Honoring Atlanta’s Olympic and Paralympic Legacy and The Coca-Cola Company’s Century of Support, the City will Host the Relay’s U.S. Welcome as LA28 Writes the Next Chapter of Olympic Torch Relay History
Relays Will Bring Communities Together, Powered by Presenting Partners Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity
ATLANTA and LOS ANGELES (Sept. 29, 2026) – As LA28 prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the journey to the 2028 Olympic Torch Relay kicks off today in Atlanta, home of the 1996 Games and the last U.S. Summer Games. The Olympic Torch Relay will make history by traveling to all 50 states on a journey that will bring communities together and bring the spirit of the Games to America’s doorstep, allowing fans to meet the Games on their streets and in their hometowns.
LA28’s Olympic Torch Relay will be one of the largest in Olympic history, moving across the nation, passing through iconic and internationally renowned landmarks, stopping at major cultural and sporting events and hosting festival celebrations in select cities nationwide. The Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays will be brought to life through a nationwide collaboration among cities, states, communities and partners, each playing a vital role in carrying the flame on its journey to the LA28 Games and bringing the magic of the Games to millions of Americans.
“Every Olympic Games begins with a single flame, and carrying that flame to Los Angeles is an honor and privilege that we’ll share with every corner of the country, as Americans in all 50 states carry the flame on its path to our Opening Ceremony,” said Casey Wasserman, LA28 Chairperson and President. “Starting this journey in Atlanta is a tribute to a city with deep Olympic roots and to partners like Coca-Cola, whose support has helped carry this Movement for a century. Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity, along with participating cities, are making these Relays possible, and in the months ahead, we look forward to welcoming even more cities and partners to this historic moment for our country.”
The Olympic flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, before making its journey through all 50 U.S. states in the spring of 2028. The full route for the Olympic Torch Relay will be announced in 2027.
The Paralympic Torch Relay will follow the conclusion of the Olympic Games in August 2028, with the flame originating in Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. The Paralympic Torch Relay’s U.S. starting location will be announced at a later date.
The Flame Returns to Atlanta
Thirty-two years after the flame of the 1996 Atlanta Games was extinguished, the Olympic flame will return to the city to open the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay, honoring Atlanta’s Olympic legacy and writing the next chapter of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic history.
“Thirty years ago, Atlanta welcomed the world. The 1996 Centennial Olympic Games changed this city. They introduced a modern Atlanta to billions of people across the globe and proved we could compete on the biggest international stage,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Thirty years later, Atlanta looks a little different. We are bigger. We are more connected to the world. So, when the flame returns to the U.S., Atlanta will be ready. Ready to welcome it from Greece. Ready to celebrate the spirit of the Games together as a community. And ready to send it forward toward Los Angeles and the next chapter of America’s Olympic story. Atlanta was proud to carry that flame in 1996. We will be proud to welcome it back.”
The Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays will be powered by Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity, the four Presenting Partners who represent the deepest level of Commercial Partner investment in this historic, once-in-a-generation journey to connect communities across the country. Partners will take part in various aspects of the Torch Relay, including the designation of select torchbearers and stops at partner locations along the Relay route.
Coca-Cola has partnered with the Olympic Movement for nearly a century and first served as a Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992. For generations, Coca-Cola has been part of the celebrations, traditions and shared moments that define the Olympic experience. As the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay makes its way across America, Coca-Cola will help bring those moments to communities across the country, extending the excitement of the Games far beyond the Host City.
“For nearly 100 years, Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement have shared a belief in the power of sport to bring people together,” said Henrique Braun, Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “We’re proud to support the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay and help carry the spirit of the Games into communities across the country. The Torch is a symbol of connection and the shared experiences that unite u
