Renowned Olympians to lead Rose Parade
Three Olympic legends and Southern California natives — swimmer Janet Evans, track sensation Allyson Felix and famed diver Greg Louganis — will serve as grand marshals of the 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena, officials announced Thursday.
The athletic trio was named in a morning ceremony hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn. and led by President Brad Ratliff. Ratliff shared with the audience how this year’s selection ties into the parade theme “Echoes of Success,” which aims to pay tribute to individuals who make a meaningful impact on others and their communities.
“The impact that our three grand marshals have had on so many, both through their achievements and voices, truly is representative of our theme,” Ratliff said. “The values exhibited by our Olympians and the richness in their backgrounds has given so many others the support, encouragement and drive to succeed, and we want to celebrate all that they have given.”
Join the conversation on Facebook >>
News of their selection comes as the city of Los Angeles, working with nonprofit Olympic bid committee LA 2024, actively campaigns to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
At Thursday’s ceremony LA 2020 Chairman Casey Wasserman said his organization was delighted to have the opportunity to harness the optimistic Angeleno spirit generated by the tournament’s annual festivities to “invite the world to ‘Follow the Sun’ to the City of Angels for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
“We’re thrilled that three of Southern California’s greatest Olympians will lead the world-famous Rose Parade and share our city’s Olympic passion with viewers across the globe,” he added.
Evans, a five-time Olympic medalist who has broken seven world records, was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2001. As current chair of LA 2024’s Athletes’ Commission and director of athlete relations, she actively works to ensure athletes’ perspectives and personalities are fully integrated into the committee’s bid process.
Felix, who only began running track in the ninth grade, went on in 2003 to set a new world record for the 200-meter race in the under-20 category at the Banamex Grand Prix in Mexico City’s Olympic Stadium. Nine short years later, she won three gold medals in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and would earn two more gold medals and one silver in track events at Rio’s 2016 Olympics.
For Louganis, 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of his first Olympic medal, earned in platform diving at the Montreal games when he was just 16. He later went on to win double gold medals in springboard and platform diving at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and repeated that accomplishment at the Seoul Games in 1988. Collectively, Louganis has won five medals, five world championship titles and 47 national titles — more than any other person in U.S. history.
All three Olympians serve on LA 2024’s Athletes’ Advisory Commission. Together, they will ride in the Tournament’s 128th Rose Parade, which takes place the morning of Jan. 2.
--
Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
