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The Olympics in Paris, France, saw several world records and great athletic displays. For example, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Saint Lucia won their first ever gold medals in their countries' history, while Cindy Ngamba, originally from Cameroon and resident in the United Kingdom, became the first athlete from the refugee delegation to stand on the podium to receive a medal.
We also cannot fail to mention the dazzling performance of Simone Biles who won eleven medals in total and joins the select list of elite athletes who crown the United States as the definitive winner of the Olympic Games 2024 with 126 medals in total, followed by China with 91 and Japan with 45.
However, not everything was so sweet, as this long-awaited sporting event was criticized for several flaws: the lack of well-equipped spaces for athletes, food, water, sanitation, and yes, the amount of trash and waste.
These games were, without a doubt, old-world; the United States is taking the lead again, and the "Golden State" is looking to become the future of this competition, one where sustainability is the protagonist, but also the well-being of the athletes and the enjoyment of the spectators; for California, none of these should be at stake. The question is, will it succeed?
Passing the torch
For many, it did not surpass the closing ceremony of its predecessor (Tokyo 2020), but it was not bad. The party was colorful and the music a delight: Kavinsky, Phoenix and Air, gave the touch that paid tribute to the musical movement "French Touch".
The cherry on the cake at the closing of the celebration was the unexpected appearance of the American actor Tom Cruise, who in the purest style of his iconic character in Mission Impossible, Ethan Hunt, descended onto the stage to receive the Olympic flag, accepting the baton for the celebration of the Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles, California.
To the tune of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, spectators were thrilled to see a video of Cruise carrying the flag to the famous Hollywood sign, which is altered to show the Olympic rings where the double "O" is located. The party began and the RHCP played Can't Stop, then Billie Eilish with Birds of a Feather, and finally Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, with his iconic Still DRE; without a doubt, the United States knows how to put on a show.
California Governor Gavin Newson congratulated California athletes for winning 22 medals, including six gold, and said, "These Games are an opportunity to showcase the best of our state and our nation. We are excited to share the majesty of California, but it is also our strength, integrity, sportsmanship and perseverance. It was an honor to meet Mayor Bass, the Olympic staff and our Olympic competitors as they return to the United States as champions."
And 121 of the 594 American athletes who competed in Paris are originally from California.
This will be the third time the Golden State has hosted the event, with the first being in 1932 and the second in 1984.
Be the best, be sustainable
Undoubtedly, preparing the city of Los Angeles for an event of such magnitude is a titanic task, which has meant very specific renovations and preparations.
Overhauling the public transportation system, renovating LA's international airport and making significant inroads into addressing homelessness is no easy feat. Event organizers have spoken of their intention to get attendees to use public transportation and thereby combat car dependency.
Historic venues such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Olympic swimming pool, which opened in 1932, will also be renovated for the occasion.
There is no better way to work on sustainability and save public funds than to use existing infrastructure instead of building new facilities when there are dedicated spaces for this. The key words are maintenance and refurbishment, complying with the International Olympic Committee's sustainability standards and recommendations.
Gymnastics events, for example, will be held at the newly renovated Crypto.com Arena, which is home to the NBA’s LA Lakers, the National Hockey Association’s LA Kings and the LA Sparks women’s basketball team. Basketball competitions will be held at the Intuit Dome, which is home to the NBA’s Clippers, while SoFI Stadium in Inglewood will be converted into an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Track and field events and the Paralympics will be held at a renovated LA Memorial Coliseum.
In an unexpected development, the softball and canoeing competitions will be held in Oklahoma City. This difficult decision was made because there are no facilities in LA and in a firm commitment to sustainability, it has been decided not to build temporary facilities and to move the events to a suitable location.
It is worth mentioning that there are still four years to go before the Olympics are held on the West Coast and some of these venues may change depending on the challenges that arise in the future.
Collaborations with artists and athletes have also been revealed to create logos that celebrate the diversity of California and the City of Los Angeles. These are letter “A”s with different styles and created specifically to celebrate an aspect of the city.
Contributors include Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Billie Eilish, Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, and more. Each has a short video explaining the intent and meaning of their design. There are also some that were designed to communicate an aspect of this highly anticipated event, including a graffiti-like design (and apparently the icon for your search engine page) that represents street art and celebrates the act of self-expression, muralism, and diversity in Los Angeles.
Sun, sand, traffic and a lot of diversity await the athletes and guests of the next event in 2028. While some are already dreaming of beach volleyball among palm trees and music, others fear the challenge of navigating one of the largest cities in the world. The only thing that is certain is that this event will bring with it changes to the face of LA and with a bit of luck, a reinvigoration of the public transportation system that should be the veins that feed energy and life to this beautiful city.
This is undoubtedly a summer competition that no one will want to miss, as what is at stake is why California is the "golden state" and the spearhead of sustainability in the United States: the verdict will be given in four years.
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