Olympic Flag Arrives in Los Angeles Ahead of 2028 Games

The Olympic flag touched down in Los Angeles on Monday, as the city prepares to host the next Summer Games in 2028. It arrived aboard a Delta Airlines jet, painted with "LA28" and pictures of palm trees, carrying American athletes and officials. To welcome its arrival, Tupac Shakur's "California Love" played over loudspeakers on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, adorned in a red tracksuit, disembarked the plane waving the Olympic flag before being greeted by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Alongside her were Olympic diver Delaney Schnell, skateboarder Tate Carew, and other dignitaries. At the airport, Bass expressed her massive pride and responsibility upon receiving the flag in Paris on Sunday.

Los Angeles is to host the 2028 Summer Games, as decided by the International Olympic Committee in 2017. This event marks the third time Los Angeles has been named host city in the modern era, following 1932 and 1984. Despite the challenges like the city's homelessness problem, Mayor Bass remains optimistic, attributing it to LA's unique Resource, Hollywood, which is expected to enliven the occasion with magical opportunities.

The grand event of flag-handover happened in Paris on Sunday during the closing ceremony of the ongoing Games. Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise added a dash of glamour to the ceremony. The actor spectacularly rappelled from France's national stadium's roof to receive the flag, then staged an intriguing exit on a motorbike, leading to a pre-recorded video of him skydiving down to the Hollywood sign. This paved the way for an enthralling transition, with the Olympic rings impressively incorporated into the iconic LA landmark.