Olympics leader Bach talks up working with President-elect Trump toward 2028 Los Angeles Games

GENEVA (AP) — Olympic leaders are “very confident and relaxed” about working with the incoming Trump administration ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach said Thursday.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has talked up his own role helping get the games for LA in 2017, though a White House meeting during that campaign with an Olympic delegation including Bach was not a success.

Still, the two men could meet again as soon as Saturday in Paris, which hosted the 2024 Olympics that LA originally bid for.

Trump is traveling to the French capital for ceremonies this weekend to reopen Notre Dame Cathedral that was devastated by fire five years ago.

Bach also is invited to return to the Olympic host city where he has excellent relations with French President Emmanuel Macron, who formally opened the Summer Games on July 26.

President Trump should do the same duty at the LA Olympics opening ceremony on July 14, 2028 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Though the LA Olympics are privately funded and organized, federal government guarantees and funding are needed for security, as well as providing visas to ensure athletes, coaches and officials from 206 national teams, plus a refugees team, can enter the U.S. to train and compete.

Bach said Thursday responsibility for “taking early contact with the incoming team” of the Trump administration is with organizing committee officials in LA, and leaders of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

“We are very confident there with regard to the steps and efforts being undertaken,” Bach said at a news conference after an executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee. “We saw also that President-elect Trump repeatedly declared his support for the games, which we never had any doubt because he has declared this support from the very beginning.”

On Wednesday, Trump said he appointed Monica Crowley as his representative for “major U.S. hosted events,” including the LA Olympics and the 2026 World Cup in men’s soccer.

Trump will be invited as head of state by FIFA to present the trophy to the winning captain at the World Cup final. That game is on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium near New York City.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press