Special Olympics Delegations Arrive at USC Athletes Village

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — More than 100 buses full of Special Olympics athletes rolled onto the USC campus Friday morning and afternoon, carrying athletes on the last leg of their long journey to Athletes Village.

About 6,000 Special Olympics athletes, assistants and coaches are staying in USC dormitories, many of which were also used to house athletes in the 1984 Olympics. About 3,500 more are staying at UCLA's campus.

In recent days, at least 1,500 athletes, coaches and assistants were delayed as they arrived at Los Angeles International Airport. As a result, many were forced to spend a night on the floor of a gymnasium at Loyola Marymount University before being transported to various host towns in Southern California.

Things were going far smoother today, said bus driver Alice McKechnie.

"They're happy, they're enthusiastic, they get along. It's a wonderful ride," she said.

The games will kick off on Saturday, with the opening ceremony at 5 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.