When the Olympics return to Los Angeles in 2028, they’ll be the closest they’ve ever been to DFW. That’s because LA 28 is doing something different. Two sports will compete in Oklahoma City. This means 16 days of Olympic action will be just a three-hour drive up Interstate 35. “The pre ssure is a privilege, so we are very, very excited,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. The city will host canoe slalom and women’s softball. “We have the entirety of two sports. Seven total events. Every single day for 16 days,” Holt said. Why did LA choose OKC? Holt credits residents for supporting initiatives that led to reimagining the Oklahoma River, building their water facility Riversport and supporting a premiere softball complex. “We’ve invested in ourselves,” Holt said. “And maybe there’s some luck here in that we ended up having the world’s greatest softball stadium and the only whitewater course west of the Mississippi, two things that LA didn’t have.” The white-water course will host canoe slalom – a turbulent ride as athletes navigate rapids as fast as possible. The site will host the World Rankings and World Championships later this year. OKC also considers itself the “Softball Capitol of the World.” Thousands attend their softball complex for tournaments and the thrilling Women’s College World Series. It’s also the longtime home of USA Softball and the National Softball Hall of Fame. That means Team USA would truly be playing on their home turf in 2028. “It’s awesome, first, for the state of Oklahoma and to be able to grow the game even more in the United States,” said Team USA pitcher Kelly Maxwell. The Texas native won a national championship on this field while playing for OU. She dreams of winning a gold medal here, too. “That would just really cap off the end of my career. It would mean the world to represent my country on that stage,” Maxwell said. She’ll find out in 2027 if she makes the 15-player roster to compete in the Olympics. The softball complex will add an indoor practice facility and update bleachers before summer ’28. “We’ve earned it and we’ll deliver,” said CEO of USA Softball, Craig Kress. “This atmosphere will be electric.” Holt said the city is focused on recreating the Olympic atmosphere more than 1,000 miles from LA, and expects many will travel from surrounding states. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get in your car and drive to the Summer Olympics. And, even if you don’t have a ticket to sit in the stands, you know, we want to be able to provide different experiences that make you feel like you’re at the Olympics,” Holt said. Roughly 200,000 tickets will be sold for the 16 days of events in OKC. Fans can now enter the draw for tickets to the 2028 Summer Games. “The thought of athletes having gold medals put around their necks right here in Oklahoma City – that’s always the thing from the very moment this was first discussed that has always stuck with me. That is an incredible bit of history for our community.” ...read more read less