Los Angeles Closely Watching Paris Olympics, Has Plans To Improve

The Olympics torch will be passed on Sunday to Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 summer games. But city officials are already deep into planning, and have learned a few things from the Paris events.

Complaints about cramped quarters, bad food, limited air conditioning, uncomfortable beds, a lack of protein, and a dirty Seine have plagued the Paris games. Los Angeles officials have taken notes, and think the city’s first Olympics in 40 years and first Paralympics can do better.

Janet Evans is chief athlete officer for LA2028, the organizing committee bringing the games to L.A. She is a four-time gold medal winner and set several world records as a U.S. Olympic swimmer. 

“Having lived in three Olympic Villages and having competed in three Olympic Games, … it’s really important to understand what the athletes are experiencing,” Evans said to Associated Press.

The Olympic Village in Los Angeles will be housing athletes at UCLA.

“We feed thousands of students a day. UCLA houses thousands of students a day and so we’re tried and tested and true,” Evans said. “I eat the food once a week, at least, at UCLA, which is delicious. So I can vouch for that.”

The city’s notorious traffic issues are front and center in planning.

Evans said deliveries for athletes would be made late at night, and companies will be urged to implement a more robust work-from-home plan for employees in the Southern California region for the duration of the Games.

The city will also institute “Olympic lanes” to ensure athletes can “get from point A to point B quicker,” Evans said.