Atlanta chosen to start 2028 Olympic torch relay
FOX 5 Atlanta photo
ATLANTA - The Olympic flame will return to Atlanta in 2028 to begin a nationwide torch relay ahead of the Summer Games in Los Angeles, organizers and Mayor Andre Dickens announced Tuesday.
The flame will first be lit in Olympia, Greece, before arriving in Atlanta in spring 2028. From there, torchbearers will carry it through all 50 states — a first for an Olympic relay — on a journey ending at the Los Angeles opening ceremony July 14.
Organizers plan stops at landmarks and major events, with public celebrations in selected cities. The full route will be released in 2027.
Why the relay starts in Atlanta
Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, the last Summer Games held in the United States. Dickens said Tuesday that welcoming the flame back will give the city a chance to celebrate that history before sending it on to Los Angeles.
Coca-Cola, which is headquartered in Atlanta, is one of four presenting partners for the relay, along with JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity.
Organizers said partners will help support stops along the route and select torchbearers. Details about nominations are expected in the coming months.
A separate Paralympic relay
After the Olympics end, a Paralympic torch relay will lead into the Paralympic Games in August 2028. That flame will originate in Stoke Mandeville, England, a birthplace of the Paralympic movement. Organizers have not announced where its U.S. leg will begin.