IOC President Thomas Bach Inspects New Venues for LA28 Olympic Games

Sports Sophia Klein September 30, 2024

IOC President Thomas Bach Inspects New Venues for LA28 Olympic Games

IOC President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles to inspect new sports venues ahead of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He toured SoFi Stadium, where a significant swimming venue will be installed, and the recently opened Intuit Dome for basketball. Bach praised the facilities and anticipated a remarkable Olympic experience in LA.

In a significant visit to Los Angeles, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, made an official tour of the newest world-class venues in the city, which is set to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games LA28. This visit occurred seven weeks after the ceremonial flag handover from Paris during the Closing Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Accompanying President Bach were key figures including LA28 President Casey Wasserman, IOC Vice-President Nicole Hoevertsz, who heads the Coordination Commission for the upcoming Games, and IOC Members Anita DeFrantz and Hong Zhang. During this tour, President Bach visited SoFi Stadium, a premier sports facility situated in Inglewood. Here, he was joined by important local officials including Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, and James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood. The stadium will play a crucial role during the Olympic Games, as a swimming pool will be installed to accommodate events, establishing it as the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, with seating for 38,000 spectators. Notably, outside of Olympic activities, SoFi Stadium is the home ground for NFL teams, the Rams and Chargers. During his time there, President Bach experienced an NFL matchup featuring the LA Chargers against the Kansas City Chiefs, attending a game that drew an impressive crowd of 70,000 fans. Additionally, President Bach toured the newly opened Intuit Dome, which will serve as the venue for the basketball tournament during the Olympic Games and has a seating capacity of 18,000. This modern arena is also the new home for the NBA team, the LA Clippers. After assessing the venues, President Bach commented on their remarkable quality and the extraordinary experience they promise for athletes at LA28, expressing his anticipation for the authenticity and cultural representation that this host city will provide, analogous to what is expected from Paris 2024.

The IOC President’s visit to Los Angeles centers around the preparations for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games LA28. As the city transitions undergoing various developments in sports infrastructure post the Paris 2024 Games, the focus is on ensuring venues are not only state-of-the-art but also reflective of the local sports culture. LA28 is expected to showcase hallmark Olympic values, cultural storytelling, and world-class sporting experiences, set against the backdrop of Los Angeles’ vibrant environment. The evaluation of venues such as SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome highlights their significance in the Olympic calendar, while also underlining the city’s readiness and enthusiasm to host global sporting events.

In conclusion, President Thomas Bach’s visit to Los Angeles for a tour of the newly constructed sports venues epitomizes the preparatory efforts for the Olympic and Paralympic Games LA28. His interactions with local officials and the firsthand experience of the stadiums signify a promising outlook for the upcoming Olympic events, which aim to blend sport and the local culture of Los Angeles seamlessly. The remarks made by President Bach affirm the potential of these venues to create a memorable and distinctive Olympic experience for athletes and spectators alike.

Original Source: olympics.com