In a “Mission Impossible” spectacle, Tom Cruise appeared to take the Olympic flag from France all the way to California during the Olympic Games closing ceremony on Monday (AEST).
The Hollywood star abseiled from the rooftop of Stade de France, before driving off with the flag on a motorbike and jumping on board a plane to California, and then eventually paragliding down with it onto the iconic Hollywood sign.
With that, the status of the Summer Olympics host city was officially handed over to Los Angeles. The city will be hosting its third Olympics, following Games there in 1932 and 1984.
“Los Angeles 1984 was something else! Let’s do it again at LA28!” reads the post on the official Instagram page of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Los Angeles Olympic Games will take place between 14 and 30 July 2028, and the countdown on the official LA28 page has already started.
So, here’s what we already know about the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Evolving emblem
Games organisers say the LA28 emblem represents “the city’s vibrant culture of creativity, sport and self-expression”.
The LA28 emblem is evolving, with more than 40 different unique versions. In the emblem, the L, 2 and 8 are static, and the A is created by the US Olympic athletes, or local LA-based artists and musicians.
Among the creators is the US Olympic athlete and cross-country mountain bike cyclist Kate Courtney. Her version of the A is hand-drawn and is inspired by the hand-drawn advertisements of bike races in the birthplace of mountain biking in Marin County, California.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have also created their version of a logo — “a rainbow and a cloud turned into an A”, the band’s lead singer, Anthony Kiedis, said in a Youtube interview with LA28 organisers.
“Our first rec(ord) came out in 1984 along with LA Olympics. It was a very exciting time for music in LA. It was still kind of the end of the punk rock scene,” said Kiedis.
“And the fact that it’s coming here again, I would definitely look to be the starting point guard for Team USA basketball.”
The LA28 is the logo for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028. Source: Getty / /
New sports in both Olympics and Paralympics
The LA28 Olympic Games will include two new sports, flag football and squash, while baseball, softball, cricket (Twenty20) and lacrosse (Sixes) will make their Olympic returns after absences of years to decades.
Each proposed sport was evaluated according to IOC criteria, which include economic responsibility, gender equality, sport integrity, fan interest and youth relevance.
Casey Wasserman, LA28 chairperson, said the new sports were proposed to “ignite imagination on the field of play and drive culture off it”.
“They’re relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centres, stadiums and parks across the U.S. and the globe,” Wasserman said.
“They will bring new athletes to the Games, engage diverse fanbases and expand the Games’ presence in digital spaces, further amplifying LA28’s mission to deliver an unparalleled experience.”
The LA28 organising committee is the first to add para climbing to the Paralympic sports program. In the Paralympic Games 2028, para climbing will join the 22 confirmed Paralympic sports.
Breaking — commonly known as breakdancing — which debuted at this year’s Paris Games, will not be returning for the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Breaking, which debuted at the Paris Games, will not return for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
‘Fiscally responsible’ Games
According to the organisers, the main goal behind selecting venues is to keep the games “fiscally responsible” by using fewer temporary venues and assigning sports to existing ones.
Multiple historical venues will host Olympic sports for the second — and even third — time.
The LA Memorial Coliseum will host athletics and para athletics, making it the only stadium in history to host track and field competitions in three Olympic Games.
Diving will return to the same venue it was hosted at in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1932 — the 1932 pool in Exposition Park.
Legendary Arena in Downtown LA — home to the NBA’s Lakers, NHL’s Kings, and WNBA’s Sparks — will host gymnastics.
The Stadium in Inglewood, with up to 38,000 seats, will be the largest swimming venue in Olympic history.
Some events will be held outside Los Angeles. Canoe slalom and softball venues in Southern California can host only up to 2,000 people. Organisers have explained that instead of building new venues, they will move those sports to existing venues in Oklahoma City, more than 1,800km east of LA.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Stadium in Inglewood will host the opening and closing Ceremonies of the Los Angeles Olympics.
Paralympics, Winter Olympics still to come
While the torch may have been handed to Los Angeles during the closing ceremony, there’s still plenty to get excited about before 2028.
The 2024 Paralympics will run from 28 August to 8 September in Paris, marking the first time Paris has hosted the event.
This year’s Paralympic Games feature 22 sports — including archery, badminton, cycling, football, judo, paracanoe, paratriathlon, rowing, swimming, Taekwondo and wheelchair basketball.
Then, in 2026, the next Winter Olympics will be held jointly in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, between 6 to 22 February. The Winter Paralympics will run between 6 and 15 March.
