Los Angeles Reveals its Plans for the 2024 Olympic Bid
After the withdrawal of Budapest, the race to host the 2024 Olympic games has been narrowed down to these two cities, Paris and Los Angeles. The later has, now, revealed its plans for the bid which include the use of its already existing sports and transportation infrastructure, adopting the motto “LA 2024 is about what we have, not what we’re going to build.” However, the existing venues would still be subject to extensive updates, in order to receive the games.
South Bay Sports Park – Stubhub Velodrome – Cycling. Image Courtesy of LA 2024
The LA 2024 map shows four main sports parks which will be hosting most of the events. These parks are Downtown, Valley, South Bay, and Long Beach, the largest of which is Downtown Sports Park which would take the L.A. Live Entertainment Complex as its center. Downton Park includes the LA Football Club Stadium, LA Memorial Coliseum, the Staples Center, and Microsoft Theater among a total of 12 venues.
Downtown Sports Park – Microsoft Theater – Weightlifting. Image Courtesy of LA 2024
Buildings from the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) would be transformed and used as grounds for events, like the baseball stadium which would be adapted into the main venue for swimming events, and the Olympic media village which will be located within the university’s dormitories. The dormitories of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) would, also, be used as the Olympic village.
Downtown Sports Park – LA Live Aerial. Image Courtesy of LA 2024
The Valley Sports Park, which shall be only a temporary dismountable complex, will be located in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area. The area, which already houses a number of indoor and outdoor sports facilities, would be hosting the canoeing, shooting, and equestrian events.
Downtown Sports Park – LA Convention Center – Table Tennis. Image Courtesy of LA 2024
The Long Beach Sports Park would be comprised of both existing and temporary venues. The Long Beach Convention Center would act as a warm up facility and the Long Beach Arena would host the handball games. The Water Polo and BMX events would be held in temporary venues which can be dismantled by the end of the competitions and re-used for other purposes. Finally, the area’s waterfront will be home for the open-water swimming and triathlon competitions, whereas the Belmont Pier would host the sailing events.
Downtown Sports Park – USC Dedeaux Field – Swimming. Image Courtesy of LA 2024
The new LA Stadium at Hollywood Park, designed by HKS and planned to open in 2019, would be the location of the Opening Ceremony. The new entertainment complex which is to surround the stadium will host the archery events, and provide visitors with services.
Los Angeles was home for the Summer Olympic Games twice before, in 1932 and 1984. Similarly, Paris hosted the major sporting event twice, but way long before LA, in 1900 and 1924; the earliest of which is the “Games of the II Olympiad”.