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ATHLETES, INSPIRATION,
COMPETITION, HISTORY
AND YOU . . .
An Invitation to Cover the
SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES LOS ANGELES 2015
Los Angeles, California USA
25 July – 2 August 2015
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES
In July 2015, nearly 7,000 athletes from up to 177 countries will converge on Los
Angeles, historic site of two Olympic Games, for the world’s largest event for
athletes with intellectual disabilities: the Special Olympics World Games.
From the Opening Ceremony at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to
competitions in 25 sports at sites in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the Games will
showcase athletes from ages 8 - 60+, competing among themselves and in Unified
Sports Experience events with non-disabled peers,
athletes and celebrities.
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES
The Games
Begun by Eunice Kennedy Shriver as a camp for children with intellectual disabilities in the 1960s, the
first International Special Olympics Summer Games was held in Chicago (USA) on 20 July 1968. Nearly
1,000 athletes from Canada and the USA competed in athletics and swimming.
The event was re-named as the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 1975 and after being held
in the United States through 1999, was held for the first time outside the U.S. in Dublin, Ireland in 2003.
Four years later, the World Summer Games debuted in Asia in Shanghai, China and then in continental
Europe in 2011 in Athens, Greece.
Athletes
Competitors may be as young as eight years old, with no upper-age limit. Events will be held in divisions
with as few as three competitors, but never more than eight. The top three finishers will receive gold,
silver and bronze medals, respectively, with ribbons awarded to finishers in places four through eight.
Athletes will, for the most part, be housed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and
University of Southern California (USC) campuses and walk to events held on campus.
Events & Schedule
Most national delegations will arrive in Los Angeles on or about 20 July 2015 and after receiving their
Special Olympics World Games credentials, will depart for a unique Host Town experience from 21-24
July. More than 80 Southern California communities will welcome athletes, coaches and officials for
three days of training, sightseeing and entertainment before sending them to Los Angeles. Media will
have access to most delegations during the Host Town programs.
The Opening Ceremony will be held on Saturday, 25 July in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of
the opening events of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games. A large-scale entertainment program will be
mounted, in addition to the traditional parade of athletes and the formal opening protocol s. The Closing
Ceremony will be held in the Coliseum on Sunday, 2 August.
Sports
A total of 25 sports, based on standard International Federation rules, will be held at the 2015 World
Games:
•Aquatics
•Bowling
•Gymnastics (Rhythmic)
•
Roller Skating
•Athletics
•Cycling
•Handball
• Sailing
•Badminton
•Equestrian
•Judo
•Softball
•Basketball
•Football
•Kayaking
•
•
•Golf
• •Tennis
•Gymnastics (Artistic)
•Powerlifting
Beach Volleyball
•Bocce
Open Water Swimming
Table Tennis
•Triathlon
•Volleyball
• Information Current up to 9 March 2015 •
VENUES AND SCHEDULE
Venues and Schedule
Most of the competitions will be centralized at four locations in Los Angeles (3) and Long Beach (1), with
six auxiliary sites hosting one sport each. The current calendar:
[Key: D = Divisioning process LACC = Los Angeles Convention Center LB = Long Beach T=Training
UCLA = University of California, Los Angeles
Sport/Event
Venue
Opening Cer.
L.A. Mem. Coliseum
Aquatics-Swimming USC/Uytengsu Center
25 Jul
USC = University of Southern California]
26 Jul
27 Jul
«
«
28 Jul
29 Jul
30 Jul
31 Jul
1 Aug
«
«
«
«
2 Aug
«
«
Aquatics-Open Water LB/Alamitos Beach
«
«
«
D
D
D
«
D
D
«
«
Athletics-Track
USC/Loker Stadium
Athletics-Road
LB/Alamitos Beach
Badminton
LACC/South Hall
T
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
Basketball
USC/Galen Center
D
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
Bocce
LACC/South Hall
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
«
Bowling
Lucky Strike Lanes
D
D
«
«
«
«
Cycling
LB/Aquarium
«
«
«
«
Equestrian
L.A. Equestrian Cntr.
T
T
T
D
«
«
«
Football/5
UCLA/Intramural Field
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
Football/7
Balboa Sports Center
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
Football/11
UCLA/Drake Stadium
UCLA/North Ath. Field
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
Golf
Griffith Park
T
D
D
«
«
Gymnastics-Artistic
UCLA/Wooden Cntr.
T
T
T
T
«
«
«
«
Gymnastics-Rhythmic UCLA/Wooden Cntr.
T
D
«
«
«
«
«
«
«
«
«
«
«
Handball
LACC/South Hall
D
«
Judo
UCLA/Student Activ.
T
D
Kayaking
L.B. Marine Stadium
Powerlifting
LACC/Concourse Hall
Roller Skating
LACC/South Hall
Sailing
Belmont Pier
Softball
UCLA/Easton Stadium
Table Tennis
«
«
T
D
D
«
«
T
«
«
«
«
«
«
D
D
«
«
«
T
D
«
«
«
«
«
T
T
D
«
«
«
«
«
LACC/South Hall
D
D
D
D
«
«
«
«
Tennis
UCLA/L.A. Tennis Ctr.
D
D
D
«
«
«
«
«
Triathlon
LB/Alamitos Beach
«
Volleyball-Beach
LB/Alamitos Beach
D
«
«
«
Volleyball-Indoor
UCLA/Pauley Pavilion
D
D
«
T
«
«
«
Closing Cer.
L.A. Mem. Coliseum
T
T
(Please note that this schedule is preliminary and is subject to change.)
«
NEWS MEDIA SUPPORT
News Media Support
A full program of support services is planned for news media covering the 2015 World Games:
• Credential applications are online now at www.LA2015.org/media, and will be
accepted through 1 June 2015.
• Hotel accommodations may be booked today through the LA2015 housing portal:
www.LA2015.org/housing. The preferred media hotel is the LA HOTEL DOWNTOWN (333 S. Figueroa
Street in downtown Los Angeles; the FIGUEROA HOTEL (939 S. Figueroa St., is walking distance from
the Media Operations Office & Workroom at the Los Angeles Convention Center.)
• Media facilities will be available at each site, including but not limited to:
• Seating reserved in existing facilities or in the grandstands;
• Reserved shooting positions for photographers and videographers at field level;
• Designated post-event Interview Zones where journalists can meet the athletes;
• Results, start lists and LA2015 staff images and video available online;
• Working areas with complimentary wired and/or wireless Internet access.
The Media Operations Office & Workroom will be located inside the Los Angeles Convention
Center, opening on 20 July 2015, which will also support media covering the competition venues
at that site.
• Photographers and videographers will be identified by special bibs allowing access to field-of-play
adjacent shooting positions. Live video coverage is not allowed, but recordings of competitions and
athlete interviews shown post-competition are encouraged.
• Transportation support will be provided free of charge to credentialed media via shuttle systems.
Media staying at LA2015-designated hotels will be connected to the Media Operations Office &
Workroom and to the competition venues. Media driving their own vehicles will be accommodated
with complimentary parking (on a space-available basis) at designated locations at each site.
Join us in Los Angeles this summer for a Games
you will never forget!
For additional information, please contact our Co-Senior Directors for Media Operations:
•
Pat Harris DiLeva:
[email protected]
Tel: (213) 805-6506
•
Rich Perelman:
[email protected] Tel: (213) 805-6503
7,000 Athletes | 177 Countries | 25 July - 2 August 2015
www.LA2015.org/media