Front gateway of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, center of the Summer Olympics in 1984 and for 2028. The statutes, installed just before the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, were created by Veniced-base sculpture Robert Graham and modeled after an unnamed water polo and track and field athlete in that year's event. Los Angeles Almanac photo.
On July 31, 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced that Los Angeles will host the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad (also called the 2028 Summer Olympics or LA 2028). Los Angeles will also host the Summer Paralympics that follow. The 2028 event will tie Los Angeles with London and Paris as the only cities in world to host three Olympic events and the first city outside of Europe to do so. The 2028 Summer Olympic are scheduled to begin on July 14, 2028. The 2028 Paralympic Games will follow on August 15, 2028.
| Event | 1932 X Olympiad Los Angeles |
1984 XXIII Olympiad Los Angeles |
2028 XXXIV Olympiad Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | July 30 – August 14 | July 28 – August 12 | July 14 – July 30 |
| Number of Nations | 37 | 140 | Pending |
| Number of Sports | 20 | 30 | 28* |
| Number of Events | 117 | 221 | Pending |
| Number of Male Athletes | 1,206 | 5,263 | Pending |
| Number of Female Athletes | 126 | 1,566 | Pending |
| U.S. Television Rights | --- | ABC - $225 million | NBCUniversal |
* As currently planned.
Source: International Olympic Committee
View of Olympic Stadium (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) on opening day, July 30, 1932, for the X Summer Olympics. Click on image for larger version. Image from the Library of Congress.
U.S. Olympic Team marching in opening ceremonies of 1984 Summer Olympics at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 28, 1984. Image by Ken Hackman, U.S. Air Force, at Wikimedia Comm.
In 1932, California was considered relatively remote to much of the Western world. The Los Angeles Olympics of 1932 hosted less than half the number of athletes than those in the previous 1928 games. This was the lowest number since 1904. Despite that, the Coliseum Olympic Stadium marveled the world as the most impressive Olympic venue until that time. Opening ceremonies were attended by 100,000 spectators - more than had attended any previous opening ceremonies.
Since 1900 and until 1932, no Olympic Games had lasted less than 79 days. The Los Angeles Olympics in 1932 lasted a mere 16 days. All summer games since have lasted between 16 to 18 days.
The X Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1932 was the first to offer an Olympic Village for athletes (only males; women stayed in local hotels). It was also the first Olympics to feature a podium for the medal winners and the raising of their national flags.
Debuting in the Olympics at the Los Angeles Olympic Games of 1984 was the first paraplegic athlete in a medal event (competing in a wheelchair), the first Olympic women’s marathon, the first Olympic synchronised swimming events and the first Olympic women’s cycling road race.
