Evy Leibfarth is a proud North Carolinian.
Her home state is where her parents, river guides and paddling instructors on the Nantahala River in the western part of the state, first took her out on the water. It’s where she fell in love with being on the rapids. Where she got really good at it, too.
Still, she wouldn’t mind becoming an adopted Oklahoman.
“I will be spending a lot of time here,” she said with a laugh.
That’s because the Olympic events in Leibfarth’s specialty, canoe slalom, are coming to Oklahoma City in 2028.
The Los Angeles City Council made everything official for the 2028 Olympics in Oklahoma City late last week, unanimously approving a request by LA28, the 2028 Olympics organizing committee. It approved the canoe slalom competition being held at Riversport Rapids along the Oklahoma River as well as the softball competition at Devon Park.
Needless to say, with our rabid softball culture, there will be no shortage of fans at Devon Park.
But even as OKC has grown into a white-water hotbed — we hosted the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials, don'tcha know? — our passion has remained tepid. Google images from those Olympic trials, and you’ll see plenty of prime seating available.
And hey, that’s not a knock on OKC. Canoe slalom isn’t a huge draw anywhere in the United States.
In Europe? Absolutely.
In Australia? Sure.
Here? Not so much.
But I can assure you — you’re going to want to know about Evy Leibfarth.
Last year in Paris, she became the first American woman in more than two decades to win an Olympic medal in canoe slalom. Leibfarth (pronounced EV-ee LEEB-farth) took bronze in the women’s canoe singles, and she did it at the ripe old age of 20.
“Honestly, it’s just been so surreal,” she said last week when she was in town for the ICF Spring World Ranking Series. “Racing in Paris was the craziest experience. In a beautiful city. A really difficult but fun course. And then to be there with a lot of my best friends that I grew up racing with was just so special.
“I guess I just ...
