The countdown remains at four digits. It shows more than 1.300 days until the start of the Olympic Games. But with Paris 2024 now in the rearview mirror, Los Angeles 2028 is picking up the pace. Californians are getting into battle formation.
Several events and announcements have taken place in recent days. In Los Angeles and its surroundings, but also in Cascais, Portugal, where the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) was held last week. Common denominator: the desire of the organizing committee to better occupy the field. With less than four years to go, it was about time.
First announcement: LA 2028 has hired a new chief commercial officer. This is anything but minor for an event funded entirely by the private sector. His name: John Slusher.
The Nike alumnus, who spent 26 years at the company and most recently served as vice president of global marketing, is joining the adventure. He will head up US Olympic and Paralympic Properties, a company co-founded by LA 2028 and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to oversee sponsorship, ticketing and hospitality. It’s no coincidence that Nike was one of the first American companies to commit to Los Angeles 2028.
In Cascais, Portugal, the presentation by the Californian organizers of their project and their vision was not the least anticipated by the delegates of the national Olympic committees gathered for the annual general assembly of ANOC. Normal. At the microphone and at the controls, John Harper, the director of operations (photo above). Proof that the time is no longer for fine speeches and flights of fancy, but for concrete action.
The American detailed the ambition of LA 2028, insisting on the Americans' desire to go even further than Paris 2024, particularly in the sports part. An example: the future Olympic swimming pool, temporarily installed at the SoFi Stadium. "The largest swimming venue in Olympic history », promised John Harper.
The American also explained that the organizing committee currently has more than 150 employees, 9% of whom are former Olympic or Paralympic athletes.
Present last week in Cascais, the general director of the USOPC, Sarah Hirshland, confirmed to the site Sportsin the vision of LA 2028 glimpsed during the sequence dedicated to the next Games at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: a resolutely Hollywood edition. A mix of sport and culture. "When you think of Los Angeles, you think of pop culture – movies, music, entertainment, she said. You will see venues and technologies that we have never seen before at the Games, integrated into the spectator and athlete experience.”
Above all, Sarah Hirshland announced that rapper Snoop Dogg, omnipresent at the Paris 2024 Games where he lead the procession of the troop of consultants hired by NBCUniversal, will still be part of the adventure in Los Angeles 2028. "We've officially adopted Snoop Dogg as a member of Team USA, and he's back with us, she confided. He was an incredible promotional tool because he enjoyed being there. It was strong and authentic."
Another piece of news from California, less glamorous but decisive: the Pasadena City Council has given the green light to sign a partnership agreement with the LA 2028 organizing committee. It provides for the provision of the legendary Rose Bowl for the Olympic Games. The historic venue will be used for several football tournament matches, such as at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, after hosted a temporary cycling track at the 1932 Summer Games.
Finally, the American week was marked by the announcement of the results of the Comcast group, owner of NBCUniversal, the exclusive rights holder for the Games through to Brisbane 2032. For Paris 2024, daily viewership exceeded the 30 million average across platforms, up 80% compared to the Tokyo 2020 Games. The result was record revenue of $1,9 billion in the group's media business in the third quarter, largely attributable to the audience and commercial success of the Paris 2024 Games.
Very strong. But the Americans are already convinced: they will do even better, probably even significantly better, at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. We believe them on their word.
