LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) -The United States and all its levels of government are fully committed to making the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics a success, new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday.
Zimbabwe’s former Olympic swimming champion Coventry officially took over the presidency from Thomas Bach this week following Monday’s ceremony in Lausanne.
“There is so much goodwill from all levels of government from the state to the federal,” Coventry told a press conference after her first executive board meeting.
“There’s an incredible willingness to see that the Olympic Games are a huge success. So the reason I mentioned that is because that gives us faith… that our values will also be heard and that we will be able to ensure successful Games for our athletes.”
There have been concerns among international federations regarding travel and visas for the LA Olympics, with the Olympics bringing together 206 national Olympic Committees.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a directive this month, banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats.
Athletes, their coaches and families are exempt from the travel ban, according to U.S. Olympic Committee officials.
“It’s our duty to ensure that we work towards that and as of right now, we see that full commitment coming across the board,” said Coventry, the first woman and first African to be IOC president.
Los Angeles has been hit by protests against immigration raids in recent weeks, and relations between state and city officials, and the U.S. government, have been tense.
Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles this month, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
