News article
LA28 to utilise existing venues, highlighting sustainability and cost-saving benefits
Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games organisers are set to leverage existing infrastructure, which will save up to $150m and align with the International Olympic Committee’s sustainability goals.
Gymnastics will be held at the recently renovated Crypto.com Arena, which is home to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) LA Lakers, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) LA Kings, and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) side, the LA Sparks.
Basketball matches will take place at the new Intuit Dome, which is set to be home to the NBA’s Clippers. Additionally, SoFI Stadium, also located in Inglewood, will become the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, with a planned 38,000 seats. The venue is usually home to the National Football League’s (NFL) LA Chargers and LA Rams.
Athletics and Para athletics will be hosted at the recently refurbished LA Memorial Coliseum, making it the first stadium to host track and field competitions at three different Olympic Games.
Prior to being transformed into a 38,000-capacity swimming venue, SoFI Stadium will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies alongside the LA Memorial Coliseum.
The San Fernando Valley will feature Olympic competitions such as BMX freestyle and BMX racing, as well as skateboarding park and street. Archery will also take place in the Sepulveda Basin area across the Olympics and Paralympics.
“LA28’s updated venue plan will provide the ideal Hollywood stage for the world’s top athletes, and choosing from spectacular, existing venues, wherever they are, rather than building new permanent or temporary stadiums, achieves more than $150m in savings and new revenue to help maintain a balanced budget."
Diving will return to the same pool that hosted aquatic events at the 1932 Olympic Games. Equestrian and Para equestrian competitions, which were previously due to take place at the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, have now moved to an existing facility in Temecula, the only facility in Southern California large enough to accommodate the discipline.
There are no existing canoe slalom venues within the region, and the largest softball venue in Southern California seats less than 2,000 people. Instead of building temporary venues for these sports, LA28 is set to assign slalom and softball competitions to existing venues in Oklahoma City.
The city is a three-hour flight or 20-hour drive from Los Angeles.
“The Olympic and Paralympic Games represent the pinnacle of athletic competition and achievement, and we’re proud to host the Los Angeles 2028 Games in some of the greatest stadiums and arenas ever built,” said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman.
“LA28’s updated venue plan will provide the ideal Hollywood stage for the world’s top athletes, and choosing from spectacular, existing venues, wherever they are, rather than building new permanent or temporary stadiums, achieves more than $150m in savings and new revenue to help maintain a balanced budget. We look forward to partnering with these venues, and their experienced operators and workforce, to deliver an unparalleled experience for athletes and fans in 2028.”
Image: Cedric Letsch on Unsplash