Swimming Takes the Spotlight After Track and Field at 2028 Olympics: Here’s Why

L.A. is already a crowded city, and the Olympics will add even more crowds during the sweltering summer.

PARIS, France – The Olympic Games are set to return to Los Angeles. Mayor Karen Bass received the Olympic flag at the Paris closing ceremony on Sunday. The flag was then handed to Tom Cruise, who kicked off the countdown to 2028 with a pre-recorded journey involving a motorcycle, plane, and parachute.

Los Angeles will become the third city to host the Games three times, joining its previous stints in 1932 and 1984. Here’s a look at both the past and future of the Olympics in L.A.

Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 Games as a consolation prize after Paris was chosen for 2024. The city previously hosted in 1932, during the Great Depression, and again in 1984, which many consider to be the “good” Olympics due to its financial and cultural success.

The 1984 Games were marked by Hollywood influence, featuring a jetpack descent into the Memorial Coliseum and theme music by “Star Wars” composer John Williams. American athletes dominated, with Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton becoming household names.

“We want our games to be modern, youthful, and full of the optimism that Southern California brings to the world,” said Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and chief athlete officer for the LA 2028 organizing committee.

Mayor Bass, who will return to L.A. on Monday, spent her time in Paris learning what it takes to host the world’s largest sporting event. Joining her were LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman and city councilmember Traci Park.

“The Olympics are an opportunity to make transformative change,” Bass said at a press conference ahead of the closing ceremony. L.A. plans to use existing structures rather than build new ones for the event.

The opening ceremony will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, incorporating the historic Memorial Coliseum as well. SoFi, home to two NFL teams, will also be the largest Olympic swimming venue ever, with swimming events scheduled after track and field for the first time since 1972.

Intuit Dome, the new Inglewood arena for the NBA’s Clippers, is planned to host Olympic basketball, while the downtown Crypto.com Arena will host gymnastics events.

The Long Beach waterfront will host marathon swimming and triathlon races, a focus of concern due to the Seine’s water quality issues in Paris. Long Beach’s ocean waters received high marks in a 2023 analysis.

Performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre were pre-recorded at Long Beach for the Paris ceremony, even though they appeared to be at L.A.’s Venice Beach.

Hosting the Olympics in a traffic-congested city like L.A. may seem daunting, but Mayor Bass plans to employ strategies similar to those used by Tom Bradley in 1984. These include staggering workforce hours and encouraging remote work.

L.A. has a much longer lead time for planning than it did in 1984, with significant improvements to public transit since then. The city has added a subway line and is working on a slate of 28 bus and rail projects, including a subway extension to connect downtown with the planned Olympic Village at UCLA.

The Inglewood People Mover, an automated rail line, initially received $1 billion in federal funding but faced a $200 million cut. Its completion by 2028 remains uncertain.

Metro recently received $900 million through an infrastructure package, with $139 million earmarked for transportation improvements by 2028. The goal is to make the 2028 Olympics “car-free.”

Security will be a major focus, with the U.S. Secret Service designated as the lead agency for security planning. Local law enforcement sent officers to Paris to learn from their experiences.

Hosting the Olympics in 2028 poses additional challenges, including addressing the city’s homelessness crisis. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened to withhold funding from cities unable to clear encampments.

Tourism and hotel growth in L.A. are on the rise. The city has added 9,000 new hotel rooms in the past four years, with more to come. Organizers are relying on ticket sales, sponsorships, and payments from the International Olympic Committee to cover the Games’ $6.9 billion budget.

Associated Press Writer Noreen Nassir contributed from Paris.