Mayor Karen Bass landed in France Thursday to participate in the Paris Olympic Games closing ceremony where she will receive the Olympic flag and bring it to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Accompanied by Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and George Pla, president of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, Bass toured the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron at the Tuileries Garden, visited Hotel De Ville, Paris City Hall, for a live fan activation at La Terrasse des Jeux where fans from all over the city are able to watch the games together.
The mayor hopes to implement similar programs throughout the city of Los Angeles when the Southland hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, according to her office.
“I want to thank the Mayors of Paris, Saint-Ouen and L'lle-Saint- Denis for showing me what they have done leading up to the games that will leave a lasting legacy for their residents, and the ways that their cities have benefited from the Paris 2024 Games,'' Bass said in a statement.
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“It is a top priority that during the 2028 Games, we showcase all corners of Los Angeles, not just our popular tourist destinations but the incredible rich cultural communities all throughout our city. Together, we will ensure that all Angelenos benefit from the Games for decades to come,'' her statement continued.
Mayor Bass met with Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine Mayor Karim Bouamrane at Saint-Ouen City Hall to follow up on the partnership established with Los Angeles during their meeting in March.
This partnership includes priorities for youth, the environment, sports and culture and to share knowledge from the 2024 Games experience, according to Bass' office.
Saint-Ouen is a city just north of Paris, and Saint-Denis is home to the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes Village for the 2024 Games -- a major reinvestment project that has created thousands of units of affordable and market-rate housing as well as new pedestrian paths and connectivity between communities lining the Seine River.
Bass and Bouamrane also met with youth from the 100 Black Men of America Summer 2024 Cultural Exchange -- an initiative that gives youth the opportunity to visit a foreign country and learn about different cultures.
Participants of the program are residents from L.A., the San Francisco Bay Area, New Orleans, Georgia, Maryland and London.
Bass visited the Parc des Nations at La Villette, home to 15 National Olympic Committee's hospitality houses, which includes Club France. Ten of the 15 hospitality houses offer free entry, giving visitors from all around the world the opportunity to cheer on their athletes and feel at home at little to no cost. The park sees around 100,000 visitors a day.
As part of Bass' trip, she visited Station Afrique, a space dedicated to members of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa. Mayor Bass hopes to implement a similar hospitality house system in Los Angeles, where L.A.'s diaspora communities, visitors, and residents can connect to the cultures and nationalities represented within the Olympic movement.
On Sunday, Bass will be the first Black woman mayor to receive the official Olympic flag during the closing ceremony. Upon her arrival at LAX Monday at about 2 p.m., the mayor is expected to host a news conference to showcase the flag and highlights of her trip.
