A presale for residents in qualifying areas of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City will begin on April 2, with notification emails for selected buyers set to roll out from March 31 through April 4, LA28 said.

On April 7, the organising committee will notify remaining registrants whether they were selected for a purchase ​window in the first general sales round, known as Drop 1.

“This week marks the first opportunity for fans to claim a seat at ​the LA28 Olympic Games,” LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement.

LA28’s ticketing programme will include 1 ⁠million tickets priced at $28, the lowest price point. Roughly 5% of the Olympic tickets will cost over $1,000, while more than 75% of all tickets, including ​finals, will be under $400 and nearly 50% of all tickets will be under $200.

“Tickets are comparable to and in many cases well under what we see for ​other professional sporting and major entertainment events in the U.S.,” Allison Katz-Mayfield, LA28 Senior Vice President, Games Delivery Revenue, told reporters on a call.

RESALE PROGRAMME

Separately, LA28 said its verified multi-platform resale programme would open in 2027, with AXS and Eventim serving as the official secondary ticket marketplace and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets also designated as verified resale ​platforms.

The announcement comes as organisers prepare for the first ticket drop and seek to warn fans against buying from unauthorised sellers before the resale programme ​launches.

LA28 said primary tickets would only be sold through its official ticket service providers, AXS and Eventim. It added that any LA28 tickets offered for resale before 2027 ‌should not ⁠be considered verified.

“While LA28’s resale platforms will not be launched until 2027, having a variety of platforms was critical to providing fans multiple points of access to verified tickets,” Hoover said.

LOCAL PRESALE

Fans who registered for the LA28 ticket draw and whose billing postal codes fall within qualifying counties were automatically entered into the local presale draw. Those selected will receive 48-hour purchase windows running from April 2 through April 6 and must use a payment method tied ​to a billing postal code in an ​eligible county to complete their ⁠purchase.

For both the local presale and Drop 1, selected buyers will have 48 hours to purchase tickets, while any tickets placed in a cart must be checked out within 30 minutes. Buyers may complete multiple transactions during their allotted ​window until they reach the ticket limit.

LA28 said tickets would be available across all Olympic sports, as well ​as for the ⁠opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and the closing ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Fans selected for time slots may buy up to 12 tickets for Olympic events, plus up to 12 tickets for the soccer tournament that will not count toward the general Olympic-event limit. Ceremony tickets will be capped at ⁠four per ​buyer and will count towards the 12-ticket maximum.

Registrants who are not assigned a time slot in ​either the local presale or Drop 1 will be automatically entered into future draws, LA28 said. Paralympic tickets are due to go on sale in 2027.

Ticket-inclusive hospitality packages from official provider ​On Location are also expected to go on sale in April. Visa will be the official payment method for purchases.

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The branding will appear across competition venues, fan areas, citywide installations, signage, digital platforms and broadcast presentations during the Games, LA28 said.

At the centre of the design is ​the “Superbloom,” a reference to the bursts of wildflowers that can blanket ​parts of Southern California after periods of rain.

LA28 said the ⁠concept was intended as a metaphor for the Games, with years of ​preparation culminating in a short, high-profile global event.

The core graphic is built around ​13 individual blooms, which organizers said represent different elements of Los Angeles, from its entertainment culture to its neighbourhoods, people and native landscape.

The colour palette draws on the Bird of ​Paradise, the official flower of Los Angeles, and is grouped into four ​families – Poppy, Scarlet Flax, Bluebell and Sagebrush – to evoke the region’s terrain and vegetation.

Organizers said ‌the ⁠typographic style was inspired by Los Angeles street signage, including strip mall and hand-painted storefront lettering, in an effort to give the identity a distinctly local feel.

LA28 said the design was developed to work across a wide range ​of settings, from ​nearly century-old venues ⁠to new facilities, while also accounting for broadcast requirements, digital formats and lighting conditions. The organising committee partnered with ​design studio Koto on the project.

The identity was unveiled more ​than ⁠two years before the Olympic opening ceremony in what organizers described as an unusually early rollout, allowing partners and stakeholders more time to incorporate the branding into ⁠their ​materials.

Los Angeles will host the Olympics for a ​third time in 2028, after staging the Games in 1932 and 1984. It will also host ​the Paralympics for the first time.

-Reuters

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More than five million fans from 197 countries and territories have registered at tickets.la28.org since January for a chance to buy tickets, LA28 said, underscoring strong early demand for the Summer Games, which are due ​to open on July 14, 2028.

Fans who register by the March 18 deadline will ​be eligible for a lottery to receive a purchase window for the ⁠first ticket release, scheduled for April 9-19.

There will also be a local presale running from April ​2-6 for eligible residents in parts of Southern California and Oklahoma. Oklahoma City will host softball ​and canoe slalom.

LA28 said selected applicants would be notified by email between March 31 and April 7. Fans picked for the first sale window will be able to buy up to 12 tickets for Olympic events, ​subject to availability, with a four-ticket cap for each of the opening and closing ceremonies.

BASEBALL RETURNS

The ​ticketing update comes as the first teams booked places in the Olympic baseball tournament through the 2026 World ‌Baseball ⁠Classic. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela secured qualification spots from the Americas, joining host United States in the six-team field.

Baseball, one of the sports added to the LA28 programme, will return to the Olympics for the first time since the Tokyo Games and will be played at Dodger ​Stadium from July 13-19. ​The remaining three places ⁠will be decided through international qualifying tournaments in 2027 and 2028.

LA28 also confirmed that the Olympic soccer tournament will begin on July 10, four ​days before the opening ceremony, following a decision by the International ​Olympic Committee Executive ⁠Board to extend the competition window.

Organisers said the longer schedule would give teams two additional rest days compared with previous Games.

Group-stage and quarter-final matches will be staged in seven U.S. cities – New York, ⁠Columbus, ​Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, San Diego and Pasadena – with ​the men’s and women’s gold medal matches to be played at the Rose Bowl.

LA28 said kickoff times and the full ​schedule would be released later this year.

-Reuters

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According to a report by Reuters, organisers had distributed around 10,000 condoms across the city and mountain accommodation sites, continuing a long-standing Olympic tradition aimed at promoting safe relationships among competitors living in close quarters.

By Saturday, however, supplies had run out — adding Milan to a growing list of Olympic hosts where demand has comfortably exceeded expectations.

“Clearly, this shows Valentine’s Day is in full swing at the village,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference. “Ten thousand have been used — 2,800 athletes — you can go figure, as they say.”

Adams added with a smile: “It is rule 62 of the Olympic Charter that we have to have a condoms story. Faster, higher, stronger, together.”

Milano Cortina organisers later acknowledged that stocks had been depleted due to “higher-than-anticipated demand,” but assured that additional supplies were already on the way.

“Additional supplies are being delivered and will be distributed across all Villages between today and Monday,” organisers said in a statement. “They will be continuously replenished until the end of the Games to ensure continued availability.”

The unexpected shortage also surprised some athletes.

Mexican figure skater Donovan Carrillo said he had only just heard about the situation. “I just saw that this morning. I was, like, shocked as everyone else,” he said.

Mialitiana Clerc, an alpine skier representing Madagascar, noted that boxes once placed at building entrances were quickly emptied.

“There were a lot of boxes at the entrance of every building where we were staying, and every day, everything had gone from the boxes,” Clerc said. “I already know that a lot of people are using condoms, or giving them to their friends outside of the Olympics, because it’s a kind of gift for them.”

While medals remain the official measure of achievement at the Games, the empty dispensers suggest that the social side of the Olympics is also proceeding at full pace.

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Zelenskiy, speaking to Vladyslav Heraskevych on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference, said he had great respect for “all the Olympians who supported you and your position.”

“Medals are important for Ukraine and for you, but it seems to me that the most important thing is who you are,” Zelenskiy said while presenting the racer with the Order of Freedom.

Heraskevych told the president the award was “huge” and that the athletes depicted on the helmet “deserve it even more. Because of their sacrifice, we can compete in the Olympics.”

Heraskevych, 27, was disqualified at the Winter Games in Italy on Thursday when the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury ruled that the helmet’s depiction of athletes killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 breached rules on political neutrality.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed his appeal on Friday.

Heraskevych told reporters after the award ceremony that his disqualification was discriminatory as he had not violated the Olympic Charter, a document he said he “really valued.”

“But at the same time, I understand that this scandal has united people around the world about our problem and about the sacrifice of these great athletes, and I believe this goal is much more important than any medal,” he said.

Speaking before the CAS hearing earlier in the day, Heraskevych said his exclusion and rules imposed by the International Olympic Committee were “an instrument of propaganda for Russia. I still receive a lot of threats from the Russian side.”

-Reuters

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He was informed of his disqualification after a meeting with IOC President Kirsty Coventry early in the morning at the sliding venue.

His team said they would appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Coventry told reporters she had wanted to meet the athlete face to face in a last-ditch effort to break the impasse.

“I was not meant to be here but I thought it was really important to come here and talk to him face to face,” Coventry told reporters.

“No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging, it’s a powerful message, it’s a message of remembrance, of memory.

“The challenge was to find a solution for the field of play. Sadly we’ve not been able to find that solution” she added, choking up.

“I really wanted to see him race, It’s been an emotional morning.”

The IOC offered him the opportunity to display his “helmet of remembrance” depicting 24 images of dead compatriots before the start and after the end of Thursday’s race at the Games, while also allowing him to wear a black armband while competing.

“I am disqualified from the race. I will not get my Olympic moment,” said Heraskevych.

The skeleton competition starts later on Thursday.

-Reuters

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“If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social media platform, referencing Hess’ comments. “Very hard to root for someone like this.”

Political tensions have surfaced at the Milano Cortina Olympics, including over the presence of personnel from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency has faced widespread protests across the U.S. after agents shot and killed two people in Minneapolis last month.

During a news conference in Milan on Friday, Hess, a freestyle skier, said it was “a little hard” to represent the U.S., and he felt mixed emotions.

“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” he said. “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”

Fellow ski team member Chris Lillis spoke out against ICE at the same news conference, saying he felt heartbroken.

“I think that as a country we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect,” Lillis said. “And I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realise that that’s the America that we’re trying to represent.”

A spokesperson for U.S. Ski & Snowboard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

-Reuters

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Nigeria’s first-ever Winter Olympic skiing representative had missed the Opening Ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19. So sharing that final parade with athletes from around the world carried extra weight—for him, and for Africa’s most populous nation.

“Riding the high-speed train with athletes from all nations and sharing that magical moment was unforgettable,” Ikpefan told Olympics.com. He was Nigeria’s lone competitor at the Games, carrying the flag—and expectations—alone.

Ikpefan’s Olympic baptism was anything but smooth. A positive COVID-19 test just days before his first race forced him into isolation—three days confined to his room, followed by two more in a hotel for severe cases.

“I was in perfect health, so it was frightening,” he recalled. Released only two days before the competition, he had no time to acclimatise. He eventually abandoned the 15km classic race after burning too much energy early.

“It was a tough experience, but it taught me mental resilience.”

That resilience now fuels his push toward Milano Cortina 2026, where the 32-year-old France-born skier is determined to make a fuller statement.

“My goal is to compete in all individual cross-country events and give my absolute best—push my limits, maximise my capabilities, and proudly represent Nigeria while learning from the world’s toughest competition.”

Life beyond the Olympic tracks

After Beijing, Ikpefan channelled his energy into growth—both personal and communal. He began coaching and mentoring young skiers, staying close to the sport even as sponsorships and team support dried up.

“The journey hasn’t changed drastically, but the challenges have grown,” he said. “I continue to train with determination and keep my goals in sight.”

For Ikpefan, cross-country skiing is more than medals and results. It is a philosophy.

“It’s physically and mentally demanding. It teaches determination, humility and self-improvement. It connects you with nature and unites athletes from different backgrounds.”

That bond with skiing began early. Growing up near Annemasse in France, he started racing at seven or eight, drawn by the sport’s endurance demands and mental intensity.

Ikpefan’s athletic identity stretches far beyond skis. He swims, cycles, plays football, runs mountain trails and recently returned to tennis. At 15, he finished third in France’s national swimming championships in the 100m backstroke, while also competing in judo and football.

“These experiences shaped my discipline and mindset,” he said.

Off the field, he nurtures a broad curiosity—reading, visiting museums, cooking, playing board games, and exploring geopolitics and business ideas.

Opening doors for Nigeria

Ikpefan sees the Winter Olympics as sport at its purest.

“For two weeks, the magic of our inner child resurfaces. It’s a global celebration of humanity.”

But inspiring young Nigerians to take up skiing is no small task. Infrastructure is scarce, systems are thin, and winter sports remain culturally distant.

“My long-term goal is to make skiing more accessible to Nigerian youth, at home and abroad,” he said. “There are obstacles, but my journey shows that nothing is impossible.”

That belief is reinforced by support from Olympic Solidarity, which currently backs hundreds of athletes worldwide—Ikpefan among them—on the road to Milano Cortina 2026 through monthly training grants.

Being Nigeria’s first Olympic skier is a responsibility Ikpefan carries with pride.

“Representing a country rich in culture and diversity is a responsibility I cherish. It’s a way to honour my ancestors and inspire future generations.”

Medals, he admits, are hard for African athletes in winter sports—but not impossible.

“With the right systems, resources and determination, success is within reach.”

As the countdown to Milano Cortina 2026 gathers pace, Samuel Ikpefan is chasing more than results. He is carving a pathway—on snow and beyond—for Nigerians who may one day follow his tracks into winter’s rarefied world.

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It would be the first uniform policy adopted by the IOC and international sports federations, applying to major events in dozens of sports, including the Games and world championships. Currently, federations have their own rules which can vary.

Details of the new policy are unclear but it is expected to severely restrict the participation of transgender athletes who compete in women’s categories if they have undergone full male puberty before any subsequent medical transition.

The IOC, under its first female president Kirsty Coventry, took the lead in June, opting for a uniform approach.

“Protecting the female category is one of the key reforms she wants to bring in,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Saturday.

“I would say it is going to happen shortly, within the next few months.”

“It has been out to consultation phase and we had the ‘pause and reflect’ (period) on it,” Adams said. “Generally speaking there is consensus within the sporting movement. I think you will have a new policy in the first half of this year. Don’t hold me to it, but that is roughly the timescale.”

In September, Coventry the ‘Protection of the Female Category’ working group, made up of experts as well as representatives of international federations, to look into how best to protect the female category in sports.

Before Coventry’s decision, the IOC had long baulked at any universal rule on transgender participation for the Games, instructing international federations in 2021 to come up with their own guidelines. Under current rules, still in force, transgender athletes are eligible to take part in the Olympics once cleared by their respective federations.

Only a handful of openly transgender athletes have taken part in the Games. New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in a different gender category to that assigned at birth when the weightlifter took part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Currently, for example, World Aquatics allows transgender athletes who have transitioned before the age of 12, to compete. World Rugby bans all transgender athletes from elite-level competitions.

U.S. President Donald Trump has banned transgender athletes from competing in school, college and pro events in the female category in the United States, as Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 summer Olympics.

Trump, who signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order in February, has said he would not allow transgender athletes to compete at the LA Games.

-Reuters

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A total of 15 African athletes are taking part in this edition of the Winter Games, a significant increase from the six athletes representing five African countries at the Beijing 2022 WinterOlympics. The expanded participation highlights the continent’s growing footprint in winter sports traditionally dominated by nations from colder climates.

Nigeria is among the African nations represented, fielding a single athlete, as do Eritrea, Benin Republic, and Guinea-Bissau. Four other African countries, Morocco, South Africa, Madagascar, and Kenya  are each represented by two athletes.

Most of the African competitors will contest events in alpine skiing, while others are entered in cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, and skeleton, reflecting a broader spread across winter disciplines.

Nigeria’s sole representative, Samuel Uduigowme Ikpefan, will compete in cross-country skiing, carrying the nation’s flag in a competition far removed from its tropical climate.

Africa’s increased participation at Milano-Cortina underscores the continent’s determination to expand beyond its traditional sporting boundaries, even in environments where snow and ice are more symbolic than familiar.

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