Serena Williams, Simone Biles Join 44 Olympians and Paralympians Appointed to the LA 2024 Athletes' Advisory Commission

Photos from LA 2024 Athletes Night at Dodger Stadium on May 10: bit.ly/2psZAHT

LA 2024 today announced that Serena Williams and Simone Biles along with 44 US and international Olympians and Paralympians have been appointed to its Athletes’ Advisory Commission. In addition to Williams and Biles, the new members include Olympic champions Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ashton Eaton and Nastia Liukin, and Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft and Jessica Long. The new members will play an integral role in LA 2024’s commitment to athlete-centered Games and an unforgettable experience for every participant.

In total, the LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission includes 20 international athletes, a testament to Southern California’s draw as a living and training destination for elite athletes worldwide.

The 46 new members of LA 2024’s Athletes’ Advisory Commission include:

Azad Al-Barazi, Swimming, Syria

Haley Anderson, Swimming, USA

Dora Antal, Water Polo, Hungary

Tony Azevedo, Water Polo, USA

Joan Benoit Samuelson, Track & Field, USA

Joe Berenyi, Paracycling, USA

Simone Biles, Gymnastics, USA

Jeremy Bloom, Skiing, USA

Samantha Bosco, Paracycling, USA

Lauren Boyle, Swimming, New Zealand

Miles Chamley-Watson, Fencing, USA

Brandi Chastain, Football, USA

Paul Chelimo, Track & Field, USA

Hannah Cockroft, Wheelchair Racing, Great Britain

Allison Compton, Sitting Volleyball, USA

Lucy Davis, Equestrian, USA

Meseret Defar, Track & Field, Ethiopia

Donna de Varona, Swimming, USA

Andre De Grasse, Track & Field, Canada

Ashton Eaton, Track & Field, USA

Nick Folker, Swimming, South Africa

Egerton Forster, Boxing, Sierra Leone

Marian Gaborik, Ice Hockey, Slovakia

Rowdy Gaines, Swimming, USA

Gwen Jorgensen, Triathlon, USA

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track & Field, USA

Chloe Kim, Snowboarding, USA

Jimmy Kim, Taekwondo, USA

Sebnem Kimyacioglu, Basketball, Turkey

Michael Lenard, Handball, USA

Hongping Li, Diving, China

Nastia Liukin, Gymnastics, USA

Jessica Long, Paralympic Swimming, USA

Khatuna Lorig, Archery, Georgia and USA

John Naber, Swimming, USA

Iva Obradovic, Rowing, Serbia

Blessing Okagbare, Track & Field, Nigeria

Samantha Peszek, Gymnastics, USA

Sir Steve Redgrave, Rowing, Great Britain

Teemu Selanne, Ice Hockey, Finland

Alex Shibutani, Figure Skating, USA

Maia Shibutani, Figure Skating, USA

Howard Shu, Badminton, USA

Christian Taylor, Track & Field, USA

Meaghan Volker, Rowing, Australia

Serena Williams, Tennis, USA

Four-time Olympic Champion Serena Williams, who grew up playing tennis not far from StubHub Center, which would host tennis in 2024, said: "Growing up in Los Angeles taught me that anyone can succeed as long as they have dreams and goals. Los Angeles embodies the optimistic spirit that allows kids like me to become athletes and Olympians. I am proud to join the LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission and help bring the Olympics and Paralympics home and inspire the next generation of champions."

Four-time Olympic Champion, LA 2024 Vice Chair and Director of Athlete Relations Janet Evans said: "On behalf of LA 2024, I would like to welcome these 46 world-class athletes to the LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission. From day one, our bid has been committed to placing athletes at the center of all of our activities. The key to delivering a spectacular Games experience for every participant is to understand the needs of athletes and to meet and exceed those needs, so that Olympians and Paralympians can be at their best on competition day. Unforgettable athletic performances are ultimately what inspire the next generation of athletes and unite the world in celebration. With no new permanent venues required, LA 2024 can focus all our resources and creativity on putting the right conditions in place for those performances."

Thirteen-time Paralympic Champion and LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission Member Jessica Long said: "On behalf of all of the world-class athletes joining the LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission, I am honored to join Janet and her team as we work to bring the Games back to the US for the first time in 28 years. We believe LA is the right city for the Games in 2024, and we are enthusiastic to tell our fellow athletes why they should Follow the Sun to the City of Angels."

The LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission’s American and US-based international athletes have collectively won 315 Olympic and Paralympic medals, including 198 gold medals.

The LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission has played a central role in the bid committee’s work to deliver low-risk, truly sustainable Games that inspire future bidding cities. Of the many Games-planning aspects athletes have had input on, Olympians and Paralympians’ experiences were key in LA 2024’s decision to use UCLA’s world-class existing facilities as the 2024 Olympic Village.

LA 2024 Athletes’ Advisory Commission members were also the driving force behind the bid committee’s national Athlete Town Hall series, which included sessions in Atlanta, Chicago, Eugene, Fort Lauderdale, Omaha, San Jose, and Washington, D.C. More than 450 Olympians and Paralympians participated in one of the LA 2024 Athlete Town Hall meetings, reflecting on their past Games experiences and sharing their visions and ideas for athlete-centered Games in 2024.

For more information visit LA24.org

LA 2024 can also be found on the following social media channels:

Twitter.com/LA2024

Facebook.com/LA2024

Instagram.com/LA2024

YouTube.com/LA2024

Snapchat.com/add/la2024

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