Plans to bring 2028 Olympic events to Oklahoma City first grew out of a conversation OKC Mayor David Holt had over dinner with former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti six years ago.
Now that the idea is closer than ever to being a reality, Holt felt like he needed to get an up-close look at what the Games could be like.
“Paris, for us, was our last chance to see the real thing, and there really is no substitute for seeing and experiencing it,” Holt told The Oklahoman. “It just wouldn’t have been the same. We needed at least a few of the leaders from our community in different spheres to have gone there and actually witnessed it. And we brought a lot of different perspectives with us in the 10 or so people from Oklahoma City who made the trip.”
A cohort of city employees and community leaders traveled to France in late July and early August to observe the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. Along with Holt, the delegation also included Oklahoma City Special Projects Manager Sue Hollenbeck, Emergency Management Director Audrea George with the Oklahoma City Police Department, Riversport Executive Director Mike Knopp, and several members of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.