(ATR) The 2015 Pan Ams in Toronto and the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles have ignited an Olympic feel in both cities.
Toronto leaders feel they put their best foot forward at the 2015 Pan American Games, as speculation mounts over a possible Toronto Olympic bid.
Competition in the 2015 Pan Ams comes to a close on Sunday. Up next, the Parapan American Games open on Aug. 7.
Organizers of the Pan American Games say more than 900,000 people bought tickets to the games.Over 6,000 athletes from 41 countries participated in the Games.The program for the Pan Ams included some 364 events in 36 sports. Sixteen sports on the program served as qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Teddy Katz, director of media relations for Toronto 2015, spoke with Around the Rings on Thursday. Katz discusses the potential for a Toronto bid and said residents have embraced the Pan Ams in an extraordinary way.
In other news, L.A. leaders have officially opened the city's largest multi-sport event since the 1984 Summer Olympics.The opening ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games took place this past Saturday at the L.A. Coliseum.
LA2015 organizers say some 6,500 athletes from 165 countries are competing at the summer edition of the Special Olympics World Games.
Over 500,000 people are expected to come out to watch competition in L.A. Some 2,000 coaches and 30,000 volunteers will be in the southern California city for the games. Competition ends Aug. 2.
ATR spoke with Steven Vanderpool, senior vice president of communications and media operations for the Special Olympics World Games, on July 21.
Steven said that the feeling throughout L.A. is electric and athletes who have arrived at the games are enjoying a Hollywood treatment. In the days leading up to the opening ceremony of the games, he said all that was left to do is get the word out.
Written and produced byNicole Bennett
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