Dubai: The Paris Olympics was unique in its own ways. A lot of moments will be cherished for a lifetime and likewise a few that would be better forgotten.
From being the first Olympics to achieve the numerical gender parity on the field of play, to hosting the opening ceremony differently in the Paris iconic Seine River to a gender row in boxing and to players and support staff getting hauled for breaking protocols, we saw it all...
As the curtains came down on the Paris Olympics on Sunday with a spectacular closing ceremony, we now take a look at what’s in store at the next Olympics at Los Angeles in 2028.
When is the Los Angeles Olympics?
The next Summer games will start two weeks earlier than the Paris one. The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, July 14, 2028 and run until July 30, 2028. The Paralympics Games will be held from August 22, 2028 to September 3, 2028.
This will be the third time Los Angeles will be hosting the Olympics. Los Angeles first hosted the games in 1932 and again in 1984.
Where will LA28 games take place?
The city will use over 80 existing venues to host the events in the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics that will see over 15,000 athletes in action. LA28 will mark the first time that no new venues will be built to host the Olympics. This approach aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) emphasis on reducing environmental impact. Parts of the opening and closing ceremonies will take place at the Coliseum and SoFi Stadium.
What are the new sports events
Nearly 36 sporting events are expected to feature in the Los Angeles Olympics. Besides those, there will be six new additions.
Baseball and softball are back in Los Angeles given its popularity in the US. Cricket will be back for the first since it was played once in 1900. It’ll be played as the T20 format with both men’s and women’s teams competing.
Lacrosse will also be part of the schedule having last featured in the 1908 Games in London.
The two sports — squash and flag football — will be making its debut.
Break-dancing and perhaps boxing might not be part of the 2028 Games.
Which are the venues
Cypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles will host the gymnastics events while SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will see all the swimming action. With a capacity to hold 38,000 spectators, it is the largest swimming venue in Olympic history.
The Intuit Dome in Inglewood again, will host basketball while LA Memorial Coliseum will hold the track and field competitions.
Diving will be held at LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium, which hosted aquatics events for the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Archery, cycling (BMX racing and freestyle) and skateboarding will be held at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Centre with artistic swimming and para swimming competitions to be held at the Long Beach Sports Park in Long Beach. Equestrian will take place at Galway Downs in Temecula.
Stars to watch
Los Angeles is expected to play heavily on its Hollywood star power and will roll out its big guns, with pop star Billie Eilish, rapper Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all confirmed.
One of the biggest stars from Paris Olympics has been French swimmer Leon Marchand. The 22-year-old won four swimming gold medals from four individual finals, before adding a bronze in the men’s 4x100m medley relay. Marchand secured most golds than any other athlete in Paris.
Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, winner of three golds and a silver at Paris, will surely relish the chance to compete across the border.
Among the athletes, women’s 800-metre star Keely Hodgkinson will be keen to make an impact. She will be 26 at the next Olympics.
Quincy Wilson, just 16, has already written Olympic history as Team USA’s youngest male track and field athlete to compete at the Olympic Games. Though he did not race in the men’s 4x400m relay final, Wilson’s team gold with the USA also makes him the youngest-ever Olympic gold medallist in athletics.
Letsile Tebogo, the Botswana sprinter who stunned on debut with gold in the men’s 200-metre and silver in the men’s 4x400-metre relay. and Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe, who won bronze as part of the men’s 4x100-metre relay.
Most of the contenders participating in the skateboarding event will surely make it to the next Olympics with the focus certainly on 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, who was the youngest athlete at Paris 2024, born just a day before the London 2012 Opening Ceremony and becoming the youngest ever Olympian to represent China.
However, the participation of other global stars is less certain. Simone Biles, arguably the most recognisable name at Paris, will be 31. Few gymnasts continue competing into their 30s, but megastar Biles may fancy an Olympics in front of a home crowd, and a bid to add to her 11 medals.
Newly crowned men’s 100-metre champion Noah Lyles will also be 31 come LA 2028 — but should still be fit and well primed to emulate US compatriot Carl Lewis in his defence of that most celebrated of Olympic titles.
But there may be a changing of the guard for Team GB. Swimmer Adam Peaty has hinted that Paris was his last Games, and diver Tom Daley only came out of retirement, to win silver in Paris, at his young son’s request. Katie Ledecky, the greatest middle distance swimmer in history of Olympic Games, became the most decorated woman Olympian in Paris, however she will be 31 at the LA Games and remains to be seen if she could hold the same prowess four years later.
However, GB rower Helen Glover has not ruled out a fourth Games and a bid for a fourth medal in LA — when she will be 42.
French star Victor Wembanyama shone despite falling just short of a dream gold in men’s basketball. The home hero can be proud of a silver medal on his Olympic debut, with France beaten in a thrilling gold medal match by the formidable United States.
Staying on basketball, Australia’s Isobel Borlase impressed en route to a bronze medal in the women’s competition. At aged 19, Borlase proved that she could compete with the best, and could be a star in LA.
