Oklahoma City has already hosted the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Sprint Super Cup in 2021 and 2022 and its selection for the 2028 Olympic Games underlines the outstanding facilities and organisational capabilities of the Canoe Slalom Centre. It is also in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, which emphasises sustainability, legacy and the use of existing high quality venues.  

ICF President Thomas Konietzko expressed his enthusiasm, saying: "I am happy that our sport can contribute to making Oklahoma a major Olympic city. The Canoe Slalom Center in Oklahoma City is a first class venue for ICF competitions and now it will host an Olympic event. The ICF will work closely with the city and all stakeholders to ensure the most successful delivery of the 2028 Olympic Games events." 

The announcement marks a significant milestone in the preparation for the LA2028 Olympic Games, which aims to ensure an unforgettable experience for participants and spectators and bring unprecedented international attention to Oklahoma City under the Olympic spotlight. 

The proposed venue change has been assessed in consultation with the International Canoe Federation and will be finalised with the approval of the IOC Executive Board and the City of Los Angeles in the coming months. 

The International Canoe Federation is the governing body for canoeing worldwide and has 171 affiliated national federations and 10 disciplines - Sprint, Slalom, Paracanoe, Wildwater, Marathon, Canoe Polo, Freestyle, Ocean Racing, Dragon Boat and Stand Up Paddling. 

Canoeing has two Olympic disciplines, with sprint introduced at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and slalom at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich; Canoeing also made its debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games with paracanoe.