AN AMBITIOUS VISION FOR LA 

John Harper took to the stage with enthusiasm and with a powerful video, describing Los Angeles as “a world we call LA,” a city where “you can be the person you want.” The LA28 Committee aims to share “the real LA 2028” with the world, showcasing its diversity, inclusivity, and innovation. Harper noted the immense scale of their goals, saying, “Our ambition is enormous, but in order to get everything we want, we cannot take anything for granted.”

LA28 is going to set new records with features like the largest swimming venue in Olympic history and a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Village at UCLA. The Organising Committee itself reflects LA’s diversity, with over 150 employees, 48% from underrepresented groups, and 9% being former Olympians or Paralympians, united by a commitment to create a memorable experience for all.

THE INSIGHTS FROM SARAH HIRSHLAND

Following Harper’s presentation, Sarah Hirshland shared insights with Sportsin on the progression of preparations. “We’re excited,” she said, adding that the post-Paris 2024 momentum is driving them forward. “The sense of urgency is heightened, and the timeline that once seemed long now feels short,” Hirshland remarked, emphasizing the team’s motivation. 

For Hirshland, Los Angeles’ cultural vibrancy plays a key role in LA28’s approach, particularly in how the city’s identity will shape the Olympics. “When you think about LA, you have to think about pop culture—movies, music, entertainment,” she noted. Fans can expect a unique integration of LA’s cultural elements with Olympic traditions. Hirshland hinted at groundbreaking developments in venue design and technology: “You’ll see venues and technology that we haven’t seen before in the Games, integrated into what spectators and athletes experience.”

Listening to athletes is another priority for LA28, especially regarding their living arrangements. The Olympic Village at UCLA, a pre-existing campus, is seen as an asset due to its comprehensive facilities. “They’re already accustomed to accommodations, meals, service, cleaning, and security,” Harper added, hoping this established setting will make for a smoother transition to an Olympic audience. Hirshland underscored the importance of listening to athlete voices to continually improve. “You’re always better served if you’re listening to the people that you serve,” she said, explaining that they see a natural advantage in the collegiate atmosphere, making it easier to tailor to the athletes’ needs.

HELPING ATHLETES BUILD CAREERS

Highlighting the Committee’s focus on supporting retired athletes, Hirshland described LA28’s athlete fellowship program as a means for former Olympians and Paralympians to transition into impactful careers within the organization. “It’s about helping athletes build careers in an industry they love,” she explained. Former athletes now work in diverse roles like technology, finance, and athlete services, reflecting the Committee’s commitment to nurturing talent and passion beyond competitive sports.

Lastly, Hirshland touched on a memorable Olympic ambassador: Snoop Dogg. When asked if fans might see a similar promotional style for LA28, Hirshland was enthusiastic: “We’ve officially adopted Snoop Dogg as a member of Team USA, and he’ll be back with us,” she said, mentioning that other celebrities and artists will likely join, attracted by the Games’ cultural power and significance. “Snoop was an incredible promotional tool because he loved being there, and that’s authentic,” Hirshland added.

As Harper, Hirshland, and the LA28 team forge ahead, the world can expect an Olympic Games where sport meets culture, diversity drives ambition, and Los Angeles’ unique spirit shines on the global stage.

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“We have a very high hurdle. The Lima 2019 Pan American Games were ranked as the biggest ever and now we are looking to improve the esteem and perspective that Lima is held in as a city that organizes multi-sport events. We want to bring athletes and their families closer and be a reference to our neighbors of the National Olympic Committees of South America by showing the sustainability of the project, the legacy it leaves for the city and the good economic, social and sporting data”, explains the Peruvian lawyer and leader.

A UNIQUE ROWING TRACK IN PERU

How to overcome in eight years an event of such magnitude? “The strength of Lima 2027 is the legacy as much of the infrastructure that will be used comes from Lima 2019 and is being used every day. Apart from that, the two big investments to be made are the two ten-story towers that have to be erected to meet the bed quota for this edition and the rowing track or canal that would be an unprecedented legacy for Peruvian sport,” he comments proudly. It will be one more point of connection of Peruvian sport with water, a liquid element that in Paris 2024 gave him a joy in the form of a medal thanks to sailing.

Although, undoubtedly, one of the strongest points of Lima 2027 will be -beyond the legacy in infrastructure- how it will mark Peruvian society to try to be a little better. “There will be meeting points between medalists and family members to enhance the message of the importance of family in the success of an athlete. This is a positive message that will be sent to Peruvian society and will be seen as a ‘role model’. It doesn’t have to be a Peruvian medalist, but anyone,” says Manyari, who sees an opportunity to inspire and set an example for healthy social growth.

100% PROTAGONISM FOR THE ATHLETE

In addition, the athlete will be the main protagonist whether competing or resting. “In the village there will also be a series of activations and services that will put the focus on the athlete so that he or she has everything at hand and feels at home and even makes the Peruvian culture their own so that they live the best possible experience in these Games.”

“The Pan American Games have to be for everyone”, emphasizes the president of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, who speaks of ‘legacy’, ‘sustainability’, ‘respect’, ‘fair Games’ as pillars of his speech to make Lima 2027 an even better event than Lima 2019.

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The opening ceremony set a powerful tone, with distinguished figures including José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, President of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, and Carlos Carreira, Mayor of Cascais, extending a warm Portuguese welcome to the attendees. They were joined by ANOC President Robin Mitchell, IOC President Thomas Bach, and Artur Lopes, President of the Portuguese NOC, underscoring the importance of this assembly for the international sports community.

IOC President Thomas Bach took the stage with a call for solidarity, underscoring the value of strong relationships among the world’s federations. His speech celebrated the Olympic family spirit and stressed the importance of unity to address today’s sport challenges. His words drew resounding applause and also some laughs when he remarked how this year his speech had been 5 min shorter so “he was getting better”. He set an inspirational mood for the reports presented by ANOC President Robin Mitchell and Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg.

A key focus of today’s sessions included updates on upcoming Olympic Games. NOCs received the final report on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, followed by an update from the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committee. Other priority topics such as anti-doping measures and sports ethics also took center stage, demonstrating ANOC’s ongoing commitment to integrity and fair play in sports.

This evening, delegates will gather for the 2024 ANOC Awards at the Estoril Congress Center. The award ceremony, set to be an unforgettable highlight, will celebrate exceptional achievements in the sporting world and recognize the tireless efforts of NOCs and their athletes.

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‘It’s very difficult to qualify for both the Olympics and the Paralympics, so I’m trying to make the most of this experience,’ Alexandre told Olympics.com. Her Olympic debut followed a bronze medal in able-bodied table tennis at the 2023 Pan American Games and she was excited to compete alongside some of the sport’s modern greats. ‘It was my first Olympic Games here in Paris and it was a great experience to be with the best athletes in the world,’ she said.

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While Alexandre is now the first Brazilian athlete to compete at both the Olympics and Paralympics, she is not alone in her achievement at international level – Australia’s Melissa Tapper and Poland’s Natalia Partyka return after competing in Olympic and Paralympic table tennis events at Tokyo 2020.

It was four-time Olympic champion and six-time Paralympic champion Natalia Partyka who inspired Alexandre after watching her play on YouTube at the age of 13 and after eight defeats to Partyka in her career, Alexandre finally beat her long-time idol last year.

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The group working on the project has been led by Patrick Bonner, CEO of the British Gymnastics Foundation who has been joined by Angela Turner, chair of the British Gymnastics Disability Panel. ‘The next three years are vitally important to this process as we develop an FIG Code of Points for men’s and women’s artistic Paralympic gymnastics and a classification structure for the disciplines,’ said Bonner.

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Bonner also shared that in October 2024, the FIG Para-Gymnastics working group will hold its first Congress where attendees will vote to formally recognise Para-Gymnastics as a new discipline within the FIG family of disciplines. The hope is that with a vote from all FIG member nations, a resolution will be passed that will officially put Para-Gymnastics on the map and push forward plans for 2032.

On the eve of the #Paris2024 Paralympic Games, we reiterate our ambition for gymnastics to become a Paralympic sport by Brisbane 2032 ??

For gymnasts like Millie, this would be a dream come true.

“In October 2024 the FIG will have its Congress, at which a vote will be taken… pic.twitter.com/21Nn7BG5Ss

— British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) August 27, 2024

Currently, the highest level of competition in disability gymnastics is at national level. On 28 September, British Gymnastics will host the 2024 British Para-Gymnastics Championships in Cardiff. As this is the highest level of disabled gymnastics competition for athletes, the FIG Para-Gymnastics working group hopes to take the competitions beyond their current national boundaries.

NO NEW SPORT AT PARIS 2024 AND ONE AT LA28

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have not unveiled any new sports or disciplines. Para badminton and para taekwondo are the newest disciplines, making their debut at Tokyo 2020 at the 2021 Paralympic Games.

Climbing will appear on the Paralympic agenda for 2028, which the board of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) approved at its June meeting as proposed by the LA28 organising committee. Therefore for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games there will be 23 Paralympic disciplines. Los Angeles 2028 will therefore be the Paralympic Games with the most sports disciplines in history (23), ahead of Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 (22), and Beijing 2008 and London 2012 (20).

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In total, more than 350,000 fans have attended the tournaments, taking padel to new frontiers around the world. On court, Coello and Tapia have six victories on Tour and Galán and Chingotto follow with five. On the women’s side, Ariana Sanchez and Paula Josemaria have six victories, making them the most successful women’s pairing with 33 titles. They are also the third most successful pairing in history, tied with Lebron-Galan, with two less than Belasteguin and Lima and leading the way is the Belasteguin-Martin Diaz pairing.

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New pairings are also starting to emerge that will give people something to talk about, such as the Lebron-Di Nenno pairing, winning the Premier Padel Finland P2.

MILESTONES OFF THE TRACK

Sponsorship and partnership agreements with brands such as Red Bull, Qatar Airways, Wilson, Playtomic and Mondo. The merger with WPT in May, establishing a single tour for padel and the constitution of the new Executive Committee of Premier Padel and the reinforcement of the management team with the appointment of David Serrahima as CEO.

Record awards and growth in social media platforms, launch of official Premier Padel apparel for players and fans, launch of a new website.

US EXPANSION

In 2025, Premier Padel will expand into the USA, reaching many more fans and creating new opportunities for players and sponsors. The move comes after the International Padel Federation (FIP) wants to launch Padel America to support the regional growth of the sport.

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She represented Afghanistan at the 2020 Summer Paralympics after initially being denied the opportunity to compete due to the Taliban takeover in her home country, but was later allowed by the International Paralympic Committee to compete in the event after being safely evacuated.

Khudadadi’s Paralympic debut three years ago at Tokyo 2020 was rather more grim after she was forced to flee Afghanistan. But since France became her home, she has managed to win a bronze medal, making history along the way.

Now, with his sights set on the possibility of winning gold at Los Angeles 2028, Khudadadi will take a break and enjoy his moment of glory in the Parisian sunshine. Afterwards, he will return to full training with his coach. ‘She is not the same person she used to be. In four years, she will be a Paralympic champion, I’m sure of it,’ stressed her coach Haby Niare.

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An emblem and organising committee were created last year and now, according to a statement from Chungcheong 2027, the Organising Committee is taking decisive steps to solidify its preparations with Chungcheong 2027 less than three years away. The 33rd Summer Universiade, which is scheduled for August 1-12, 2027, will now be called the FISU Chungcheong 2027 Games instead of the FISU Chungcheong 2027 World University Games, the statement said.

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Lee Chang Seop, vice president has emphasised preparing for the FISU Games in a ‘unique, meaningful and impactful way’, stressing the importance of being ‘the best games’ with originality and distinctiveness at the forefront of their plans. The statement said the Organising Committee will continue to offer educational programmes ‘to enhance the expertise and competitiveness of its staff members, ensuring they are well equipped to deliver a world-class event’. In addition, badminton training sessions have also been organised with warm-ups, exhibition matches and gave participants the opportunity to experience world-class badminton up close.

FISU DUAL CAREER

Dual career is a term used to describe student-athletes who balance athletic competition and training with full-time university studies.

FISU aims to inspire students to perform at their best, both on the playing field and in their academic pursuits. To this end, FISU is dedicated to enhancing the dual-career student-athlete experience by conducting and supporting dual-career research, reporting on student-athlete survey data and providing resources and tools not only for student-athletes, but also for National University Sport Federations and universities.

FISU TOOLKIT

This toolkit has been designed to assist students, National University Sport Federations (NUSFs) and/or universities to develop, plan and execute a Dual Career programme for their student-athletes.

FISU recognises that NUSFs and universities are at different levels of development with regard to dual degree programmes. In some cases, an NUSF or university may not have a programme in place yet, in other cases, the programme will already be well advanced. This toolkit can also help a student-athlete determine where to find help on their campus if a Dual Career programme does not exist.

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Over the next 12 days, more than 225 broadcasters, websites or platforms will provide more coverage than ever before, taking advantage of the 1,450 hours of live coverage. The International Paralympic Committee‘s aim is to provide the widest possible global coverage and engage a younger audience in Paralympic sport. The IPC hopes to surpass the cumulative audience of 4.1 million people who tuned into the Tokyo and Rio Paralympic Games.

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John Lisko, CEO of IPC Global Media Rights, said: ‘We fully expect Paris 2024 to break every Paralympic Games broadcasting record in existence: a record number of rights holders, more hours of live coverage than ever before and all 22 sports live for the first time in history.

EUROPE WILL EXPERIENCE THE GAMES LIKE NEVER BEFORE

France Télévisions will provide round-the-clock continuous coverage of Paris 2024, with a combination of 300 hours of live and on-demand coverage. Britain’s Channel 4 will broadcast 1,300 hours of live sport which will be streamed for free on various platforms, with subtitles. Across Europe there will be more broadcasting than ever before, with Infront, the IOC agency, providing several thousand hours of coverage for 46 countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Lithuania and Malta.

EXTENSIVE GLOBAL COVERAGE

All 20 member countries of the Arab States Broadcasting Union have committed to providing free-to-air coverage and Algeria will provide live coverage of its athletes. SABC in South Africa and TV Media Sport will ensure that all major public broadcasters in sub-Saharan Africa will broadcast live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies as well as daily highlights. 100Sport joins as MRH in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, with significant sub-licensing coverage through DDS and Viacom18 and its Jio Cinema OTT platform.

In Brazil, Globo will expand its coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games across all its free-to-air, pay TV and digital platforms. There will also be coverage in Argentina with TyC Sports, Chilevisión in Chile and TVES in Venezuela. Thanks to a partnership with Albavisión, 10 free-to-air TV stations in 10 countries in Central and Latin America will also show the Ceremonies live for free, as well as daily one-hour highlights.

LOOKING TO THE HORIZON

With the LA28 Paralympic Games on the horizon after Paris 2024. NBCU’s Peacock will provide the most comprehensive coverage in the history of the Games. In Australia, host country for the Brisbane 2032 Games, Nine Network is making its debut as a broadcaster of the Paralympic Games and will broadcast more than 300 hours of coverage, with 14 hours of live coverage daily on Channel 9 and 9Gem.

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The Ignite365 Awards are the first initiative of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub, a collaboration between the IOC, Beyond Sport and Women Win , which will invest USD 1.2 million in different innovative community projects over the next nine months.

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More than 200 applications from 86 countries were considered for the awards, and the final winners were chosen by a review committee comprised of experts in sport for development, social enterprise, technology and youth leadership. In addition to the grant, each winner will also join the Olympism365 Innovation Centre‘s growing network of partners, contributing to its impact and benefiting from knowledge-sharing opportunities.

WINNERS

Fenikks is a project that has set up plastic waste collection points in 56 disadvantaged neighbourhoods in seven regions of Argentina, transforming this waste into shin guards for football players. So far, the project has donated 3,000 pairs of shin guards and plans to start making football boots from plastic waste.

Grass Skirts is dedicated to using sport to drive social change in Papua New Guinea by promoting gender equality. Through Gymbox, cargo containers are reused as sustainable mobile fitness facilities and community areas, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced gender-based violence. Its Strong Leadership programme aims to transform attitudes towards gender equality, especially among young people.

Never Stop Playing Sports was originally launched in 2020 to support participating athletes in Japan affected by COVID-19. It has been working to support and advise on menstrual health and sports performance, as well as conducting community outreach.

Touch2see is a French company committed to helping visually impaired people follow live sporting events. Using a touch-sensitive tablet, it enhances the experience of attending a live sporting event. It can currently be used for football, rugby and basketball.

WeSwim works to increase swimming opportunities for people with disabilities in Britain, offering the chance to get active and connect with others.

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