As the dust settles on the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and Australia basks in the glory of its gold rush in Paris, it’s hard to imagine how they will ever be outdone.
From the streets of Paris for the marathon, triathlon and road cycling, the beach volleyball’s epic Eiffel Tower backdrop, equestrian’s picturesque setting at the Palace of Versailles, or simply the might of the State de France — the 2024 Games was spoilt with the idyllic riches of the French capital.
So, it’s over to you, Los Angeles.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
LA 2028 has arguably the hardest act to follow in Olympic history, but organisers have already made one almost unprecedented move in their attempts to do so.
In a little-known detail about next cycle’s Games, which was announced prior to Paris, it will be the athletics program — not the swimming — that will feature during the first week of the schedule.
For the first time since 1968, athletics and swimming will have their traditional timeslots flipped.
The reason centres around the Los Angeles Olympic committee’s plans for an opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium, which will also be converted into the biggest swimming stadium in Olympic history.
The NFL football stadium will welcome a capacity of 38,000 people per night to watch the world’s best in the pool.
But it will only be converted into a pool after the opening ceremony is partly held there and at the Coliseum.
The temporary competition and warm-up pools will be already built, but covered, during the opening ceremony. Afterwards, a temporary stand will be constructed while athletes train in the lead-up to the start of swimming.
“World Aquatics feels very comfortable that any impact will be minimal, notably when compared against the great opportunity we have been given to showcase our sport,” the governing body said in a statement.
Swimming was originally set for the baseball stadium on the University of Southern California campus, which is undergoing major renovations to its athletic facilities.
“When it became clear that a temporary pool there wasn’t going to be an option, we started to think about other places and had this big fun idea to see if we could make it work at Sofi,” LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman said on a teleconference.
Wasserman isn’t worried about filling the seats at SoFi, home to the NFL’s Rams and Chargers.
“I have no doubt, if we had more seats to sell that could see the competition pool, we could sell them,” he said.
“We’re very confident that this is going to be really a swimming competition for the ages.”
Athletics’ marathon events will remain over the final weekend, with medals presented during the closing ceremony.
“We are excited to support this visionary timetable change for LA28,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said in a statement.
“This change underscores our commitment to innovation in athletics and elevating the global profile of our athletes.”
Softball and canoe slalom events will be held in Oklahoma City, with medal ceremonies taking place there. Athletes in those sports will have the chance to attend opening and/or closing ceremonies in Los Angeles, Wasserman said.
LA28 says the largest softball venue in Southern California seats under 2000 people and it expects robust attendance, so it will be played at 13,000-seat Devon Park, which hosts the annual Women’s College World Series.
There is no canoe slalom venue that exists in the Western US, so Riversport OKC, which hosted this year’s Olympic trials, will be the site in 2028.
Moving the competitions will avoid building temporary venues and help LA28 align with the International Olympic Committee’s emphasis on sustainability that encourages the use of existing venues outside the host city.
LA28 believes the venue changes will create an estimated $156 million in combined savings and revenue increases.
– With AAP