Fires that have destroyed much of it in recent weeks have called into question the city’s ability to safely host the 2028 Paralympic Games in an area plagued by natural disasters. So far, none of the 80 Olympic venues already announced have been directly affected by the killing fires that left behind at least 25 dead and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings. CORVERSE The Riviera Country Club golf course was spared, although it is located in the damaged Pacific Palisades neighborhood (west). The UCLA campus, to be used as an Olympic Village, was almost deserted last Monday, given its proximity to the Palisades fire, which destroyed everything in its passage. “The situation is serious and given the developments associated with global warming, we can ask ourselves whether something similar could be repeated, probably during the Olympic Games,” Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports economics and geopolitics in Paris, explained in the newspaper “iPaper”. Historical data mitigates Los Angeles concerns, as according to CalFire state service, no fire in Los Angeles County prior to the current was ranked among the 20 most destructive in California History. Also, the Olympic Games will be held in July, a time of the year that Santa Ana winds do not breathe, a key factor in continued destruction. CORVERSE It is recalled that Los Angeles has already hosted the Olympics twice, in 1932 and 1984. “The organizing committees will take these events into account in their programming, but they are essentially working on possibilities, considering how many of them should reasonably be included in a budget, but also how careful they should be”, explains Dan Plumley, an expert in economic sport, at Sheffield Hallam University, speaking in the same newspaper and adding: “We will see how much they will take into consideration the danger, but these fires have acted as a huge reminder.” At the same time, the professor of the University of Pennsylvania, Mark Dyerson, proposed the reassignment of the Olympic Games in Paris, in case Los Angeles faces difficulties. “It would be unfortunate, but I am sure that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) weighs all odds,” he stressed in the “New York Post”. California Governor, Gavin Newsome assured speaking to “NBC” that preparations for the 2028 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup, with eight games scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, had begun in the best possible way. As Newsom estimates, the proliferation of major sports events in Los Angeles in the following years (World Club Cup 2025, NBA All-Star Game 2026, Superbowl 2027) should be considered an opportunity: “In my humble opinion, and without being naive or optimistic, this strengthens the need to work quickly and work together.” However, representatives of the far right, such as Charlie Kirk, have requested the “cancellation” of the Los Angeles Olympic Games, which is a stronghold of Democrats. “I hope that until the Olympic Games are held, Altadena and Palisades neighborhoods will be rebuilt,” said Sean Sedlachek, an event developer who has turned one of his buildings into a donor center for disaster victims: “I don’t think the situation requires such an event to stop. We will be ready and that is why we need more than ever support and jobs. We should be happy to take over the Olympic Games.” Source: RES-AE
Los Angeles fires threaten the 2028 Olympics
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in Sports