(ATR) Angelenos and City Council members asked questions about the 2028 Olympic Games for the first time.
Los Angeles city council members Friday had the opportunity to hear from the public and ask LA 2028 bid leaders questions on the new Olympics project proposal.
A meeting of the LA 2024 Ad Hoc committee was the first step in securing government guarantees required by the LA 2028 bid to authorize the signing of the 2028 Host City contract.
Opposition group NOlympics LA had a presence at the meeting, urging council members to reconsider support for the 2028 Olympics. The critics complained about housing inequality and increased policing during the Games.
Council member questions focused on how LA 2028 would mitigate risk given the extra four years added to the project. The council also recommended seeking assurances from the California state legislature for funding guarantees given for the 2024 Games. The state legislature is currently not in session.
Council President Herb Wesson said that the City Council will reconvene on Aug. 11, when the ad hoc committee will present its findings from the meeting. It is expected that the council will vote in favor of supporting signing the 2028 Host City Contract.
Garcetti Re-imaginesOlympics for World Cities
If the Olympic Games are to continue travelling to cities all over the world, the Games must be willing to accommodate cities interested, says Eric Garcetti.
Garcetti made his comments on the Dan Patrick Show, a nationally syndicated radio program in the United States. The appearance is one of a number Garcetti has made across U.S. media to promote the Los Angeles decision to take on the 2028 Olympic Games.
Guest host of the show sports journalist Chris Mannix asked Garcetti if he thinks the Olympics should be rotated across a few permanent host cities with sporting infrastructure already in place. The suggestion is a popular one amongst Olympic critics who believe relying on cities to upgrade infrastructure to host the Games places undue burden afterwards.
Garcetti said "LA is at the top of that last," if that were a solution the IOC were to consider. Otherwise, he said the city could serve as a model for the IOC and other cities interested in bidding. Changing requirements for what is needed to host the sports of the Olympic Games, would open the ability of more cities to host argued Garcetti.
If we just get over having 15,000 people watch team handball you can have 2-3 thousand in a great arena that probably exists in great cities and then you don’t have to build things," Garcetti said.
More and more people are watching the Olympics on television and other online platforms, rather than attending in person. The IOC should leverage that, Garcetti said, to bring the Olympics back around the world.
Written by Aaron Bauer
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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