LOS ANGELES (CNS) – After receiving the official Olympic flag at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will return home Monday with the symbol as Los Angeles and other SoCal cities will host the events in 2028.
Upon her arrival at LAX at about 2 p.m., she will host a news conference to showcase the flag with LA28. The mayor will also travel to Paris for the Paralympic Games from Sept. 6-8, as Los Angeles and other Southern California cities are set to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.
On Sunday, Bass took the from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who had taken it from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo during a star-heavy extravaganza that featured musical performances from L.A.-area natives Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
After Bass received the flag, California native H.E.R. performed the U.S. national anthem, then actor Tom Cruise descended onto the field from the top of Stade de France via cables and carried the flag out of the stadium on a motorcycle to begin its journey to Los Angeles.
Cruise was then shown riding through the streets of Paris and into a transport plane, then a pre-filmed piece showed the “Mission Impossible” star parachuting into the hills above Hollywood and handing the flag to U.S. cyclist Kate Courtney before the camera pulled back to reveal the Hollywood sign adorned with the five Olympic rings.
The nighttime ceremony in Paris then briefly switched over to sunny Venice Beach, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre performed some of their hits on a stage next to the LA28 logo.
“It was an immense honor to participate in this moment of history and it was such a privilege to stand with Simone Biles — someone who has made our entire nation proud,” Bass said. “It’s my hope that when girls around the world watched the first woman mayor of Paris officially hand off the flag to the first woman mayor of Los Angeles, they were inspired. Together, we sent the message to girls all around the world that they can do anything — they can run for gold and they can run for office.
The mayor landed in Paris on Thursday, part of a contingent that also includes LA28 President Casey Wasserman, City Councilman President Paul Krekorian, Councilwoman Traci Park and City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo. The U.S. delegation also included first lady Jill Biden, California Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.
During a news conference Saturday, Bass promised a “no-car games” in 2028 — doing so through an expansion of its public transportation system and encouraging businesses to allow employees to work from home during the 17 days of the Olympics to avoid traffic jams.
Although most Olympic events in Los Angeles will be accessible only via public transit, some large venues such as SoFi Stadium are still expected to permit on-site vehicle parking.
Bass emphasized that the dire traffic nightmares predicted before LA’s last Olympics never materialized.
“In 1984, 40 years ago, Mayor (Tom) Bradley, the first Black Mayor of Los Angeles, held an Olympic Games that, 40 years later, still benefits Los Angeles, and we want to build on that legacy together,” she said.
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