LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth Games have reached year 29 of competition. Once again Liberty University will open the doors of its top-notch facilities to give the athletes an Olympic feel.
More than 11,000 athletes are expected to participate in 60 sports, with awareness of the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect being paramount. The 2018 guest speaker for the opening ceremonies will be US Olympian wrestler Anthony "Buddy" Lee. With opening ceremonies slated July 27 at Williams Stadium, the return to Liberty is viewed as key for the continued growth of the games moving forward.
"We feel like that Lynchburg, Virginia, is a central area with a lot of beauty around here with the mountains and the facilities are second to none. I want the folks to come here and go into the facilities. They don't just drive by on route 460 and look at the cranes, you know. They come inside of them and it's a different perspective," Virginia Amatuer Sports President Dan Foutz said.
The area plans to host the State Games of America alongside the Commonwealth Games at Liberty in 2019. In preparation for those dual events, they'll have an estimated 42 events on the games' main event weekend following the opening ceremonies.