LA TO HOST 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS

By Liz Alper

August 7, 2017 (Los Angeles) - On July 31, Los Angeles announced a deal to give up their bid to host the 2024 summer Olympics and instead host the 2028 Olympics.  Paris will now host the 2024 Olympics.

At a news conference, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said “We know we will return the Olympic legacy to what it’s all about,” he said, adding later, “We’re a city that has always been a Games-changer and again will be in 2028.”

Los Angeles last hosted the Games in 1984 and 1932.  

Los Angeles is excited about the extra four years, noting that that will give city officials time to expand the city’s subway system.

The Summer Olympics have not been in the United States since Atlanta in 1996.  In 2002, Salt Lake City played host to the last Olympics in the country, the Winter Games.

The International Olympic Committee will formally make the host city announcement on September 13.

There has been minimal opposition to a Games in Los Angeles -- which is why the U.S. Olympic Community withdrew its support for Boston as a potential host in July of 2015 -- but some opposition was voiced by a group called NOlympics LA, who said “This is a complete miscarriage of anything remotely resembling democracy,” the group said. “We insist that the local media acknowledge the lack of transparency and accountability there is in this last-minute, hastily thrown together ‘plan.’ The council, mayor, bid committee, Donald Trump and I.O.C. are all colluding to thrust an unvetted plan onto the second-largest city in America.”

Despite a lower construction cost, work still needs to be done to prepare stadiums, many of which are still left over from the 1984 Olympics.  Technology will need to be updated by 2028.  However, instead of an athletes’ village, Los Angeles city officials plan to use existing dorm rooms at UCLA and at this point, no permanent areas need to be built.  

“The biggest pro is, L.A. is a winner again,” said Rick Burton, a professor of sports management at Syracuse and a former chief marketing officer of the United States Olympic Committee.