- Although the 2024 Paris Olympics are over, fans can already look forward to the next iteration of the Games in Los Angeles, which will take place in 2028.
- The US-led games will see the Olympic debut of men’s and women’s flag football, as well as squash
- Tom Cruise closed the 2024 Paris Games and officially handed the Olympic torch to LA in an awe-inspiring display and stunts
The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially revoir – but luckily for fans of the world’s biggest sporting event, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are just around the corner!
In just 1432 days, the Olympic Games in LA will begin with the opening ceremony on July 14, 2028, and will end on July 30, reports CNN. LA Games organizers have already given few details on which venues will host the Olympic events – with the LA Memorial Coliseum becoming the first stadium ever to host three Olympic opening ceremonies and track and field events, the first two being in 1932 and 1984, CNN said.
In addition, the regular home of the LA Lakers and LA Sparks basketball teams, the Arena will be the home of the Olympic gymnastics competitions. Pool 1932 in Exposition Park will serve as a venue for diving competitions, CNN writes.
After the LA Olympics, the 2028 Paralympics will begin in Southern California on August 15 and end on August 27, the paper said.
Opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Bettmann/Getty
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During a recent interview with CNN, LA Mayor Karen Bass talked about her goal to make the Olympics “car-free” in the city despite the area’s notorious traffic problems. “We’re a very car-dependent city, but that means if you’re going to go to any sports venue, you’re going to have to take public transportation,” Bass said.
She went on to add, “We’ve built our system, but we’re also going to need a lot of buses, thousands of buses from neighboring cities and states to help us do that.” Bass also stated that LA will use 3,000 buses on loan from across the United States, while encouraging telecommuting and investing in the city’s public transportation system.
Full Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony preview: Tom Cruise gets pushed off the roof, Snoop Dogg performs and more
Bringing the Olympics back to the US means new sports will be added and events that haven’t been played competitively in several years will return.
Events making their Olympic debuts at the LA Games are men’s and women’s flag football and squash – while baseball, softball, lacrosse and cricket will all return, according to Yahoo! Sports. However, breakdancing, which was heavily criticized and ridiculed at the Paris Games, will not appear at the 2028 Games, the newspaper reported.
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Entrance to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Ernst Haas/Getty Images
American fans got a glimpse of the spectacle expected when the Games return home thanks to Tom Cruise’s incredible appearance at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics as he officially handed over the Olympics to LA
The actor, long known for his own stunts, helped end the Paris Olympics and hand things over to LA for the 2028 Games with a skydive in which he swung from the top of the Stade de France before touching down on the stadium’s pitch.
The Mission Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One star, 62, greeted the athletes as he walked towards the stage, accompanied by a shrill guitar thanks to HER, who had just sung the US national anthem.
Tom Cruise hands over Olympics from Paris to Los Angeles in running, skydiving at closing ceremony
He received the Olympic flag from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and gymnast Simone Biles, then strapped it securely to the back of his motorcycle and rode off into the sunset — or at least into the pre-recorded video that accompanied his trip to Hollywood.
In the video, Cruise sped through the streets of Paris on a motorcycle, passing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, before boarding a waiting plane.
“I’m on my way,” he said as he donned his jump gear to the tune of “By the Way” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Cruise then jumped off the plane and headed to the iconic Hollywood sign, where he turned the letters “O” into the Olympic rings before handing the flag to Olympic cyclist Kate Courtney.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education