FILE PHOTO: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass looks on during a visit the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village to see the interim housing built from shipping containers in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
PARIS (Reuters) - LA Mayor Karen Bass will be presented with the Olympic flag by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo at the closing ceremony of the Paris Games on Sunday in a historic handover that will officially begin the countdown to the LA Games in 2028.
The transfer of the flag will be one of the highlights of the closing ceremony and will mark the first time a Black woman mayor has received the banner, according to Bass's office.
"To receive the flag is going to be a tremendous honour, knowing that the first woman mayor of Paris will be handing me the flag," Bass told reporters in Paris on Friday.
"I think it will be a historic moment and I will feel incredibly privileged to participate in it."
The Paris Games have been a resounding success so far with enthusiastic fans packing into venues and strong television ratings in the United States and around the world.
"It seems like the whole city (Paris) is excited," Bass said. "There's a lot of joy and I want to see that replicated."
While Paris has no doubt set a high bar, Los Angeles will look to showcase its multiculturalism and lean into the razzle dazzle of Hollywood as the Olympic spotlight shifts to Southern California, she said.
"It will be a challenge but it will be a challenge we can step up to," she said.
"I think our Games will really show the diversity and the international character of our city.
"And we do have Hollywood, so I expect a lot of magical opportunities, which might begin at the closing ceremony."
Bass said the challenges facing Los Angeles include homelessness and transportation in a city notorious for traffic.
Bass made combating homelessness a central part of her campaign for mayor and the U.S. government last month pledged $900 million to help improve the city's rail and bus systems in preparation for the influx of visitors.
The Olympics is not the only major sporting event on the horizon for Los Angeles.
In 2026 the city will host World Cup soccer matches, the NBA All-Star game and the U.S. women's Open in golf. In 2027, the Super Bowl returns to LA.
"We have several opportunities to have a dress rehearsal so we can prepare for the Olympics," she said.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Paris; Editing by Ken Ferris)
