Though it is still several years away, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already been looking for the next host for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Two cities are currently competing for this honor: Paris and Los Angeles. Around the week of May 20th, the LA 2024 IOC gladly welcomed the IOC and treated them to the extravagances and glamour that Los Angeles had to offer. They were taken to a baseball game, complete with Dodger Dogs. On top of this, the committee was given customized surfboards. In addition they had dinner with celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Kobe Bryant, and Plácido Domingo. This was all topped off with a tour of California’s major sites including UCLA, USC, Long Beach, the LA Memorial Coliseum, and everywhere in between.

What really caught the eye of the IOC, however, was the plan that Los Angeles had for the future Olympic games and why it would be a benefit for them to be hosted in LA. Rather than rebuilding the infrastructure necessary for the games to happen, the LA 2024 committee suggested a more green and environmentally friendly alternative. They instead proposed to use already existing buildings. For housing, they proposed using UCLA campus for athletes and USC for international media. They also provided several different venues such as the Staples Center, the Rose Bowl, and the Memorial Coliseum for the Olympic events. Construction of the venues are usually the most devastating for a city’s economy when it comes to hosting the Olympics, so removing almost all the cost of building could save a ton of money and energy. In order to protect the environment even further, the committee suggested stormwater management, community and rooftop solar energy, and fuel cell power regeneration in order to produce as little waste and cost as possible. Kennedy Maddock (10), a huge sports fan, agrees, “LA is a big tourist hot-spot with places like Universal Studios and other attractions. It also has been 33 years since the last Olympics were held in LA, so it would be 40 years when 2024 comes around.” 

However, the decision is not yet set for the IOC who went to visit Paris later. It is up to the IOC for which one to pick. There is talk that the IOC would pick one of the two and give the runner-up the 2028 Olympics. Whatever happens, by 2028, if both cities are picked for the years 2024-2028, it will be a huge accomplishment for Los Angeles. At this time, only three cities will have hosted the Olympics three times: Paris, Los Angeles, and London. Results for the winning city will be announced June 9th.

Courtesy of ioes.ucla.edu, washingtonpost.com