Angela Ruggiero, United States International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and four-time Olympian, was named Chief Strategy Officer of the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic Games bid Tuesday.
LA 2024 says Los Angeles native Ruggiero’s experience and expertise as an Olympian and leading sports administrator will strengthen the committee in its bid to bring the Games back to the U.S. for the first time in 28 years.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Ruggiero will draw upon her experience as an Olympian and her six years as an IOC member serving on numerous commissions – including the five she’s currently on.
Ruggiero has competed in four Olympic Games with the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey team and won four medals, including a gold at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
Ruggiero has experience serving on both the Evaluation and Coordination Commissions for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
She says “it’s a tremendous honour to join the LA 2024 team as Chief Strategy Officer and I look forward to putting my Olympic experience at the service of LA’s candidature. I am excited about what LA has to offer the IOC; a Games plan that focuses on sustainability and innovation with Olympic Agenda 2020 at its core. As an Olympian, I dedicated myself to my team and I am now excited to join a new team, working hard to develop a bid blueprint that will contribute to the long term sustainable success of the Olympic Movement.”
Honoured to be name Chief Strategy Officer of @LA2024 Excited at opportunity to help bring the Olympics back 2 USA! https://t.co/QTqxdskb0K
— Angela Ruggiero (@AngelaRuggiero) May 10, 2016
Mayor Eric Garcetti added, “as a hometown hero, Angela embodies Los Angeles’ passion and dedication to sport. She is uniquely suited to help L.A. 2024 build the perfect Games for athletes and fans alike in 2024.”
Anita DeFrantz is another IOC member that has been hired to support the LA 2024 team, but neither Ruggiero or DeFrantz will be able to vote on a ballot that includes Los Angeles when the full IOC membership weighs in to elect the 2024 winner September 13, 2017 in Lima, Peru.
But both will play a critical role as ambassadors for the U.S. bid and will be in unique positions as key influencers at various member gatherings ahead of the decisive IOC session.
Los Angeles is bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games along with Rome, Budapest and Paris.
