With just over three years to go until the Opening Ceremony, the LA28 Organising Committee has unveiled the updated Paralympic venue plan following approval from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board.
The venue plan of the LA28 Paralympic Games is strategically designed for the needs of athletes and the respective sport’s field of play requirements – matching each event with the best venue – while also delivering an exceptional experience for fans from around the world.
Several sports where Team Ireland made the podium in Paris – Para athletics, swimming, cycling, and rowing – will be staged in iconic and accessible locations across the city, ensuring a world-class stage for the nation’s top Paralympians to compete once again.
With every competition venue within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan maximises the use of premier venues within the Los Angeles area, reduces the overall number of standalone sites and minimises travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village.
As a result, for the first time since Rio 2016, Paralympians across every sport will have the opportunity to be housed together at the Paralympic Village which will be based on UCLA’s campus.
During the Paralympic Games, the majority of sports and disciplines will be held in the City of Los Angeles, with Downtown Los Angeles and Exposition Park zones serving as main hubs for the competitions.
The Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles will serve as a multi-sport complex featuring several dynamic sports including boccia, Para judo, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo and wheelchair fencing.
Adjacent to the Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles, the Arena in Downtown Los Angeles will host wheelchair basketball.
The nearby Peacock Theatre will serve as the home to goalball in an acoustically optimised setting, showcasing a field of play unlike anything the sport has seen before.
The iconic LA Memorial Coliseum will deepen its Games legacy by hosting Para athletics events. It will also host the Closing Ceremony on 27 August, 2028. On the other side of campus, the USC Sports Center will host wheelchair rugby and Para badminton, aligning with LA28’s commitment to maximise the use of existing world-class facilities.
The iconic coastal neighbourhood of Venice Beach will deliver an exciting line up of events including Para triathlon and the starting point of Para athletics marathon.
The City of Carson, a 2028 Venue City, will be the stage for a variety of Paralympic events within its state-of-the-art sports complex including Para archery at the Fields in Carson, wheelchair tennis at the Tennis Center and Para cycling – track in the Velodrome.
The LA28 Games will mark the Paralympic debut of Para climbing featuring 80 athletes across four men’s and four women’s events which will be staged in the Convention Center Lot in Long Beach alongside Para swimming which will be held at the temporary outdoor aquatics centre.
Both events are framed by ocean views which will bring energy and a striking natural backdrop to the competitions.
Within the Convention Center in Long Beach, shooting will take place in a purpose-built, temporary indoor range while djacent to the Convention Center, the Arena in Long Beach will stage sitting volleyball.
In the near distance along the Pacific Ocean, a temporary arena will stage blind football at Alamitos Beach, mimicking the successful Olympic-Paralympic venue share as seen in previous Games editions with Olympic beach volleyball, maximising the use of the temporary arena.
Further down the coastline of Long Beach, Para rowing and Para canoe – sprint events will be held at Marine Stadium. Finally, Para equestrian events will take place at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
“The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport, but brings it to the next level,” said LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover.
“The Paralympic venue plan ensures that Los Angeles’ first-ever Paralympic Games will take place in incredible existing stadiums and arenas across the region while creating the best possible experience for athletes and fans across the 560 events with accessibility top of mind.”
“The first-ever Paralympic Games in Los Angeles will showcase the world’s top talent and provide an opportunity for L.A. to improve inclusive accessibility citywide,” said City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles.”
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SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
LA28 is going to be expensive and challenging to attend after the convenience and ease of Paris. If you want to experience the Games in a slightly less fevered environment, the Paralympics is a great option, and really should be on anyone’s bucket list.
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The Para Athletics World Championships take place in New Delhi and the Para Swimming World Championships in Singapore this September.
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