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≡ 144th IOC SESSION ≡
“While fire has brought us the unimaginable, our Olympics will open with the lighting of a flame, that will be our new symbol of hope for the City of Angels.”
LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee Chair Casey Wasserman told the International Olympic Committee at Thursday’s IOC Session that the January wildfires in the Los Angeles area will not hold back the 2028 Games, but will be the backdrop for their success:
“We are using our platform to uplift and support communities, to drive and accelerate the rebuilding of the affected areas, and to engage our partners to be part of the re-imagination of our city. Los Angeles is a city defined by its resilience and determination; our unity in difficult times is what makes Los Angeles extraordinary, and everybody loves a comeback story.”
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes, who lives in Los Angeles, explained:
“The recent, tragic wildfires tested our community, yet they illuminated our resilience and determination. In these moments, the Olympic values of respect and friendship rise from the ashes, reinforcing what makes our city remarkable. … The work undertaken to prepare for the LA28 Games reflects our commitment to demonstrating that Los Angeles will be an exceptional host city.”
Wasserman and chief executive Reynold Hoover provided a new level of detail into an accelerating development of the 2028 plan. Hoover said, “The state of your OCOG [Olympic Games organizing committee] at LA28, is strong and getting stronger every day, as we add new talent, new expertise, new athletes to our growing team.” He noted that since he joined LA28 last July, 75 new staff members have been hired and 75 more are to be hired by mid-May:
“We have completed the re-organization of our OCOG to operationally plan, execute and deliver an incredible Olympic and Paralympic experience for the world.”
Moreover, some major milestone items will be presented for approval to the IOC Executive Board at its 9 April meeting:
● Olympic venue master plan
● Sports event program and athlete quotas
● Accommodations allocation plan
● Ticket pricing strategy
Hoover said that major enabling agreements on infrastructure and telecommunications will be concluded by the end of this month, “a substantial step for Games delivery and experience.”
First cuts of operating plans for the functional areas are expected in May, with help from Paris 2024 chief executive Etienne Thobois, who is assisting as a senior advisor to LA28. The IOC Coordination Commission is expected to meet in Los Angeles in June, and the competition schedule by session will be available for approval by the end of that month.
Hoover stressed, “I believe it is important for LA28 to not only be viewed as an Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee, but as a civic organization,” and added:
“I am excited to share that our team will launch the LA28 volunteer program later this year that will have an impact not just during the Games, but during the next three years leading up to them, and the years after.”
Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans talked about the in-depth efforts to integrate athletes into the organizing committee, as both staff members and interns, to be able to share in the Games development, but also be exposed to what has to happen to create the events in which athletes participate.
Wasserman talked about the increasing success of the commercial sponsorship program as well:
“Last year, and in the first couple months of this year, we have closed over $500 million of sponsorship revenue … and our pipeline, as it exists today, will get us to 80% of our lifetime goal of $2.5 billion in sponsorship revenue in short order. This is an area we feel very optimistic about and look forward to closing many more deals in the coming months.”
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The IOC’s Coordination Commission Chair, Nicole Hoevertsz (ARU) – who was a synchronized swimmer at the 1984 Los Angeles Games – was also positive about the progress at LA28:
● “In the last six months, the organizing committee has undergone an intense period of reorganization, under the leadership of Casey and Reynold. A new governance model has been implemented, a large wave of recruitment has taken place, with a particular focus on operations. New dynamics have been established in the relationship with all delivery partners and Olympic stakeholders.
“These changes were necessary, with the acceleration that comes with becoming the next host of the Games and receiving the undivided attention of all the stakeholders. As a priority, LA28 has to confirm the building blocks of the project.”
● “It is reassuring to observe that LA28 is positioning and resourcing itself to meet the challenges coming with the intensification of operational planning head-on.”
● “Over the last month, we have witnessed a significant acceleration of interactions with local, state and Federal partners, and this is very welcome.”
She also noted more interactions with the International Federations, the commercial partners and upcoming meetings with international broadcasters and National Olympic Committees. A total of 14 million tickets are planned to be sold for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
¶
Questions were asked about access to the U.S. in view of changes being made by the U.S. State Department; Wasserman explained that LA28 has been proactive:
● “On the Federal level, we are making significant strides with the new administration. I have met with President Trump and his team both prior to his inauguration, and again last month, and we have a regular cadence across all Federal agencies, with leadership from the President to make sure these Games deliver for all our constituents.”
● “We will have a fully-staffed desk at State focusing just on this issue in the next 12 months to get prepared for this and I don’t anticipate any problems from any country, to come and participate and to have their delegations in full force and effect of the Games in Los Angeles.”
Wasserman also indicated that a traffic management plan is being developed, tailored specifically to making transportation in Southern California work during the Games period.
¶
Following the LA28 presentation, the Session took up the issue of boxing and 2028. Boxing was formally approved as a part of the 2028 Olympic program by a show of hands, without any votes against or abstentions.
With this confirmation, the LA28 program is set to be the largest ever, at 36 sports in all, ahead of Tokyo 2020 (33) and Paris 2024 (32).
¶
In Los Angeles, a letter from Hoover to the City of Los Angeles explained some additional venue changes for 2028.
Preliminary football matches were planned to be held at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park, the 22,000-seat home of the LAFC franchise of Major League Soccer. Instead, preliminary football games “will take place in several stadiums outside of California.”
So, LA28 now wants to use this facility for “two yet to be announced team sports” new to the program, meaning probably flag football and lacrosse. The five added sports for LA28 are baseball and softball, cricket, squad and flag football and lacrosse; baseball and softball are expected to be at Dodger Stadium and in Oklahoma City, and BMO Stadium is not really cricket-friendly.
The letter also asks to move the Paralympic sport of Sitting Volleyball from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion – which will be used strictly for training within the Village – to the Long Beach Arena.
The Los Angeles City Council is required, under its agreement with LA28, to approve any changes of sports or venues inside the City; however, the Council’s Ad Hoc Olympic and Paralympic Committee has not met since last June.
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