LA 2028 is working to avoid a repeat of visa problems for the US World Cup: IOC chief

Los Angeles 2028 organizers are working closely with authorities to avoid a repeat of the visa complications and denial of entry that have already affected parties involved in the World Cup, which is co-hosted by the United States, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Wednesday.

Speaking in Lausanne after a meeting of the IOC’s executive board, Coventry said the effort was aimed at ensuring the Olympics did not face the same access issues that have emerged around other major sporting events hosted in the country.

The concern is far from hypothetical. Visa problems have already surfaced ahead of the World Cup, which begins Thursday in the United States, Canada and Mexico. At the same meeting in Lausanne, the IOC Executive Board also approved a proposal to include ski mountaineering in the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, ruling against the inclusion of crossover sports such as cyclocross for the time being.

“I’m sure that in two years’ time we’ll be able to overcome a number of challenges that the World Cup is facing right now. But I think it also requires collaboration and learning,” Coventry said.

IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey said specialized teams within the Los Angeles Organizing Committee are already working on the matter.

“They have an office in Washington, they’re building strong relationships with the authorities, with the right agencies that will have to be involved in this process,” Ducrey said.

He added that part of the effort was to give government agencies a clearer picture of who will travel to the Games and what roles they will play.

“I think it’s also a lot about explaining who’s coming in, the profile of the people, the role they have to play, so we can also spend a lot of time educating the agencies and making sure we’re all on the same page about what’s going to happen in 2028.”

The World Cup has already provided several high-profile examples of challenges that organizers are trying to avoid. Iran was forced to move its training base from Arizona to Mexico and will only be allowed to enter the United States the day before each of the three group stage matches. The Somali referee was also denied entry into the United States just a few days before the tournament.

The IOC Executive Board, outside the discussion on visas, approved a proposal to include ski mountaineering in the program of the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. The sport made its Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Winter Games earlier this year.

“The organizing committee of the French Alps has proposed … to add ski mountaineering to the 2030 edition of the Winter Olympics. The executive board has decided to approve this and will bring it to our meeting in two weeks,” Coventry said.

The board also decided not to include crossover sports such as cyclocross for the 2030 Games, although it left the door open for future considerations.

“We have decided very clearly for the upcoming Winter Olympics that we would like to maintain the identity of the winter sports of snow and ice … at the moment no crossover. It could be in the future,” said Karl Stoss, chairman of the working group for the Olympic program.

The 146th IOC session will be held in Lausanne on June 24 and 25, where members are expected to formally consider the ski mountaineering proposal. Discussions to ensure smooth access and visa processes for Los Angeles 2028 are expected to continue as preparations for the Games gather pace.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

11 Jun 2026 08:22 IST