LA28 Olympic torch relay to visit all 50 states, beginning in Atlanta
Arash Markazi
Host · Writer
LOS ANGELES — The Olympic flame will travel through all 50 states before arriving in Los Angeles for the 2028 Games, with Atlanta serving as the starting point for the U.S. portion of the torch relay, LA28 organizers announced Tuesday.
The nationwide journey will begin in spring 2028 after the flame is lit in Olympia, Greece. Organizers described the planned relay as one of the largest in Olympic history, with stops at major landmarks, cultural and sporting events, and festival celebrations in select cities. The full route will be announced in 2027.
“Every Olympic Games begins with a single flame, and carrying that flame to Los Angeles is an honor and privilege that we'll share with every corner of the country, as Americans in all 50 states carry the flame on its path to our Opening Ceremony,” LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman said in a statement.
The selection of Atlanta connects the next U.S. Summer Olympics with the city that hosted the country's most recent Summer Games in 1996. When the flame returns in 2028, it will have been 32 years since those Games.
Atlanta also is home to Coca-Cola, whose support of the Olympic movement spans nearly a century. The company will join JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity as presenting partners of both the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays.
“Starting this journey in Atlanta is a tribute to a city with deep Olympic roots and to partners like Coca-Cola, whose support has helped carry this Movement for a century,” Wasserman said.
For Atlanta, the announcement offers another opportunity to celebrate the legacy of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Mayor Andre Dickens said those Games introduced the city to billions of people around the world and demonstrated its ability to host a major international event.
“So, when the flame returns to the U.S., Atlanta will be ready. Ready to welcome it from Greece. Ready to celebrate the spirit of the Games together as a community. And ready to send it forward toward Los Angeles and the next chapter of America’s Olympic story,” Dickens said. “Atlanta was proud to carry that flame in 1996. We will be proud to welcome it back.”
The relay is intended to extend the experience of the Los Angeles Games to communities throughout the country. Organizers said cities, states and local communities will help support the journey, with additional participating cities and partners to be announced in the coming months.
The four presenting partners will participate in several aspects of the relays, including selecting some torchbearers and hosting stops at partner locations. Details about torchbearer nominations also will be released in the coming months.
“For nearly 100 years, Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement have shared a belief in the power of sport to bring people together,” Coca-Cola CEO Henrique Braun said. “We’re proud to support the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay and help carry the spirit of the Games into communities across the country.”
A separate Paralympic torch relay will take place after the Olympics conclude in August 2028. That flame will originate in Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. Its U.S. starting location will be announced later.
Los Angeles will host the Olympics for the third time, following the 1932 and 1984 Games, and will host the Paralympics for the first time. Together, the two events are expected to bring more than 15,000 athletes to Southern California.
