The 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles are already under pressure. As devastating fires ravage California, killing 24 people, one question remains: can the city be ready in time? Between threatened sites and radical solutions, the future of the Olympic Games is being written in uncertainty…
Los Angeles is on fire. For a week, the worst fires in the history of the Californian city claimed 24 lives and caused massive destruction. This tragedy raises a burning question: will the city of angels be ready for the 2028 Olympic Games ?
Olympic venues under pressure
Scheduled for July 14 to 30, 2028, the global event coincides with a high risk period for wildfiresa problem exacerbated by global warming. Two of the Olympic venues, including the athletes’ village, are located near the fire areas. Although no infrastructure has yet been affected, concern is growing.
Governor Gavin Newsom, determined, calls for cooperation: “This only reinforces the need to act quickly in a spirit of collaboration“, according to franceinfo. But other voices, like that of Simon Chadwick, professor of sports economics and geopolitics at Skema Paris, are warning of the potential impact of future climate disasters on the Games.
Rethink the event?
The solutions considered range from a minimalist overhaul of the initial event to an outright withdrawal. According to Mael Besson, former expert in ecological transition at the Ministry of Sports, we must consider all scenarios: “At the Tokyo Games, we couldn’t imagine holding the Olympics without an audience, the Australian Open was impacted by the fires”again according to information from franceinfo.
Even more radical, Mark Dyerson, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests a relocation to Pariswhere the infrastructures are ready and proven. An idea which, although “unfortunate”, could be considered by the IOC (Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games), according to his comments in the New York Post.
A colossal challenge
Between reconstruction and organization, Los Angeles has its work cut out for it. The cost of insurance could skyrocket, reminiscent of the expensive postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. One thing is certain: the next few years will be decisive for the future of the 2028 Games.
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