OLYMPICS: Los Angeles bid to host 2028 Olympics progresses; not yet a done deal

LOS ANGELES – After weeks of negotiations with the International Olympic Committee, Los Angeles officials have reached a deal to host the 2028 Summer Games under terms they hope will generate hundreds of millions in savings and additional revenues. The agreement will bring the Olympics back to Southern California for a third time, after Los Angeles hosted in 1984 and 1932. It also opens the door for the 2024 Games to be held in Paris. –David Wharton, writing in the Los Angeles Times.

Is it a done deal? No, so don't be misled by the headline on a cut-and-paste USA sailing website declaring, "Los Angeles to Host 2028 Olympic Games." The L.A. Times article goes on to report that "[L.A. Mayor] Garcetti and [Bid Committee Chair] Wasserman said they are confident that they can reach an accord with all parties — which include state and federal officials — before the IOC meets in mid-September. At that point, IOC members will be asked to vote their approval and L.A. must sign the revised host city contract, making the deal official."

Even yesterday's convoluted IOC press release says that L.A. has only declared it's candidature for 2028 with Paris having been given the green light for hosting the 2024 Games.

So let's hope it all works out. SAILING ILLUSTRATED believes it would be a real shot in the arm for our sport to have the sailing Olympics once again in SoCal same as 1932 and the hugely successful (financially and otherwise) Olympics in L.A. in 1984. The L.A. bid recently swapped the sailing venue from San Pedro to Long Beach, which SI fully supports with congrats to Long Beach sailor (the Santa Cruz 70 OEX, among others) and restauranteur (Gladstone's Long Beach in Rainbow Harbor) John Sangmeister and his team for helping make that happen.

Photo courtesy of the IOC.