Members of the CalChamber Board of Directors were treated last week to an overview of the extensive planning involved in bringing the Olympics and Paralympics to Los Angeles in 2028, courtesy of the head of the organizing committee.
Casey Wasserman, chairperson of the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, shared insights about the event while fielding questions posed by CalChamber Board Chair Maryam Brown and other Board members at the CalChamber Board dinner in Santa Monica on Sept. 18.
In contrast to Olympics that rely on government funding, the LA Olympics are privately funded. The logistics of bringing more than 11,200 athletes from around the globe to Los Angeles for the 30 days of competition is expected to have a multibillion-dollar economic impact on the region, generating thousands of jobs.
Existing stadiums and arenas will be used for many events. The Olympic and Paralympic Village for the athletes will be based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Even so, businesses, suppliers and construction workers from the Los Angeles region will be called upon to fulfill the immense needs of the Olympics, Wasserman commented. For example, he noted that 400 miles of chain link fence will be needed, along with the workers to install those fences.
It will be the third time LA has hosted the Olympics and the first time it will be hosting the Paralympics. LA hosted the 1984 and 1932 Olympics.
As a symbol that the 2028 Olympics are “America’s games,” the Olympic torch will be taken through all 50 states.
Events tickets will be as low as $28 each. Wasserman noted that 80% of those who attended the Paris Olympics in 2024 came from within a six-hour drive of the city. Olympics organizers are counting on Southern Californians within a similar radius to do the same, taking advantage of the opportunity to see world-level athletes in person.
Participants include athletes from 25 countries in which the United States doesn’t have embassies.
The five new sports at LA28 are baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash.
More information is available at the LA28 website.
