L.A. officially awarded 2028 Olympic Games

On Wednesday, Los Angeles was officially awarded the honor of hosting the 2028 Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee unanimously approved the unusual arrangement in Lima, Peru, in which two cities were awarded Games at once. Paris was awarded the 2024 Olympic Games, while Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 Olympic Games.

“This is a win-win-win situation for Paris, Los Angeles and the entire Olympic Movement,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

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“Everyone connected with LA 2028 is thrilled to be part of this win-win-win scenario for the Olympic movement,” bid leader Casey Wasserman said in a statement. “Together, L.A., Paris and the IOC will demonstrate the Games’ enduring value to host communities.”

However, the decision is not without controversy, as the Olympic Games have a reputation of being a financial drain on the host city. Mayor Eric Garcetti signed the “host city contract” immediately after the vote, promising that the city of Los Angeles would serve as a financial fallback and would incur any debts from the Olympic Games incurred over its $5.3-billion estimated budget. Critics have pushed for the Games to be held elsewhere, pointing to cities like Rio de Janeiro that have been left in deficit.

“Despite the fact that the IOC has awarded L.A. the bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, the fight isn’t over,” the NOlympics LA group said in a statement. “The notion that ‘L.A. is going to have the Olympics, one way or another’ isn’t necessarily true, as many opportunities still exist to intervene and stop them entirely.”

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