Los Angeles: The Olympic flag touched down in Los Angeles on Monday, marking the city’s official preparations to host the 2028 Summer Games. The flag arrived aboard a Delta Airlines jet, emblazoned with “LA28” and palm trees, carrying American athletes and officials. As the plane halted on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport, the iconic hip-hop anthem “California Love” by Tupac Shakur played over loudspeakers, adding a distinct LA vibe to the event.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, clad in a red Team USA tracksuit, emerged from the plane with a broad smile, waving the Olympic flag proudly. She was welcomed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with Olympic diver Delaney Schnell, skateboarder Tate Carew, and other officials.
At the airport, Mayor Bass expressed her “tremendous pride and responsibility” in receiving the Olympic flag from Paris on Sunday. She noted that while Los Angeles has been diligently preparing for the Games, the receipt of the flag intensified the urgency: “We now really feel the need to put our foot on the gas,” she said.
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Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2017. This will be the third time LA hosts the Olympics, having previously done so in 1932 and 1984. Mayor Bass acknowledged that Paris, the previous host, had set a high standard, and she recognized that LA’s homelessness issue would be a significant challenge. However, she highlighted one unique advantage LA possesses: “We do have Hollywood, so I expect a lot of magical opportunities,” she told Reuters in Paris.
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The official handover of the flag occurred during the closing ceremony in Paris, where American Olympic officials received it from their French counterparts. Adding a touch of Hollywood flair to the ceremony, actor Tom Cruise made a dramatic appearance, rappelling from the roof of France’s national stadium to receive the flag. His departure from the ceremony, riding a motorbike, transitioned into a pre-recorded video of the 62-year-old star skydiving down to the Hollywood sign, where the Olympic rings were seamlessly integrated into the iconic LA landmark.
