The swimming events will take place on the USC University Park Campus. (Photo/Michael Pliskin)
USC set to host Special Olympics World Games
It’s the single biggest sporting event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympics
Nearly 7,000 athletes from close to 170 countries are about to descend upon Los Angeles and USC to compete at the Special Olympics World Games.
Starting July 25, the university will play host to many of the most competitive team and individual sports at the World Games, billed as the single biggest sporting event in the city since the 1984 Olympics.
It is a tremendous opportunity for USC to host the Special Olympics World Games on our campus.
Michael Quick
“It is a tremendous opportunity for USC to host the Special Olympics World Games on our campus,” USC Provost Michael Quick said. “The dedication and sportsmanship that these talented athletes exhibit serves as a powerful reminder of the capacity for human triumph over any adversity.”
Facts and figures
Kickoff celebration: First lady Michelle Obama will join the opening ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with musical headliners to include musicians Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne and O.A.R.
Flaming icon: The Flame of Hope, which was carried in a torch relay across the United States by thousands of runners on three routes, will find its home in Alumni Park for the duration of the World Games.
6,300: Number of athletes staying in USC residence halls while they compete.
Fields of Play: World Games athletes will play basketball at the Galen Center, compete in athletics in Loker Stadium and Cromwell Field and face off in aquatics at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center. Other competitions will be held at locations throughout Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“Open Wide!”: Nearly 100 students and faculty from the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC have volunteered to provide dental care to athletes, a group who often go untreated by a dentist, Dean Avishai Sadan said. The USC dentists join Trojan physicians, nurses, physical therapists and other staff from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and the USC Davis School of Gerontology who will provide medical care and nutrition advice for athletes during the Games. For many World Games athletes, especially those from developing countries, the medical care they receive while on the USC campus may be their first opportunity to receive proper health care.
