Oklahoma City will host the Canoe Slalom Olympic events at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
Announced on Friday, the Canoe Slalom Center in Oklahoma City, OKC, will be the venue for the LA28 competitions, where six gold medals will be up for grabs.
The announcement was part of LA28’s first wave of venue confirmations for the Games, which included a number of venues that have moved in or out of the City of Los Angeles since the original bid was made in 2017.
That will include Canoe Slalom at a venue widely recognised as a premier venue for international canoe competitions. Oklahoma City has previously hosted the ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup in 2021 and 2022 and its selection for the 2028 Olympic Games underscores the Canoe Slalom Center’s outstanding facilities and organisational capabilities.
The venue is equally tuned in to the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, which emphasises sustainability, legacy and the use of, where possible, existing high-quality venues.
ICF President Thomas Konietzko expressed his enthusiasm for the venue, saying:
"I’m happy that our sport can help make Oklahoma a major Olympic city.
Mr Konietzko added: “The Canoe Slalom Center in Oklahoma City is undoubtedly a top-tier host for ICF competitions and now it will be the host for an Olympic event. ICF will work closely with the city and all stakeholders to guarantee the most successful delivery of the canoe slalom events in the Olympic Games 2028, highlighting our commitment and further promoting the development of our sport."
Friday’s announcement marks a significant milestone in the preparation for the LA2028 Olympic Games, which aims to ensure an unforgettable experience for all participants and spectators, bringing unprecedented international exposure to Oklahoma City under the Olympic spotlight.
The proposed venue change has been assessed in consultation with the International Canoe Federation and will be finalised with the approval of the IOC Executive Board and the City of Los Angeles in the coming months.
