Michael Byrnes to Lead Oklahoma City’s Efforts for 2028 Olympics

Michael Byrnes, president and general manager of the Triple-A Baseball Oklahoma City Comets since 2010, will lead Oklahoma City’s efforts in executing multiple sports for the 2028 Olympic Summer Games.

“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase Oklahoma City, our world-class facilities and our community,” said Byrnes. “We are embarking on something that has not been done before — the unique nature of the partnership to stage two sports at a site 1,300 miles away will require intense cooperation and planning,” he continued.

Oklahoma City will host both canoe slalom and softball during the 2028 Games. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber is the entity working with LA28 to coordinate this effort.

“Oklahoma City is uniquely positioned to host these Olympic sports thanks to our world-class facilities, experienced event teams and a strong history of successfully staging international competitions,” said Teresa Rose, Chair of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and representative of the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma. “We are proud to welcome the world to our city in 2028 and confident that Oklahoma City will deliver an unforgettable experience for athletes and fans alike.”

Byrnes has experience in partnership development, sales and marketing strategy, event execution and more.

“I have heard the excitement in the community and willingness to help,” said Byrnes. “Our goal is to develop a structure and process to make this an outstanding experience for the athletes, the fans and our residents. This will be a community-wide effort and one that I believe we will all look back on with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.”