Orlando and the Olympics: Top moments and milestones for the city that will host a 2028 Q-Series event

The Olympic Q-Series is making its final stop in central Florida.

Orlando will host the closing leg of the four-city, multi-sport festival – formerly known as the Olympic Qualifier Series – from 8-11 June 2028, with athletes chasing the last qualification spots for the Olympic Games LA28 across six sports: 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, climbing, flag football and skateboarding.

"The Q-Series is an exciting global event on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games," IOC President Kirsty Coventry said. "It's one format, four stops, six sports. The goal is to boost athlete visibility and global fan engagement. We cannot wait for the series to kick off."

The City Beautiful is best known for its theme parks, but its connection to the Olympic Movement is broader than most realise. Orlando has been an Olympic Games venue, an Olympic Torch Relay stop, the launching pad for a Paris 2024 medallist – and one of the busiest warm-weather training hubs in the United States.

Scroll on for a look at the people, places and moments that tie Orlando to the Games:

An Olympic Games venue, already

What is now Camping World Stadium – then known as the Florida Citrus Bowl – was one of five stadiums to host both men's and women's football matches at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996. The United States women played their group-stage opener at the Citrus Bowl on 21 July 1996, beating Denmark 3-0.

The U.S. went on to win gold at those Games, the first time women's football was contested at the Olympics.

A stop on the Olympic Torch Relay

The Atlanta 1996 Olympic Torch Relay made its way across Florida ahead of the Games, including a leg through central Florida en route to Atlanta. An unlit torch was carried aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, which landed at Kennedy Space Center a few hours prior to the relay's stop in Orlando.

The U.S. boxing medal in Paris was an Orlando story

Welterweight Omari Jones, an Orlando native, took home bronze at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 – the only medal of any colour for the U.S. men's or women's boxing team at those Games. Jones turned professional in January 2025 and made his pro debut in Orlando.

A warm-weather training capital

The National Training Center in Clermont, just west of Orlando, has become one of the most-used training bases for U.S. Olympians. Reigning men's 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles trains there with Pure Athletics. Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson is part of the Star Athletics group based in the same area.

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