USATF wants LA Coliseum to host 2028 Olympic trials

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Max Siegel, chief executive of USATF, is eager for the championships to take place in Los Angeles in four years time

When Los Angeles last held the Olympics back 1984, the national trials took place at the Coliseum just a few weeks before the Games.

Now, ahead of the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, USATF wants the venue to host the trials once again.

Max Siegel, chief executive of USATF, has told the Associated Press that he wants to give US athletes the closest simulation of an Olympics, with the best way of doing that to have the trials at the Coliseum.

“It is no secret that our desire is to have something in the West Coast, and preferably in LA,” Siegel said. “We’re going to do everything that we possibly can to try to have our trials at the Coliseum.”

Los Angeles 1984 (Mark Shearman)

Since 2008, Hayward Field has held the Olympic trials, with the venue having also hosted the last four USATF Championships.

Even though championships are likely to stay in Eugene for the foreseeable future, the 2028 Olympic trials could buck that trend.

Siegel also wants the trials to be shortened from its current format of 10 days and is keen to settle the matter by January.

The main concern was whether the Coliseum, which also hosts University of Southern California sports, would be ready to host the trials just a few weeks ahead of the Olympics.

Casey Wasserman, who headed the LA 2028 bid and is president of its organising committee, told AP: “We are exploring the possibility of hosting the 2028 Track and Field Trials at the Coliseum.”