California here we come

This week marked two years until the start of the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. There was plenty of information floating out there about plans and ideas that Los Angeles has put forward as the time gets nearer. 

Obviously no credentials have been issued yet, in fact the process to apply for credentials has yet to begin, but with two years to go, Los Angeles 2028 has scheduled the World Press Briefing for next week and for the first time in my Olympic history, I am going to attend.

The World Press Briefing is traditionally held in the years leading up to an Olympics, but obviously previous WPB's have been held in foreign countries, which made attending a bit tough. With travel to Los Angeles a little cheaper than say Beijing or Paris, I applied to go to this year's WPB and I was approved. The hotel was still a bit expensive, but I still have no idea if I will be able to get credentials for Los Angeles, so I thought it would be worth spending the money to get some of the Olympic experience, even if when the time comes I am not able to actually get to the Olympics.

The plan for the World Press Briefing next week in Los Angeles includes some venue tours throughout the day on Wednesday and then information sessions all day on Thursday talking about various processes of the Olympics. The idea is to get media ready for what they will experience in Los Angeles to help with their planning, etc. The last two Summer Olympics I went to, I never really had a plan, I just wanted to see as much as I could, see anyone with a local connection and have a good time. However, I am well aware that most media organizations have to meticulously plan their schedules for those two-plus weeks. My Winter Olympics are a little more planned out because there is usually a few more local athletes I need to see and have to build my schedule around that.

I am excited to get the chance to visit the Los Angeles Olympic sites next week. While the purpose of the World Press Briefing is not for editorial coverage, I hope to have a little bit of action here at some point next week. I was hoping to include a trip to one of the MLB ballparks in the area to check them off my list, but neither the Angels or Dodgers have games that will fit into the schedule during the few days I will be there.


My last Summer Olympic experience was the Closing Ceremony at the Paris Olympics at the State de France and featured a guest appearance from Tom Cruise. I don't expect him to be at the World Press Briefing next week in Los Angeles.

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