PRINCETON ALUM ASHLEIGH JOHNSON PARTICIPATING IN ‘TWO YEARS UNTIL TOKYO 2020’ EVENT ON JULY 24

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The United States Olympic Committee joins the global Olympic Movement on July 24 in celebrating the two-year countdown to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. To commemorate the day, nearly a dozen Team USA athletes will join together with area youth in Los Angeles – host of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games – for a youth sport clinic and fan meet-and-greet.

In addition, the USOC is sharing thoughts from some of the top U.S. 2020 Olympic hopefuls, distributing sport storylines, launching a digital series tabbed “Tokyo 2020 Tuesday” and promoting #TokyoOlympics across all Team USA social platforms.

With the Opening Ceremony to be held at Tokyo National Stadium on July 24, 2020, Tokyo will be hosting the Summer Games for the first time in 56 years. More than 11,000 athletes from 206 nations are expected to participate in 33 sports and 50 disciplines, including the addition of four new sports and the reinstatement of baseball / softball.

2 YEARS OUT EVENTS

Seven-time Olympic swimming medalist Dana Vollmer, Olympic water polo champions Ashleigh Johnson and Maggie Steffens, and 2016 rugby Olympian Carlin Isles will headline celebrations of the two-year countdown on July 24 in Los Angeles. Four-time Olympian and 2008 silver medalist Jesse Smith and 2016 Olympian Alex Bowen will join the celebration as well. The athletes will share their inspirational journeys with approximately 100 local youth before leading them through warmups, a basketball clinic and other games at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center Plaza in the Little Tokyo Historic District, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

The event – which runs from 3-5:00 p.m. – will feature a DJ and the Team USA Social Truck presented by OREO, along with several community leaders, including representatives from LA 2028. Following the clinic, Team USA athletes will partake in a fan meet-and-greet before attending the LA Sparks game.

2 YEARS OUT IN TOKYO

The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will jointly host a countdown event on July 24 in Tokyo at Tokyo Skytree Town. The celebration will be hosted by Fujio Mitarai, Honorary President of Tokyo 2020; Yoshiro Mori, President of Tokyo 2020; and Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo. Among the guests will be Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who led the successful bid to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the United States, resulting in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. Garcetti will join the Tokyo organizers, Japanese athletes, the 2020 mascots and other guests at a ceremony featuring guest speakers, presentations, a paper lantern parade and celebration dances.

Release courtesy United States Olympic Committee