THE CITY

Churchill Downs

Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky with a poplulation of 741,000 and is the 17th largest city in the United States. Louisville, chartered in 1780, is located within a day's drive of three-fifths of the cities in the continental United States. Louisville has more than 120 parks covering 13,000 acres (53 sqaure kilometres).

Louisville: A Strong Sports Tradition

Valhalla has hosted the 1996 and 2000 PGA Championships, the 2004 and 2011 Senior PGA Championship, the 2008 Ryder Cup, and the PGA Championship will return in 2014.

The Louisville Bats of the International League, have played at the highest level of Minor League Baseball since 1982. In 1983, Louisville became the frist Minor League team to draw one million fans in one season. Louisville has led the International League in attendance since moving to Louisville Slugger Field in 2000. Louisville had a Major League team in the National League from 1892-1899.

Louisville became the first American city to host the UCI Masters Cyclocross World Championships in 2012.

Freedom Hall has hosted Kentucky State Fair World Championship Horse Show since 1956, six NCAA Final Fours in Basketball, and NCAA Basketball Tournament games on 10 separate occasions. Freedom Hall will host the 2013 NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Louisville has hosted an Ironman Triathlon every year since 2007.

Louisville hosted the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship Festival, a multi-sport event that featured more than 1,000 athletes.

The Kentucky Derby has been run on the first Saturday in May every year since 1875. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of Horse Racing's Triple Crown.

FAQ

SEP 2, 2012
Question
Where will athletes stay?
An Athletes' Village would be constructed on or near the University of Louisville Belknap Campus. Existing on-campus housing will also be used during the Olympics.
SEP 2, 2012
Question
Where will spectators park?
Various park and ride sites would be setup across Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, and Spencer Counties in Kentucky, and Clark and Floyd Counties in Indiana.
SEP 2, 2012
Question
When would events be held?
Olympic Football (soccer) preliminaries would kick off Wednesday, July 24, 2024, and the Opening Ceremonies would take place Friday, July 26, 2024.