LOS ANGELES– On July 14, 2028 the Olympic torch will light up and illuminate Los Angeles signaling the opening of the Olympic Games. This unparalleled moment in time will be making world history that transcend sports. Los Angeles will set a record for hosting the Summer Games for the third time, the City of Angels hosted in 1932 as well as 1984.
The Opening Ceremonies will take place at two iconic locations, SoFi Stadium and the historic L.A. Coliseum. This has never occured in the history of the Olympics; a fact which will make every Angelino beam with pride.
Two stadiums representing the rich dynamic history of Los Angeles. SoFi is the new kid in town, making its debut in 2020 housing both So. Cal NFL teams, the Rams and the Chargers.
This modern, indoor-outdoor sports and entertainment stadium has a 298-acre campus. Another component of the stadium’s design is the Infinity Screen by Samsung, an ovular, double-sided 4K HDR video board, the first of its kind, that is suspended from the roof over the field.
SoFi will be wet, due to the heart racing action of swimming which will take place there.
As for the Coliseum, its used to holding the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Three times to be exact, obviously another record. Let’s face it, the City of Angels is made of gold.
“These two extraordinary venues will create an unforgettable experience, welcoming fans from across the globe to an Olympic and Paralympic Games like never before and concluding what will go down as one of the most incredible Games in history,” said LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman.
The Paralympic Opening Ceremony on Aug. 15, 2028 will be at SoFi Stadium. The Closing Ceremony on Aug. 27 will be at the Coliseum.
Venues for more sports were announced earlier, including the LA Memorial Coliseum, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, BMO Stadium in Exposition Park, the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA. Others include the sports complex in Carson, Rose Bowl in Pasadena and several sites outside the city of Los Angeles, including canoe slalom and softball, which are set for Oklahoma City.
The medal events program for 2028 features six new mixed gender team events in what the LA28 organizing committee called a “monumental step forward.” The program approved for 2028 has 22 more medal events than Paris 2024 at 351.
Flag football will make its Olympic debut in 2028 and lacrosse will return to the lineup of medal sports for the first time in more than a century. Baseball and softball will make their Olympic comeback, and cricket also will be part of the lineup.
It will be an amazing experience. The only draw back is we have to wait three more years.
By Christopher Floch