facilities they don't really want or need.

.

Redirected funding


According to a City Council filing by the MAPS Advisory Board, the OKC Public Works Department
has requested more than $685,000 to compile a feasibility study and master plan for hosting canoe
slalom events at the Riversport OKC whitewater facility that was constructed as part of MAPS 3.

Additionally, $3 million has been requested to update and replace Riversport’s underwater Unistrut
system to which slalom obstacles are secured.

In that filing, the MAPS Advisory Board, led by Program Manager David Todd, has proposed redirecting
that $3.6 million from the ongoing budget of the MAPS 3 Convention Center.




The coverage Oklahoma City will receive will be well worth sprucing up the Riversport Rapids venue and
the sun covers that will be needed at Devon Park if Olympic softball comes to fruition. Oklahoma City could
also improve the exterior of Devon Park. The notoriety and attention our city will receive hosting the two
LA28 events are incalculable.

Nothing has changed since the original announcement.

This saves L.A. a ton of money by not having to construct very expensive facilities they don't really want or need.

It would be quite stunning if the IOC, LA2028, OKC, and others did all this work without knowing the LACC was on board. In reality, it's probably a mere formality.

This isn't new information, but it's a good perspective on OKC's involvement from the perspective of an LA NBC affiliate station.

************

Why two 2028 Los Angeles Olympics events are moving to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City will provide settings for part of the Hollywood story when the 2028 Summer Olympics come to Los Angeles.
By Jonathan Lloyd • Published June 24, 2024

Softball and canoe slalom Olympians will be 1,300 miles from Southern California when the competition is hosted by Los Angeles for a third time in 2028.

The partnership between the two cities, announced last week in an updated venue plan from organizers, is a move designed to use existing sports facilities and keep costs down.

LA28's updated plan announced Friday moves softball and canoe slalom 1,300 miles east of the host city to the Oklahoma capital. The proposal has been approved by the International Olympics Committee, pending approval from the City of Los Angeles.

No new permanent venues are expected to be built in Los Angeles, which was named the host city in 2017. The city previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1932.

Under the updated venue plan, gymnastics will be at downtown LA's Crypto.com Arena, swimming will be at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and basketball will be at the under-construction Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Track and field events will remain at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which also hosted events in 1932 and 1984. Events are also planned for the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the San Fernando Valley, the pool on the USC campus and venues in Long Beach.

Temporary venues and additional construction would be needed to host softball and canoe slalom, something LA28 has said it will avoid.

That's where Oklahoma City comes in with two settings for part of this Hollywood story.

“Oklahoma City has hosted many international competitions at our unique, world-class whitewater and softball venues,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said. “We are confident we will be an outstanding partner to LA28 in creating a dynamic environment for Olympians and fans. We are excited about the opportunity to support one of America’s great global cities, Los Angeles, and work closely with the LA28 organizing committee to ensure that the 2028 Olympic Games are a success.”

Here's what to know about the events in Oklahoma City.

About the 2028 Olympics softball venue
In Friday's announcement, LA28 said the decision to move softball to the 11,000-seat Devon Park, which hosts the annual Women’s College World Series, had everything to do with logistics.

No softball field in the Los Angeles area seats more than 2,000 fans.

The sport has deep roots in Oklahoma City, providing Team USA with a hometown advantage. Devon Park is on the grounds of USA Softball’s headquarters and the USA Softball Hall of Fame.

Improvements have been made over the years. From 2013 to 2015, the facility added dugouts, underground locker rooms and training rooms. Renovations to the outer entrances and press box area began in 2018, and a three-story press box was added with new interview rooms around that time. About 4,000 permanent seats were added after the 2019 World Series.

“Things cost a lot of money these days,” USA Softball executive director Craig Cress said during the World Series earlier this month. “We’re fortunate the city’s been really gracious to us.”

The stadium hosted the U-18 Women's Softball World Cup 2015. Later this year, it will host the World Baseball Softball Confederation Men's Softball World Cup Group C.

The United States will become the only nation to host two Olympics softball competitions in 2028. The sport debuted at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

"We're thrilled with the announcement of Softball Park in Oklahoma as the venue for LA28, it's the perfect stage for the best softball athletes in the world to realize their Olympic dream," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "The cutting edge stadium, arguably one of the best softball stadiums in the world, will give us and LA28 the opportunity to spread the passion for Olympic softball in the US and around the world, while using an existing facility for the Games, in alignment with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5 recommendations, which emphasizes sustainability by encouraging the use of existing stadiums beyond the region of the host city."

About the 2028 Olympics canoe slalom venue
The other venue set to be used in 2028 is Oklahoma City’s Riversport OKC, which hosted the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in canoe slalom. No canoe slalom venue exists in Southern California or the western United States, LA28 said in its announcement.

The site is along the Oklahoma River in the downtown Boathouse District.

Casey Eichfeld, a four-time Olympian, participated in the trials in April and had good memories of the event, even though there were storms in the area on the second day.

“The crowds are awesome,” he said. “And even with that weather, there were still a number of people that showed up to the race, and were there to cheer for us and to watch. They stuck it out the rain and the wind, and it was really cool to have have that environment, even though maybe the weather was a little less than ideal for an outdoor sport."

Thank you for sharing, Pete!

While it is likely a formality, I do wonder what the hold up from LA City Council is. Or maybe I've missed that they have already approved it. Or maybe their approval doesn't actually matter.

LA City Council has yet to vote on the venue changes but everyone involved views this as a formality and OKC is already deep into planning.

They already awarded an RFP to AHMM for planning in the Boathouse District, and there is another RFP in process for architecture and engineering of the softball improvements.

And, just to be clear, when OKC does improvements at the softball stadium or the Boathouse District, OKC will bear the amount to improve it, not the Olympic committee and not LA2028, correct?

And, just to be clear, when OKC does improvements at the softball stadium or the Boathouse District, OKC will bear the amount to improve it, not the Olympic committee and not LA2028, correct?

I believe that's right.

We may get some funding but I know the softball improvements will be part of next year's bond issue; the whitewater facility also needs some mechanical upgrades. It makes sense OKC would pay for all of that.

I suspect we may get some funds from LA28 for other things, like temporary stands and crowd control. But that is just speculation.

LA28 on track for Games after IOC visit (https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1150065/los-angeles-2028-on-track-for-the-games)
By Gretelle Jimenez Saturday, 16 November 2024

The International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission wrapped up a three-day visit to Los Angeles this week to track the progress of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. Following the inspection, organisers are moving from the strategy to the execution phase.

This will include finalisintg the venue master plan, competition schedule, branding, ticketing and launching the official mascot. Volunteer recruitment, a key element in the organisation of the Games, will also begin

"We have built a solid foundation for our Games and are ready to enter the delivery phase. With a talented team, we are focused on delivering an extraordinary event for athletes, fans, residents and visitors," Casey Wasserman, president of the LA28 Organising Committee, said at the press conference.

The IOC Commission visited venues in Long Beach, Pasadena, and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood and ended their visit at UCLA, the site of the Athletes’ Village for Olympians and Paralympians. LA organisers are committing to using existing venues in 2028 instead of building permanent sports stadiums, and iconic sites such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl, will have the pleasure of hosting Olympic events yet again.

However, several sports have yet to find a suitable venue, such as lacrosse sixes, modern pentathlon, and cricket, which may be played on the East Coast of the US, but Wasserman hasn’t ruled out holding the matches locally.

"If we can find a place for cricket in Los Angeles, in the region, we will. If not, it’s incumbent upon us to find the best place to produce the best cricket tournament. These Games are incredibly focused on LA and Southern California and being responsible and making hosting the Games fit our city and our community as opposed to fitting our city to host the games, which is the mistake that has been made in the past and the promise we have made to the city and the community not to make going forward," Wasserman said.

Cricket won’t be the only sport staged out of state should LA28 not find a suitable local venue. Canoe slalom events are already slated to take place in Oklahoma City to make use of existing Olympic-level facilities.

"Every time we visit Los Angeles, we are reminded just how remarkable this city is, and how extraordinary its people are. We see this in the quality and quantity of world-class sports facilities available for the Games, including modern, cutting-edge stadiums and iconic legacy venues from the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games," IOC’s LA28 Coordination Commission Chair, Nicole Hoevertsz, told Olympics.com.

Hoevertsz, who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, recalled her experience in the city and took the time to address transportation concerns. "We already had transportation issues in 1984, and of course we have to remember during the Games, we are going to have dedicated lanes so its not comparable to what the traffic is nowadays," she said.

The Coordination Commission also reviewed LA28’s engagement with the local community through its programmes, including PlayLA which offers youth access to 40 sports and its adaptive options. 500,000 children have already enrolled, with the goal of reaching one million by 2028. The LA28 stated that they have taken into account changes in the federal government and clarified that they are in communication with the incoming administration, with coordination efforts continuing without incident.

"We have talked to the incoming administration and the transition team," Reynold Hoover, LA28 Chief Executive Officer, said. "Even before that, we have really been working hard with our federal partners both with the Department of Homeland Security, the local Secret Service office now running and coordinating all of the security for the Games."

The LA28 Olympic Games are set for July 2028, while the Paralympic Games will take place in August, with both opening and closing ceremonies taking place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium.

Am I missing something, Pete. Noticed there was no mention of the softball events (IOC visit) and where they will be staged. Sure a lot of event staging will need to be hashed out.

Has there been a change recently that I may have missed . . .

There has been no change. The LA City Council must still approve the relocation, but only needs to approve the relocation of the whitewater events. This is because softball was not a part of the original event package when LA pitched the IOC as a host city, or when the Olympics were awarded to LA. That’s why softball sometimes isn’t mentioned in various articles, especially coming out of LA. Technically the softball relocation is more of a done deal than whitewater right now.

But everything is still going very much according to plan. The LA council approval is likely to happen in very early 2025, after which there will be much more in the way of preparatory activities underway locally.

The City of OKC has already hired a firm to help plan the Olympic infrastructure and that work has commenced.

And as posted in the Devon Park thread, there are already construction plans for the softball complex.


LA28 seems to have no Plan B for whitewater or softball, so we can be very sure we are still going to get both.

It was just announced that Patty Gasso will be coaching Team USA softball in the 2028 Olympics.

Yet another Oklahoma layer for the LA28 games.

Get that gold Patty!

Thanks Pete, appreciate the update. Looks like a 99% chance we'll get both the softball and whitewater related events.

Urbanized, you nailed it when you posted #678 'The LA council approval is likely to happen in very early 2025, after which there will be much more in the way of preparatory activities underway locally.'


https://www.canoeicf.com/sites/default/files/styles/wysiwyg-full-width/public/la28_rendering_whitewater_center_in_oklahoma_city_ ok_06_21_24_disclaimer_v2.jpg?itok=CRPioOLs

https://static.wbsc.org/uploads/federations/0/cms/photos/58f32866-78c5-14e6-ef08-458cec29bd02.jpeg
Just heard the news on KWTV-9 about Patty Gasso on coaching the USA softball in the Olympics. This will focus a ton of attention on Oklahoma City hosting
those two layers of LA28 Olympics.

The economic impact on our city will be huge . . .