When the Los Angeles Olympic Committee announced a host of venues for the 2028 games last week, Santa Monica was noticeably absent from the list, but plans for a Santa Monica venue are still afoot according to Olympic officials.
Last week, the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games announced more than a dozen venue assignments for Olympic sports in the City of Los Angeles and neighboring cities of Carson and Long Beach.
The City of Los Angeles is the actual host of the games and will be the center of activity but the Committee has said it plans to leverage a variety of regional venues to reduce the need for construction and maximize the quality of the games.
"The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will reflect all that the Los Angeles area has to offer, and with these venue assignments, we’re very proud to bring the Games to many of our vibrant and diverse communities," said LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans. "The City of Los Angeles will host more Olympic sports than anywhere else, and Carson and Long Beach, which hosted competitions in previous Games, will host more competitions than ever before. The venues in these cities are world-class, and provide the ideal conditions for athletes and fans, and we look forward to welcoming them in 2028."
As announced last week Los Angeles is confirmed as hosting Badminton in the USC Sports Center, Fencing in the Convention Center in Downtown, Golf at The Riviera Country Club, Judo in the Convention Center in Downtown, Table Tennis in the Convention Center in Downtown, Taekwondo in the Convention Center in Downtown, Weightlifting in the Theater in Downtown and Wrestling in the Convention Center in Downtown.
Carson will host Track Cycling in the Velodrome ,Hockey at the Fields, Rugby Sevens in the Stadium and Tennis in the Tennis Center.
Long Beach will host Canoe — Sprint in the Marine Stadium, Handball in the Arena, Marathon Swimming at the Waterfront, Rowing in the Marine Stadium, Sailing in the Belmont Shore, Triathlon at the Waterfront and Water Polo in the Convention Center Lot.
Olympic officials said they have a standard contract with venue cities that compensates hosts for costs above and beyond those associated with normal operations. Those contracts are finalized on a city by city basis and while Santa Monica’s isn’t signed yet, the process is proceeding as normal.
While the new golf venue is Santa Monica adjacent, the city itself has previously been identified as the host for Beach Volleyball.
In Olympic Beach Volleyball, teams of two players compete against each other on an outdoor sand court, aiming to hit a ball over a net and have it land inside the court on the opposing team’s side. The Olympics describes it as a fast-paced sport where teams aim to win two out of three sets. The first two sets are played to 21 points and the third set, if necessary, is played to 15 points.
As previously discussed, the venue for the sport would be a temporary 12,000 seat stadium just north of The Pier. The preliminary construction plan for the 2028 Olympics would phase the closure of Beach Lot 1 North over several months. Parking spaces would be temporarily unavailable during the construction, games and tear down.
While the loss of parking is significant, local officials have continued work in anticipation of the games arrival.
The City of Santa Monica has initiated the "Celebrate28 initiative" to prepare for the LA28 Olympics by involving City staff, community leaders, and business representatives. Nine committees will be formed to define goals, set milestones, and determine resource needs for Santa Monica’s participation. The City Manager’s Office leads the initiative, aiming to ensure thorough preparation for the Olympics. Members will participate in regular meetings, collaborate on objectives, identify resources, and execute plans in line with the City’s budget process. Major decisions will follow council direction.
matt@smdp.com
