LA 2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman said the revised venue plan extends the footprint for Olympic Games to the edges of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
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Long Beach, located 24 miles south of Los Angeles and which would become one of the central areas of the Games if Los Angeles emerges triumphant ahead of its three rivals, has also been given sailing events, originally planned for San Pedro, under the alterations. The city’s downtown waterfront will be the site of open water swimming and triathlon, which will also use the Long Beach Grand Prix course.
The changes create a larger cluster of sports in Long Beach, creating a Park that can benefit from other spectator facilities such a celebration sites and cultural attractions.
Los Angeles is competing against Paris and Budapest for the opportunity to host the Olympics in 2024.
Moving volleyball from Pauley Pavilion to Honda Center was made at the suggestion of officials for FIVB, volleyball’s worldwide governing body.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said his city “has a long history of hosting Olympic competitions and producing local Olympians and Paralympians”.
The Honda Center in Anaheim will host Volleyball, bringing the sport to a professional sports arena that seats more than 18,000 fans and is the home of the NHL Ducks franchise. Though the U.S. Open and PGA Championships are not in the cards for the foreseeable future, the course known as “Hogan’s Alley” could grab a wonderful consolation prize.
An aerial view taken from the MetLife blimp on February 19, 2016, shows the Riviera Country Club.
The Long Beach Arena will host team handball.
“By relying on Southern California’s wealth of top sports, housing and transportation infrastructure, LA 2024 will minimise construction risk, operational struggles and costs, and can focus on providing athletes with the flawless stage to perform their best, without distraction”.
Previously, the city hosted rowing at the Long Beach Marine Stadium in the 1932 Olympics and in the 1984 Olympics hosted archery at El Dorado Park, fencing at the Long Beach Convention Center, volleyball at the Long Beach Arena and sailing at the Long Beach Shoreline Marina.
Though some events were removed from the Westside, they could be replaced by sports such as surfing and sport climbing that are being introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The bid committee has until February 3 to file its finalized plans to the International Olympic Committee, so it’s likely that LA 2024 will have a few more big announcements to make in the coming months.
“We are proud to join the LA 2024 team and will do everything we can to support Los Angeles and the United States bid”, Garcia said.
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The IOC will elect its chosen 2024 host city at its 130 Session in Lima on September 13, 2017.
