As the Olympic Games in Paris conclude, the Olympic flag will soon be passed to Los Angeles, the host city for 2028. US citizens who traveled to Paris for this year’s Games expressed to the BBC their high hopes for the upcoming event in LA. Marisa, a resident of Los Angeles, was confident that the city would infuse the event with its signature “Hollywood glamour,” though she acknowledged that Paris had set a very high standard. Other Americans interviewed by the BBC voiced concerns that Los Angeles might struggle to match France’s impressive public transport network. As the countdown to LA begins, here’s what we currently know about the upcoming Games, which will also mark LA’s first Paralympics.
Where and when will the events be held?
The opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympics is scheduled for 14 July 2028, with the closing ceremony taking place just over two weeks later on 30 July. The Paralympics will follow, beginning with the opening ceremony on 15 August and concluding with the closing event on 27 August.
In total, over 800 events will be held, featuring more than 50 Olympic and Paralympic sports. This will be the third time that LA has hosted the Olympics. The organizers, who have been keen to highlight their commitment to sustainability, have announced that no new permanent structures will be built for the Games. Instead, existing venues have been selected, including the LA Memorial Coliseum, which will once again host athletics events as it did in the city's previous Olympics, and the home stadium of the LA Galaxy football team.
One of the unique aspects of the LA Games is the plan to host beach volleyball on an actual beach, a feature not possible in Paris this year. However, some venues will require modifications. For example, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will be transformed to accommodate swimming races, with the addition of a new Olympic pool. Additionally, student housing at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will be repurposed as the athletes' village, providing both accommodation and training facilities.
From a sustainability standpoint, it is yet to be seen if LA can deliver on its promise of a "car-free" Games, a goal set when the city won the bid in 2017. The challenge of moving thousands of spectators across the vast Californian city is significant, with current plans relying on a fleet of buses after a proposed major rail network upgrade was abandoned, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The financial aspect is another concern. The most recent budget forecasts the cost of the Games to be nearly $7 billion (£5.5 billion), not including any expenses related to transport improvements.
Which sports are out—and in?
The Los Angeles Games will not only feature the familiar Olympic sports but also bring back some disciplines that haven't been seen in a while, along with introducing new ones.
Cricket will return to the Olympics for the first time since 1900, with the T20 format making its debut. In this shortened version of the game, each team is limited to bowling and batting for no more than 20 overs each. Great Britain, boasting some of the world's top cricketers, will likely be a strong contender for a medal.
Lacrosse, one of the oldest sports in North America, is also making a comeback after being absent from the Olympic stage for more than a century. The 2028 Games will introduce a new format with teams of six players using lacrosse sticks to score by firing a ball into a goal.
Baseball and softball, bat-and-ball sports typically played by men and women respectively, will return to the Olympics after being left out of the 2024 Paris Games.
Squash, after years of campaigning by its supporters, will make its first-ever appearance at the Olympics.
Flag football, a non-contact version of American football, will also make its Olympic debut. Played on a smaller pitch with fewer players, tackles in this game are made by removing a flag from the opponent. The sport is rapidly gaining popularity in the UK, according to the British American Football Association.
The Paralympics will introduce a new discipline as well: Paraclimbing. In this event, athletes of different classifications will compete to scale a 15-meter (50-foot) wall using hand-holds.
Other relatively new Olympic sports, like surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing, will continue to be part of the Games. However, breaking, which made its debut at the Paris Games, has not been selected for the Los Angeles lineup, much to the disappointment of some fans, especially since this form of street dance originated in the US.
Which athletes should we keep an eye on in LA?
Some of the biggest names from Paris 2024 are likely to appear in Los Angeles as well. Keely Hodgkinson, who claimed gold in the women's 800m in France, will still be in her prime at 26 during the next Olympics.
Swimmer Léon Marchand, a breakout star from this year’s Games, earned four gold medals, fueled by the Parisian crowd's cheers of "allez!" whenever he surfaced. Marchand will also be 26 in 2028 and is expected to defend his Olympic crown in LA.
Many of the competitors from this year's skateboarding event, especially the young athletes like 11-year-old Zheng Haohao of China and Britain’s Sky Brown, will likely remain contenders in 2028. Brown, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, will be just 20 at the next Games, leaving the question of whether she will skate or qualify for surfing.
However, the participation of some global stars is uncertain. Simone Biles, perhaps the most recognizable name from Paris, will be 31. While few gymnasts continue competing into their 30s, Biles might aim for an Olympics on home soil to add to her 11 medals.
Newly-crowned men’s 100m champion Noah Lyles will also be 31 by LA 2028, but should still be in top form to defend his title, potentially following in the footsteps of US legend Carl Lewis.
For Team GB, there may be a shift in the roster. Swimmer Adam Peaty has suggested that Paris was his final Games, and diver Tom Daley only returned from retirement to win silver at the request of his young son. However, rower Helen Glover has not ruled out a fourth Olympic appearance in LA, where she would be vying for her fourth medal at the age of 42.
What perspective can we expect from LA?
Fans gathered at 3rd Base Sports Bar in Los Angeles during a lunch break to watch the US women's Olympic basketball team compete in Paris. The excitement was palpable, with loud cheers erupting as soon as the US team walked onto the court.
In just four years, many of these sporting events will be hosted a few miles away in Los Angeles. The city is no stranger to large-scale events, having hosted everything from the Oscars to the Super Bowl. However, the excitement is mixed with some concern and dread.
Los Angeles is known for having some of the worst traffic in the US, and its transit system is criticized both nationally and internationally. Although it was hoped that the Games would prompt the city to address its transport issues, the abandonment of plans to extend the train network and the decision to add a fleet of buses instead have not pleased residents. This situation is troubling for the millions of tourists typically drawn to the Olympics.
“There's already a lot of traffic every day,” Cory said while enjoying a burger at the bar. “And then you're bringing people here who don't know where they're going...”
Moreover, Los Angeles struggles with one of the highest concentrations of homelessness in the US. Elisha expressed hope that the 2028 Games might serve as a catalyst for addressing homelessness and finding a long-term solution.
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The Games will highlight LA's dramatic and picturesque coastline and the iconic Hollywood sign, but the city can't offer the same historic backdrop as Paris. Despite not having landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or the Palace of Versailles, Elisha emphasized that Los Angeles has its own unique appeal. “It’s not Paris, but LA has Hollywood - and we can make anything happen in Hollywood.”
What happened in Los Angeles in 1932 and 1984?
The 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles were held during the Great Depression, in a less developed California than today. This edition of the Games was notably shorter and had fewer competitors compared to previous ones. Despite this, large crowds attended, including around 100,000 at the opening ceremony. The event also introduced the now-familiar medals podium.
In 1984, Los Angeles hosted the Olympics once again. At that time, Prince was topping the US Billboard singles' chart, and the Games faced a boycott from the Soviet Union due to issues of commercialization and security. Great Britain achieved notable success, winning five gold medals. Its champions included decathlete Daley Thompson, javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson, young rower Steve Redgrave, and 1,500m runner Seb Coe, who later led the World Athletics body.
However, the standout athlete of the 1984 Games was Carl Lewis. The American star won gold in the men's 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay events. The US dominated the medals table, with no rivalry from China, unlike today.
The 1984 Games also marked the debut of the women’s Olympic marathon. Additionally, the Paralympics that year were hosted jointly in Stoke Mandeville, England, and New York, marking the last time the Olympics and Paralympics were not held in the same city.
Additional production and picture research were conducted by Yazmina Garcia.
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