Some 1,500 Special Olympics athletes and coaches arriving in Los Angeles were forced to sleep on a gymnasium floor because of a logistics mess that prevented them from getting to their host destinations.
The university near Los Angeles International Airport, Loyola Marymount, served as a staging area from which more than 7,000 athletes and thousands more coaches and delegates were routed to host cities.
Problems began after various flights from Los Angeles International Airport arrived late, as did buses scheduled to take the Olympians to their destinations, said Special Olympics spokeswoman Christy White.
The American Red Cross provided 1,200 blankets, 3,000 bottles of waters and small snacks for the group throughout the night and early morning before Special Olympics staff provided breakfast.
The games feature delegates from 160 countries.
The opening ceremony is at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday and the games take place at 25 venues across the city.
