Guardians of the Olympic spirit
Established following Los Angeles 1932, the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games (SCCOG) continues to support and promote the Olympic Movement and has worked hard to bring the Olympic Games back to southern California, not once but twice.
Recognised as the first organisation to promote the legacy of the Olympic Games, the SCCOG was active in its support for Los Angeles’ candidature to host the Olympic Games for a third time in 2028, having played a crucial part in the Games’ return to the Californian city in 1984. The SCCOG was formed by civic leaders and prominent local Olympic figures in response to a request from the body now known as the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Initially, the SCCOG was formed with the intention of bidding for the 1940 Games, which, ultimately, were not held.
The SCCOG’s sole purpose is to serve the Olympic Movement and bid for the Olympic Games. In the period following the Second World War, the SCCOG submitted 10 bids for the Olympic Games, culminating in the eventual awarding of the 1984 Games to LA. Since the 1984 Games, the SCCOG has been committed to the principles of staging privately funded Games that make use of existing infrastructure and provide fiscal benefits to southern California while generating revenue for the Olympic Movement. These were the principles that had underpinned the success of the 1984 Games.
In the years following the 1984 edition, the SCCOG and the city of LA were less active in the bidding process, as the 1996 Games had been awarded to Atlanta in the early 1990s. In 1997, the USOPC expressed its intention of bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games. This led to the SCCOG putting forward candidatures to host the 2012, 2016 and 2024 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, although all three fell short. Nonetheless, much of the work from these unsuccessful bids fed into the successful candidature for the 2028 Olympic Games.
In 2006, as part of the city's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, the SCCOG created a community health and fitness programme, “Ready, Set, Gold!”, to combat high obesity rates in Los Angeles. Implemented in partnership with Olympians and Paralympians, including 19 Olympic and Paralympic medallists, the programme matched each Olympian and Paralympian with a specific school. Athletes made five visits to their adopted schools throughout the academic year, inspiring and motivating students and educating them about health and fitness as long-term goals. Despite the unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Games, this programme continues to operate with the SCCOG’s backing.
Additionally, the SCCOG partnered with the USOPC and the City of Los Angeles to host the International Olympic Committee’s World Conference on Women and Sport in 2012. Recently, after bringing in a diverse group of local civic and sports leaders, the SCCOG has intensified efforts to attract a wide range of activities to southern California.
In recognition of its efforts, the organisation received the Olympic Cup from the International Olympic Committee in 1965. Established in 1906 by Pierre de Coubertin, the cup is awarded to institutions with a proven track record of actively developing the Olympic Movement with integrity.