“Follow the Sun”
This past weekend I had the opportunity to join over 500 United States Olympians and Paralympians at their first ever reunion in Las Vegas. It was incredibly inspiring to see so many talented people, all of whom at one time or another, and in some instances many times, represented the US in Summer and Winter Olympic Games. They represented Team USA as recently as 2014 in Sochi and as far back as 1948 in London.
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Gold medallist Tommie Smith (center) and bronze medalist John Carlos (right) showing the raised fist on the podium after the 200m race at the 1968 Summer Olympics; both wear Olympic Project for Human Rights badges. Peter Norman (silver medalist, left) from Australia also wears an OPHR badge in solidarity to Smith and Carlos. Photograph: AP[/caption]
The world’s oldest African American Olympic medalist, Herb Douglas, was there (who, at 94 years old on March 9th did not look a day over 65). I also spotted Greg Louganis, Misty May-Treanor, Dick Fosbury (famous for the “Fosbury Flop”, which changed the way Track and Field Olympians around the world approach the high jump, now almost exclusively jumping back first), and both Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the two Americans who very famously held up their gloved fists in a black power salute at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
The weekend was amazingly inspirational and ended with a stellar presentation by the LA 2024 Committee, who gave us all a sneak peek at our country’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. It’s worth noting that should we successfully bid for the Games, LA 2024 will represent the first Summer Olympic Games on US soil since 1996, 28 years in the making. (Our last Olympics were the Winter Games held in Salt Lake City in 2002).
Last week, the LA 2024 Committee released their rendering of the logo they have chosen for the 2024 games.
Representing their slogan, “Follow The Sun”, the vision for the Games is one of reinvention. Inspired by the rising and setting sun (and likely the beautiful sunrises and sunsets for which Los Angeles is known), the theme of the bid is a promise of tomorrow that can be whatever we choose it to be. Perhaps my favorite part of our bid is that the Games will represent the first ever energy-positive, solar-powered Olympics.
Just a few days ago, the LA 2024 Committee published this star-studded video, which I am happy to say we got a first look at in Vegas. It’s so well done and I can only hope it inspires you as much as it did me. (Think they filmed Will Ferrell’s bit while we was filming Zoolander II? Check out the eyebrows)…
