Orlando wants the last big Olympic spotlight before the Los Angeles Games, pitching a four-day Olympic Qualifier Series finale at Camping World Stadium that would bring top urban-sport athletes to town as they chase their final LA28 berths.
The regional bid leans on Orlando's recent run of major events and planned venue upgrades, with backers arguing the city can deliver a compact, fan-friendly festival built around sports like BMX freestyle, skateboarding, and sport climbing. If approved, the stop would serve as a high-profile "Road to LA" moment for athletes hunting Olympic quota places ahead of 2028.
Regional stakeholders, led by the Greater Orlando Sports Commission with backing from the City of Orlando, Orange County, and Visit Orlando, rolled out the candidacy this week. As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, organizers say the 2028 Olympic Qualifier Series is expected to expand to three U.S. host cities and six sports, and Orlando's pitch would center on BMX freestyle, skateboarding, and sport climbing in a four-day festival at Camping World Stadium.
What the Olympic Qualifier Series Is
The Olympic Qualifier Series debuted in 2024 as the International Olympic Committee's streamlined, festival-style path to award the last Olympic quota places in several urban disciplines. According to the IOC Newsroom, the first edition featured stops in Shanghai and Budapest, highlighted BMX freestyle, breaking, skateboarding, and sport climbing, and ultimately allocated more than 150 quota places for Paris 2024.
Orlando's pitch: stadium, crowds and a recent track record
Bid supporters are pointing straight to recent proof of concept. Orlando hosted the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on February 3, 2024, an event that produced six U.S. qualifiers for Paris, according to the official Trials site. Local coverage at the time estimated that more than 100,000 people would line downtown streets, a turnout city leaders say shows Orlando can build spectator-friendly viewing corridors at scale.
Organizers argue that elements of the Trials setup, including the looped course, transit access, and downtown finish, mirror the kind of tight, festival-style environment the Olympic Qualifier Series is now designed to create.
Local officials and the bid
The application is being framed as a full-region effort, with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, the city, Orange County, Visit Orlando, and state partners all listed as backers. In a statement to the Orlando Sentinel, Jason Siegel of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission said Orlando is "a candidate to host the Olympic Qualifier Series" and described the region as committed to elevating global sport while creating memorable experiences for athletes, fans, and residents.
Mayor Buddy Dyer has tied the pitch to Orlando's broader events pedigree, while Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has highlighted recent public investment in sports venues as a key part of the competitive case.
Stadium upgrades and what's at stake
Camping World Stadium, the venue named in the bid, is in the midst of a major renovation and modernization effort that local officials say will upgrade both athlete performance spaces and fan amenities. County and city leaders have discussed using tourist-development funds and other public commitments to help finance those improvements, positioning the work as part of a larger push to keep Orlando in the mix for major sports and entertainment events.
Securing the final Olympic Qualifier Series stop would give those investments a showcase event, with officials presenting it as a marquee chance to spotlight the revamped stadium campus ahead of LA28-related demand.
For now, regional leaders say they will continue advancing formal candidacy materials to Series organizers while pitching Orlando directly to national and international federations. There is no public timeline or final host list yet, and officials expect additional conversations with the IOC and the Qualifier Series team in the months ahead.
