Here comes Los Angeles

Milan-Cortina is less than two months in the rearview mirror, but things move pretty quickly in the world of the Olympics and yesterday I got an e-mail from Los Angeles 2028 offering access to the media extranet, which is a portal that media use to prepare for the Olympics.

I registered this morning and was approved this afternoon, so I did a little look around the extranet, checking out the venues and the information that's out there so far. Well there wasn't a ton of new information, it was cool to see everything gathered in one place.

The extranet also offered media the chance to register for the World Press Briefing, which is a gathering of media that takes place in the years prior to the Olympics where you can tour some of the venues, meet some of the important people and get a sense of the Games.

I have never been to a World Press Briefing in the past, in large part because all of them would've involved traveling around the world in the years leading up to the Olympics, when I was trying to save up my money to make the actual Olympic trip. For this one, I thought it would be a cool opportunity and since the travel would be a bit easier, I registered. There is no guarantee of my acceptance for the event, but I figure it's not going to hurt to apply and if I get accepted, I can head out to Los Angeles this summer and get a preview of the 2028 Olympics.

Included in the extranet was also a little talk about the credentialing process for the 2028 Olympics and we were told that the process will begin at some point in the middle of this year. This is pretty typical of the Olympic process so far, as it is usually between a year and a half and two years out when the credentialing process begins. Some of the Games I have been to have been a bit behind with their organization, but I have a feeling that the USOPC will be a bit more on schedule as they prepare to offer credentials to the media for the 2028 Games.

When I left Milan back in February, I was pretty sure that I had attended my final Olympics. It's been a good run, covering six Olympics over the course of 12 years. But my theory was that I likely wouldn't be in a position to get accredited for the Olympics in two years, given the state of the newspaper business as a whole. Additionally, I wasn't 100 percent sure I would be able to keep up the whole two full time jobs thing that allows me to pay for each Olympic experience. And to be honest, both things are still true, but if the e-mail comes through to sign up for credentials, I will fill out the application. Because it doesn't hurt.


The Los Angeles 2028 venue map, which includes stadiums around the country for soccer and the Oklahoma City area where softball and whitewater will be taking place.

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