Special Olympics Athletes From Around The World Arrive In L.A.

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Hundreds of athletes began arriving in Los Angeles today as they prepare to compete in the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, billed as the largest sporting event hosted by the Southland since the 1984 Olympic Games.

RELATED: All of FOX 11's coverage of the Special Olympics World Games can be found here.

There is energy in the air as we get closer to the start of Special Olympics World Summer Games! Some of the countries are Senegal, Guam, Bolivia, Korea, Serbia, Canada. Athletes from across the globe arrived in Los Angeles and were greeted at Loyola Marymount in Westchester.

Bus after bus pulled up. Team after team got off. The welcome red carpet was out. Volunteers lined the ropes. Team Netherlands wore orange t-shirts. Team Egypt erupted in a chant. Team Bolivia was greeted by a local host. The atmosphere was contagious! The high-fives were addicting!

For Special Olympics, these are the best athletes in the world. Some of the sports, soccer, bowling, water games.

For Angelenos volunteering from far away this was a reunion. An Angeleno from Bolivia was excited to see athletes from his homeland. When team Egypt arrived a volunteer waved her hands excitedly.

There are nine days of competion. The games are free. The public is encouraged to come on out and be a fan.

LA2015.org: With 6,500 athletes and 2,000 coaches representing 165 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games - being staged in Los Angeles July 25-August 2, 2015 - will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015