SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe has been the scene of two Olympic Games torch runs, one for the summer 1984 games in Los Angeles, and the second for the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. Now, there is a chance the torch will travel through town once again as it heads to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
During its meeting on Tuesday, the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted 5-0 to sign an agreement with the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028 (LA28).
The route has yet to be determined, but cities first have to sign the agreement if they want to be considered to participate in the run as the torch heads to Los Angeles before the Summer Games. If selected, the City would partner with LA28 in the torch run planning and execution of the event, whether it be an overnight stay or a quick run-through town.
In 1984, then-Caesars Tahoe was the organizer of the run that included Olympian Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) running down US50 through the casino corridor along with a presidential candidate and others who were selected.
In 2002, the torch went through South Lake Tahoe in January as part of its 11,500-mile journey across the country. Selected community torchbearers were part of the celebration, including educators, local heroes, business leaders, and others.
In both torch runs, thousands of people lined the route in unity, celebrating community, the Olympics – all proud that the City was selected.
What a South Lake Tahoe celebration would look like is unknown at this time, as planning would not begin until the city was selected, though the creation of a task force is being discussed. Concerns were brought up by councilmembers about the security and safety of a torch run, and those will be addressed through the task force.