Bronze medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani celebrate during the medal ceremony at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 on Feb. 20, 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly – an annual meeting of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family – will be held Sept. 20-21 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The two-day event will be highlighted by an awards dinner featuring Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the keynote speaker and Olympic ice dance medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani as hosts.
More than participants are expected to attend, representing Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American National Governing Bodies; U.S. Olympians and Paralympians; the Athletes' Advisory Council; the Paralympic Advisory Committee; Multi-Sport Organizations; and USOC board members, trustees and staff.
“I am excited to welcome this important event back to Colorado Springs as we celebrate Team USA’s inspiring performances from PyeongChang and continue to navigate this pivotal time in the USOC’s history,” said USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “This annual summit will provide important dialogue on how we can best serve, protect and empower athletes. We have made great strides in this area and hope to use this gathering to further our work in advancing the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements in a meaningful way.”
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly was initiated in 2005 to give a voice to the various member organizations of the USOC; to keep dialogue open between members, staff and volunteer leadership; and to help further the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements. In addition to a USOC board of directors meeting, programming will include sessions of the USOC’s five constituent groups – the NGB Council, AAC, PAC, Multi-Sport Organization Council, and U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association. The event will also include a general address from USOC Chairman Larry Probst and Hirshland, and conclude with the awards dinner on Friday night, featuring Garcetti and the Shibutanis.
Delivering the keynote address, Garcetti led the successful bid to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games back to the United States for the first time in 32 years, resulting in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. Currently serving his second term as mayor, he was first elected to the role in 2013. Prior to his election, he served as president of the Los Angeles City Council from 2006 to 2012. A fourth-generation Angeleno, Garcetti’s leadership and vision highlighted the City of Angels’ plan to create a New Games for a New Era by harnessing LA’s unparalleled creative, storytelling assets to deliver the world’s greatest sporting event in a low-risk, fiscally responsible and sustainable way.
The Shibutanis, two-time Olympic bronze medalists in ice dance, will host the Friday night Awards gala. The brother-sister duo won two bronze medals at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 – one in the figure skating team event and one in ice dance. They have medaled at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships for 14 consecutive years, including at every level and every year they have competed. In the build-up to the 2018 Games, the Shibutanis hosted a youth mentorship program with students of Jinbu Middle School as part of the USOC’s “Thank You, PyeongChang” initiative. Often referred to as the “Shib Sibs,” the Shibutanis are global names, also hosting a successful YouTube channel.
The dinner will also feature presentations of six annual USOC awards, including the Jack Kelly Fair Play Award, the Olympic Torch Award, the Rings of Gold awards for both an individual and a program, and two awards for achievement in the areas of diversity and inclusion. The six award recipients will be announced prior to the Assembly.
