The finale of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris featured a memorable televised “handover” to the next host city, Los Angeles. Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed in front of a quintessentially Californian backdrop: sandy beach, palm trees, blue ocean and crystal-clear skies.
But that blissful image has been ruptured in recent days as parts of Los Angeles were engulfed in flames, reducing homes and businesses across the sprawling metropolis to smoldering heaps of ash and rubble, most calamitously in the Pacific Palisades and the community of Altadena.
It’s unlikely the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be moved — and so far none of the marquee arenas, stadiums or athlete housing complexes have been damaged by the flames. But the fires have nonetheless cast a shadow over the next installment of the Games.
The task facing the city and the organizers who successfully brought the Games to the West Coast is no small feat: rebuild and rebound in time to host some 15 million people for the 17-day sports extravaganza.
At least one top official is confident the City of Angels will be back on its feet in time for the festivities. Casey Wasserman, the chairman of LA28, a private fundraising and organizing group behind the Games, touted the city’s tenacity in the face of obstacles.
“Los Angeles is defined by its resilience and determination,” Wasserman said in a statement. “The strength of our communities and our unity in tough times make this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will shine brighter than ever before.”