LA28 sets Atlanta as start of 50-state Olympic torch relay

LA28 announced Tuesday that the U.S. leg of the 2028 Olympic torch relay will begin in Atlanta and travel through all 50 states before reaching Los Angeles. Organizers said the full route will be announced in 2027; the cities and communities it will visit, and how long the relay will run, have not been disclosed. The flame is expected to be lit in Olympia, Greece, before the U.S. journey begins in spring 2028. The relay will end in Los Angeles at the opening ceremony of the Games, according to LA28. The announced plan sets Atlanta as the first U.S. stop, but does not yet provide a detailed schedule or identify specific stops. Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, the most recent Summer Games held in the United States. The 2028 relay’s start there recalls the city’s role in that event, when former Olympic swimmer Janet Evans passed the flame to boxer Muhammad Ali, who lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony. Evans is now LA28’s chief athlete officer. LA28 chair and president Casey Wasserman said the relay would bring the flame to communities across the country.