LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) – The International Olympic Committee has no concerns over working with Donald Trump and his incoming administration on the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics given the President-elect’s continued support of those Games, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Olympics were awarded in 2017 when Trump was president following his first election victory. Trump also met Bach at the White House in 2017 shortly before the Games were awarded to Los Angeles.
While the LA Games do not depend on federal funding like most other Olympics, as the project is privately funded, the federal government plays a key role in providing security, transport and travel assistance amongst other areas of support for the event.
“It is in the best hands of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the organising committee,” Bach told a press conference when asked about relations with the new U.S. administration taking over in January.
“Whenever they (USOPC) would deem it appropriate the IOC will be at their side. We are very confident with regard to the steps and efforts being undertaken by the organising committee and the USOPC, taking early contact with the incoming team,” Bach said.
“We saw also that President-elect Trump repeatedly declared the support for the Games, which we never had any doubt (about). He has declared this support from the very beginning.”
The first Trump administration in 2017 enacted a travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries, which the President at the time said was needed to protect the U.S. against attacks by Islamist militants.
That had caused concern in the sports world with the Olympics bringing together more than 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries. Tens of thousands more are foreign support staff, coaches, referees, media and fans from abroad.
President Joe Biden ended the travel ban when he took office in 2021.
Last month LA Games officials said they had been in contact with the incoming Trump administration and were confident that the U.S. federal government would deliver on its promises to support the Games.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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