IOC Backs LA 2028 to Avoid World Cup Visa Problems as 2-Year Taskforce Works
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 10
IOC Backs LA 2028 to Avoid World Cup Visa Problems as 2-Year Taskforce Works
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 10
Summary
Kirsty Coventry said the IOC is confident the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics can avoid the visa and entry problems now disrupting World Cup preparations in the United States.
A dedicated taskforce is already working with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, she said, using lessons from current World Cup cases to monitor risks and press for access for athletes and entourages.
Those problems have included Somalia’s top referee Omar Artan being denied US entry, Iran being shifted from an Arizona training camp to Mexico, and some Iranian officials failing to secure visas.
UN rights chief Volker Turk on Wednesday called for a “massive rethink” of immigration policies around the World Cup, underscoring the wider scrutiny facing US event planning before LA 2028.
Coventry also signaled the IOC is exploring broader athlete support—such as bigger Olympic Solidarity scholarships—while maintaining her opposition to Olympic prize or appearance money.