Paris 2024 organization closely scrutinized by Los Angeles 2028 teams

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics will be watched by billions of viewers. Among these observers, some will have a particularly keen eye: the organizers of the next Olympic Games, in Los Angeles in 2028.

The Los Angeles 2028 offices are located in the university district of UCLA. After showing an ID, the elevator climbs up the floors of a skyscraper. The door opens onto an entrance decorated with the colors of the American flag. There are posters from Los Angeles 1984 and medals from 1932, the two previous Olympics held in the economic capital of California.

Welcoming us is Janet Evans, head of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Athletes’ Committee. She is also a four-time Olympic swimming champion at the Seoul and Barcelona Games.

“We were competing with Paris to organize 2024 and finally we will do 2028she says. But it’s funny because we know each other very well with the Paris organizing committee. And everything you’re going to do, I’ve been interested in it from the beginning and I love it! We often ask each other questions and in our discussions there’s always someone who says: ‘look at Paris, they’ve planned this or that.’ And that inspires us a lot!”

“Except you have the Eiffel Tower and there we can’t compete. Your city is incredible. We talk a lot and Paris helps Los Angeles prepare for its Games.”

Janet Evans, head of the Los Angeles Games athletes committee

to franceinfo

Los Angeles 2028 has already raised $1 billion in private money. Sports venues, including the brand new SoFi Stadium, which hosted the Super Bowl in 2022, are already built. “We have nothing to buildexplains Janet Evans. Everything is already there, we have incredible stadiums: the Rose Bowl, the Colliseum or the Elysean Park. The most difficult thing will be to choose the stadiums where the competitions will take place. But we know that we can count on Paris to give us their advice.”

No one doubts the ability of the United States to organize successful Games. There are still more than 200 million dollars in the coffers of the Los Angeles 1984 Foundation. The country is also an expert in the Paralympic Games after New York 1984, Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake City 2002.