The Los Angeles City Council on Friday voted unanimously to authorize the City of Los Angeles to sign the Host City Contract with the International Olympic Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The City Council approved LA 2024’s Host City contract in January, but was required to vote again on the newly negotiated Host City Contract 2028. With the new agreement, LA 2028 will invest up to $160 million to increase participation and access to youth sports programs in the City of Los Angeles in the years leading up to the Games. The new Host City Contract also provides LA 2028 with a greater share of a Games surplus and an IOC contribution of $2 billion.
The City Council’s decision legally empowers LA to enter a tripartite agreement with the IOC and Paris, clearing the way for the IOC Membership to simultaneously award the Olympic Games 2024 to Paris and the Olympic Games 2028 to Los Angeles at the next IOC session in Lima, Peru, on September 13, 2017.
More than 50 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and City leaders joined LA 2028 in Council Chambers to express their support for bringing the Games back to LA. Among the athletes in attendance was Carl Lewis, who 33 years ago today won his fourth gold medal and set a new world record in the 4 x 100 m relay.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said: “We negotiated the deal of a lifetime to bring the Games back to America, create a new Olympic legacy for the next generation, and deliver access to sports and fitness programs to every community in Los Angeles. Today’s vote by the City Council is a resounding show of confidence in our fiscally responsible plan for 2028, and more evidence of Angelenos’ passion to return the Games to LA.”
LA City Council President Herb Wesson said: “Today’s vote isn’t just about 2028; it is about what will happen in between now and then: the progress we will make, the principles that will guide us and most importantly, the young people we will inspire.”
LA 2028 Chairman Casey Wasserman said: “Since our announcement that we would pursue the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we’ve worked closely with the City Council to ensure the 2028 Host City Contract is the best deal for our city and all Angelenos. Today we’re offering the same low-risk plan for 2028 as we offered for 2024 with no new permanent venues, infrastructure or transportation to build. Together with the united support of the City Council and the people of Los Angeles, we will deliver the greatest Games possible in 2028.”
