First lady Jill Biden was in awe of a Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony that featured a flying cauldron, Celine Dion performing on the Eiffel Tower, a zip-lining torchbearer and a head-spinning array of theatrics.
After the ceremony to mark the official start of the Olympics, Biden spoke at a brunch to commemorate the opening and celebrate the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28’s Casey Wasserman accompanied her as part of the official U.S. delegation at the Opening Ceremony, which blended the timeless beauty of Paris with high drama on an eerily cloudy and rainy night.
“So, last night, it was just spectacular,” Biden said. “The rain did not dampen our spirits. Every step of the way, I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my god, oh my god. How are we going to top this?’
“So, ok. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, but we have Hollywood and the magic of Hollywood that makes all dreams come true. I think we’re going to be ok… It’s a city where new generations of dreamers shape our culture.”
Biden enthusiastically described Los Angeles as a place with “endless blue skies” where cultures meet.
“At the end of the 2028 Games, Olympians and fans will see themselves reflected in Los Angeles,” Biden said.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will mark Los Angeles’ third time as host city for the Olympics, having previously hosted in 1984 and 1932. Only Paris and London have matched that achievement.
Los Angeles’ venues will include some of the same that provided stages for the 1984 — and even 1932 — Olympics, but also will feature some additions since then, such as the Intuit Dome and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Friday night’s Opening Ceremony featured a few nods to Los Angeles, with LeBron James and Team USA’s flag-bearer and Long Beach’s Snoop Dogg carrying the Olympics torch on a relay leg. The Closing Ceremony will include a handover from France to the United States.
