OKC leaders, Olympians react to city hosting 2028 Olympic river, softball events

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — It's official, Oklahoma City will host the canoe slalom and softball events for the LA28 Olympics.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt announced Friday that the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously in favor of venue change plans proposed by the LA28 organizing committee in June 2024 that will see the events moved to Oklahoma City.

"I think approving these venues today is a big step forward and something that we need to do to bring certainty to the process," said Los Angeles city councilwoman Traci Park during Friday's meeting.

The events will be hosted at Riversport OKC and Devon Park. Riversport is the only whitewater venue west of the Mississippi River. Devon Park has the largest softball stadium in the world. Both venues, according to LA28, meet international standards to host the events.

"We have been very determined to give the Los Angeles city council room to conduct their analysis," said Holt on Friday.

The vote took several months to come together, likely delayed in part by efforts made in the city's own recovery from devastating wildfires, Holt added. He publicly thanked the city council for their belief in Oklahoma City, saying that Oklahoma City is simply an extension of Los Angeles as the host city.

"This is their games," said Holt. "This partnership truly is mutually beneficial and allows L.A. to deliver a sustainable games, our performance reflects on theirs, and I promise the city of Los Angeles and LA28 that we will deliver a world-class experience for the athletes, officials, and fans."

Holt says the local ball will start rolling over the next few weeks, on what will be three years of preparation.

"I anticipate bringing a resolution to the city council, outlining our city government's major commitments," said Holt.

Holt says that resolution will be critical in finalizing an agreement with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce as a local host partner.

He further added that no major infrastructure projects will likely be in the cards, with the bulk of infrastructure largely already taken care of in the form of the two venues. Holt said temporary infrastructure improvements will be happening in the form of transit and public safety changes. News 4 specifically asked Holt on Friday if he had any clarification on potential accommodations for athletes.

"There will have to be a place for the athletes, and it will have to be just as secure as, you know, what they're doing in Los Angeles," said Holt. "And obviously, there'll be, you know, a lot of criteria we're going to have to fulfill from the L.A. side of it and the IOC [International Olympic Committee] side. But really, no, no serious exploration has really occurred on that."

Holt said the city has also already seen inquiries, before the Los Angeles city council vote, about potential volunteering. He said Friday the city is not ready to open that door up, but will be looking at organizing systems for those who are interested in expressing interest in the coming months.

"I still think we're going to deliver to the degree that that nobody expects," said Holt.

Holt's announcement Friday, at Riversport OKC, also came on the same weekend of the ongoing International Canoe Federation's Spring World Ranking Series at the venue. A few Olympians told News 4 they have high hopes.

"I think everybody around the world is going to be super excited to come here and race," said four-time Team USA Olympian Casey Eichfeld.

"You don't usually think of Oklahoma as being a hot spot for whitewater," said Olympian Evy Leibfarth. "So it's pretty cool that we're going to be able to draw some crowds that maybe haven't seen the sport before."

Riversport OKC founder Mike Knopp told News 4 he's also excited, saying decades of hard work have paid off with the highest of honors.

"It doesn't really get any better than that," said Knopp.

The excitement is equally off the charts over at Devon Park for USA Softball.

A spokesperson sent News 4 the following statement:

"We are thrilled to have LA28 come to Oklahoma City for the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic games. We want to thank the leadership of the City of Oklahoma City, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and the Los Angeles City Council for allowing us to take on this tremendous honor for not only our sport, but the entire state of Oklahoma. We are excited for the world to experience the Softball Capital of the World."

USA Softball spokesperson

"I just think it's the kind of thing we're going to be talking about for decades," said Holt.