Oklahoma City Mayor Holt visits Paris Olympics as prep for his city hosting canoe, softball in '28

VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France (AP) — Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt is more excited than ever to bring Olympic canoe slalom and softball to his hometown.

Holt’s behind-the-scenes work since 2018 played a pivotal role in the IOC executive committee’s decision to approve moving those sports to Oklahoma’s capital city for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

As part of his preparation, Holt felt he needed to experience the Games for himself. A contingent of 10 from Oklahoma City, led by Holt, is visiting the Paris Olympics to get a feel for what the Olympics are about. The group includes two city staffers and several members of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, the group that will act as the local host committee.

Holt attended women’s canoe slalom on Wednesday and men’s canoe slalom on Thursday at the Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

“There’s nothing like the staging of this event at the Summer Olympics,” he said while awaiting the men’s finals. “So I think it was pretty important that at least a handful of us see it with their own eyes, experience it, take some notes, talk to people.”

The addition of the sports in Oklahoma City is part of an effort by organizers to maximize existing facilities and limit costs. It still needs official approval from the City of Los Angeles, but it looks as if that is just a formality. Holt said part of the reason for the visit to France was to build relationships with stakeholders in the Olympic movement, including those based in Los Angeles.

It’s Holt’s first time attending the Olympics, and he said it has been worthwhile. He watched American Evy Leibfarth earn a bronze medal in women’s canoe slalom on Wednesday — the first medal for an American in that category in 20 years.

He also attended swimming on Wednesday and watched American Katie Ledecky win gold in the 1,500-meter freestyle. He enjoyed the medal ceremony and the playing of the U.S. national anthem, calling it "kind of cool and emotional.”

Holt said he didn’t initially expect Oklahoma City to land canoe slalom because a course was included in Los Angeles’ original plans. But Oklahoma City has built a reputation for successfully hosting high-level events, including the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in April. That got the attention of the International Canoe Federation.

Holt said the suggestion to move canoe slalom to Oklahoma City came before the softball decision, in part because softball wasn’t confirmed for the 2028 Olympics at the time the canoe discussions started.

Softball is not being played at the Paris Games. It would be held at the 13,000-seat Devon Park, which hosts the annual Women’s College World Series, in 2028.

Estimates of the possible financial impact for Oklahoma City have not been fully developed. Riversport executive director Michael Knopf, part of the Oklahoma City contingent in France, said he expects the Games to boost the city in many ways beyond money.

“This is really an opportunity to be a true differentiator," he said. "We’re now seeing the benefit of thinking a little different and doing different things and what it’s going to mean for our future here in Oklahoma City. The fact that we’re going to be spoken alongside of the city of Los Angeles ... I think it’s pretty powerful.”

Holt and his group hope to duplicate France’s energy in Oklahoma City. And now that he doesn’t need to keep his plans a secret, he can openly help create it.

“A historic, once in a lifetime opportunity for Oklahoma City.” he said. “Every moment that I’ve worked on this or thought about it has filled me with excitement, and it’s now very special that I can finally share that because for the longest time, I couldn’t really share that excitement with anybody. So now it’s kind of fun to be able to share that with the whole city as this continues to go get closer to reality.”

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