Dates for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics announced

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, and organizers for LA28 held a joint press conference at Exposition Park in Los Angeles to officially announce the dates for the 2028 Olympic Games.

The Los Angeles Olympic Games will begin on July 14 and run through July 30, followed by the Paralympic Games on August 15 thorough August 27.

“With Los Angeles, you’ll see the Olympic Games as something bigger, something more important than just a 16-day event,” Bach said. “I think we all cannot wait for the moment when the Olympic flame will shine again, here in Los Angeles, in five years and 361 days.”

It will be the city’s third Olympics having previously hosted the games in 1932 and 1984. LA28 will commence with a unique, dual-opening ceremony held at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and at the new state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium.

LA28 chief athlete officer Janet Evans is eager to show-off LA’s vibrant metropolitan area.

“The LA28 Games will be unlike any other, showcasing the best of Southern California’s exceptional stadiums and world-class culture to athletes and fans alike. This milestone makes the Games real for every athlete actively training for their LA28 dream and the fans who follow the journey.”

In 2017, a simultaneous announcement awarded LA the 2028 Games and Paris the 2024 competition. It was a compromise where the IOC asked LA to wait four years in exchange for financial considerations.

LA28 will receive at least $2 billion from the IOC, the largest payout ever to an Olympic host city.

The IOC money has already had an impact. Bach toured the city with IOC executive Nicole Hoevertsz to get an up close look on the PlayLA program, dedicated to the development of youth sports. He came away impressed.

“Six years before the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, this is already a significant legacy, making a noticeable difference in the lives of over 100,000 children. This program will help attract new fans to Olympic sports, and leave a sports legacy for generations to come,” Bach noted.

“Los Angeles is a special place for sport,” said Hoevertsz, who competed in the 1984 Olympic synchronized swimming competition for Aruba. “It’s wonderful to see the continued progress of the LA28 Games and especially terrific to witness the positive impact the Games can have on the community well before the Olympic flame ever reaches American soil. We have much to continue to plan and celebrate as we prepare to deliver the beauty and excitement of sport to the world. The confirmation of the Games dates now gives LA a firm deadline when it will need to be ready to welcome the world.”

Los Angeles is equipped for the games as well with venues already in place such as, Crypto dot com Arena, Pauley Pavilion and Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The UCLA dorms will also become the athletes’ village.

“Here you will have 100% of the venues ready,” Bach said. “This allows you to concentrate, let’s say, on the Olympic spirit.”

The Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games will feature over 800 events and 3,000 hours of competition. Roughly 15,000 athletes from all around the world are expected to compete in the games.