LA28 Olympic Torch Relay will visit all U.S. states, with symbolic start in Atlanta

California will take center stage two summers from now when the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles captivates the world's attention. But all 50 states will be represented in the lead-up to those Games.

For the first time , an Olympic Torch Relay will visit every U.S. state, a nationwide journey that will begin in the spring of 2028 and conclude at the Opening Ceremony for LA28.

Fittingly, that expedition will kick off in Atlanta, which hosted the Summer Games in 1996 and is the last U.S. city to do so.

"Every Olympic Games begins with a single flame, and carrying that flame to Los Angeles is an honor and privilege that we'll share with every corner of the country, as Americans in all 50 states carry the flame on its path to our Opening Ceremony," said Casey Wasserman, LA28 chairperson and president, in a Tuesday statement . "Starting this journey in Atlanta is a tribute to a city with deep Olympic roots and to partners like Coca-Cola, whose support has helped carry this Movement for a century. Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity, along with participating cities, are making these Relays possible, and in the months ahead, we look forward to welcoming even more cities and partners to this historic moment for our country."

"Every Olympic Games begins with a single flame, and carrying that flame to Los Angeles is an honor and privilege that we'll share with every corner of the country, as Americans in all 50 states carry the flame on its path to our Opening Ceremony," said Casey Wasserman, LA28 chairperson and president, in a Tuesday statement .

"Starting this journey in Atlanta is a tribute to a city with deep Olympic roots and to partners like Coca-Cola, whose support has helped carry this Movement for a century. Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity, along with participating cities, are making these Relays possible, and in the months ahead, we look forward to welcoming even more cities and partners to this historic moment for our country."

Coca-Cola's partnership with the Olympics started in 1928 . Famously, the World of Coca-Cola museum neighbors Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, which was constructed ahead of the 1996 Olympics.

Before the Olympic flame is stateside, it will be lit in Olympia, Greece. The complete route for the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay will be announced in 2027.

The 2028 Olympics will run from July 14-30. Then the Paralympic Games will take place from Aug. 15-27.

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement Tuesday that the city "will be ready" for the flame to return.

"Thirty years ago, Atlanta welcomed the world," Dickens said. "The 1996 Centennial Olympic Games changed this city. They introduced a modern Atlanta to billions of people across the globe and proved we could compete on the biggest international stage.

"Thirty years later, Atlanta looks a little different. We are bigger. We are more connected to the world. So, when the flame returns to the U.S., Atlanta will be ready. Ready to welcome it from Greece. Ready to celebrate the spirit of the Games together as a community. And ready to send it forward toward Los Angeles and the next chapter of America's Olympic story."

Dickens added in that statement: "Atlanta was proud to carry that flame in 1996. We will be proud to welcome it back."