The raging wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area in late 2024 sent shockwaves through the city and raised serious concerns about the feasibility of hosting the 2028 Olympic Games. Former Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr., a resident of Pacific Palisades, vividly described the harrowing experience of fleeing his home as ”glowing rain falling from the sky.” He managed to escape with his dog, a painting, and a few personal belongings, but tragically lost his ten Olympic medals to the inferno. While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) promised to replace the medals with replicas, the broader devastation wrought by the fires presented far more complex challenges. Over 145 square kilometers were scorched, displacing more than 130,000 people and leaving homes, businesses, and crucial infrastructure in ruins. The fires ignited a global conversation about the escalating risks of climate change and its potential impact on major sporting events.
The fires encroached upon key venues designated for the 2028 Games, further amplifying anxieties. The Riviera Country Club, slated to host the Olympic golf tournament, fell within the evacuation zone. The historic Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, planned for soccer matches in 2028 and the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025, was precariously close to the fire’s path. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), intended to house the Olympic Village, became a ghost town as students preemptively evacuated. While firefighters managed to contain the blaze at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, the future site of archery, skateboarding, and BMX competitions, the near miss underscored the vulnerability of the Games to such unforeseen events.
Experts weighed in on the implications of the fires for the upcoming Olympics. Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy, warned that climate change could unleash even more severe fires in the coming years, posing a significant threat to the Games. He also predicted that the costs of hosting the Olympics would likely escalate due to the extensive infrastructure repairs and rebuilding efforts required. Iris Stewart-Frey, a climate professor at Santa Clara University, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that even a technologically advanced city like Los Angeles was not immune to the impacts of climate change. She stressed the need for proactive planning and adaptation strategies to address increasingly unpredictable weather and climate events.
The wildfires also ignited a heated political debate in the United States. Then-President Donald Trump criticized the Democratic leadership in California for their handling of the crisis, while conservative commentator Charlie Kirk suggested relocating the Olympics. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom remained optimistic about the state’s ability to host the 2028 Games, viewing the fires as a stark reminder of the urgent need for collaborative action to address climate change. The IOC President, Thomas Bach, expressed solidarity with the residents of Los Angeles and praised the efforts of firefighters and emergency personnel. The LA28 organizing committee also voiced support for the affected communities and shared links to relief organizations.
The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles were designed to leverage existing and adaptable venues to minimize costs. The LA Memorial Coliseum, which previously hosted the Games in 1932 and 1984, was earmarked for track and field events. The Intuit Dome, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, was designated as the basketball venue, while the SoFi Stadium, home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, was set to be transformed into the largest Olympic swimming venue in history. With a temporary floor installed over the pool, SoFi Stadium would also host the opening and closing ceremonies. Student housing at UCLA was intended to serve as the Olympic Village, with soccer matches taking place at the Rose Bowl and beach volleyball on the shores of Santa Monica.
To further control expenses, some events were planned for locations outside of Los Angeles. Equestrian competitions were to be held in the Temecula wine region, while softball and canoe slalom were slated for Oklahoma City. This decentralized approach aimed to optimize resource utilization and minimize the need for extensive new construction. However, the fires underscored the inherent vulnerability of this strategy to unforeseen disruptions, particularly in the face of climate change-related events. The experience served as a potent reminder of the need for robust contingency plans and adaptive management strategies to safeguard the future of major sporting events in an increasingly unpredictable world.
