Olympic Briefs -- 25 Anniversary for L.A.; Big Chicago Guarantee

Los Angeles is planning a year-long, city-wide celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Olympics.

David Simon, president of the Los Angeles Sports Council, one of the groups organizing the event, tells Around the Rings the silver anniversary of the Games has a major gala on July 18 planned and many celebrations at sporting events throughout the year.

“The other things that are being planned are in the nature of pre-game and halftime ceremonies at various sporting events around town” Simon tells ATR.

“For example, a couple weeks ago we had a halftime ceremony at a Laker game. We anticipate doing some things in the fall in connection with the USC and UCLA football games. Some of which we have dates on and some of which not yet.”

Additionally, Simon said there will be ceremonies at major annual sporting events like the L.A. Marathon and some of the major tennis tournaments held in L.A.

Simon said each event would have different ways of celebrating the anniversary, with the teams having the discretion to set programming.

“Each one’s a little different and it’s kind of up to them. For example, I would imagine UCLA will have UCLA Olympians involved and I would imagine when we did an event with the Lakers it will be one way. So I don’t think there is a set cast of characters at each event. It will be local Olympians of note who are connected to the organization in question.”

The LA Sports Council and Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games are the two groups organizing the anniversary celebrations. The July 18 event is a celebratory dinner set to take place on the field of the Los Angeles Coliseum, the main venue of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.

Many Olympic notables are expected to attend, including 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee President Peter Ueberroth, Coliseum torchbearer Rafer Johnson, opening and closing ceremonies producer David L. Wolper and many Olympic athletes, among others.

Plans are yet to be finalized for the celebration, because as Simon says, “this has been put together really in the last month because we just got the date from the Coliseum.”

Smaller celebrations were held for five, 10, and 20 year anniversaries, but were more in the nature of reunions.

To register for the celebration, click here.

Government Approves $250 Million Chicago 2016 Guarantee

Chicago has gained a $250 million guarantee after the Illinois government passed legislation in a 100-14 vote Thursday.

The government guaranteed $250 million if the city wins the bid for the 2016 Olympic games and loses money.

Chicago asked for the additional $100 million after concerns that Chicago’s bid could not compete with other bid cities because of the lack of full government guarantee surfaced earlier this month.

The IOC Evaluation Team will visit Chicago next month.

Moroccan Athletics Federation Lets Former Olympic Champ Go

Moroccan Athletics Federation (FRMA) released a statement today saying that it had let its technical director, Said Aouita, go.

Aouita, who won gold in the 5000-meters in Los Angeles, found and coached new Olympic talent for the federation.

He recently stated he was having disagreements with the federation.

“It started after the creation of a body within the federation which has effectively reduced my prerogatives as principal technical director.

A spokesperson for the federation told AFP that they were trying to find a work towards a friendly separation with Aouita.

Briefs...

...Olympic gold medalist Leisel Jones competed in the Australian swimming titles Thursday after announcing last month that she would be taking time off to focus on studies at beauty school and would not compete this year. Jones says she still does not plan to compete in the Rome world titles.

...IPC President Sir Philip Craven officially invited National Paralympic Committes to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games Thursday. The Canadian Paralympic Committee hosted the dinner.

...Lithuanian athletes will participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics after the Executive Committee of the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee accepted IOC President Jacques Rogge’s invitation.

Written by Ed Hula III, and Isia Reaves.