DONATE
The Olympic swimming trials were held at Lucas Oil last summer.
Jill Sheridan / WFYIIndianapolis will be hosting the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials again in 2028.
City and sports officials gathered at Lucas Oil Stadium to announce the decision.
“It has been almost one year since the 2024 trials, but it still feels like yesterday,” said Bob Vincent, USA Swimming interim CEO.
Vincent pointed to the success last year’s trials had with being the first time a swim meet was held in an NFL stadium and the record breaking attendance that came with the venue’s size.
“When we considered where to host the 2028 trials, we knew that, once again, all lanes lead to Indy,” he said. “This is where Olympic dreams come true.”
In 2024 the stadium was transformed with the installation of three temporary pools, one 50-meter competition pool and two warm-up pools, welcoming more than 285,000 fans. On land, more events and engagement opportunities included a fan hub with activities for all ages, an Eiffel Tower replica and a multi-day block party on Georgia Street.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett noted the significance of hosting the trials again at Lucas Oil as a part of Jim Irsay’s lasting legacy.
“He played a huge role in making Indianapolis the winning city that it is today, and we are, in fact, winning here in Indianapolis,” Hogsett said. “In recent years, our city has been consistently hosting some of the biggest events in the entire country, in the world, even.”
The estimated economic impact of the 2024 Olympic swimming trials was more than $130 million. Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty said while there was uncertainty a year ago with how things would go, the success felt throughout the city makes him excited to bring it back.
“This is probably the epitome of our mission here in Indianapolis,” Talty said. “We drove economic vitality by showcasing our downtown and driving record crowds to our restaurants and hotels. We facilitated civic pride by investing in our local art scene.”
Even after the nine-days of competition, when the pools were drained and fans went home, USA Swimming and the Indiana Sports Corp continued their Legacy Projects by teaching thousands of people how to swim.
“It was a way to introduce the sport of swimming, the one sport that can save your life,” said Scott Davidson, president and CEO of One America Financial.
He said those lessons will be passed down to future generations.
“That is going to echo throughout decades, because 30 years from now, some young person isn’t going to drown because we taught their mother how to swim.”
Talty said the swim and safety program will continue this year and into 2028. That includes a free community pool day June 15.
“We’re really excited about that opportunity to continue access to water, because that’s really one of the things that makes the difference around swimming, is people having access to water,” Talty said.
With three years to plan, what do officials see as the biggest challenge?
“I think just beating the bar that we set so high in 2024,” Vincent said, “but we’re going to do it.”
Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05.
Support WFYI. We can't do it without you.