‘Cancel the Olympics?’ Why the effort to stop the L.A. Games stands little chance
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If you browse through social media, it’s easy to find commentary about canceling the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
There are Angelenos who lack confidence in the city and county’s ability to roll out the red carpet due to perceived failures during the Palisades and Altadena fires.
Others believe construction will lead to the displacement of the homeless or that the Games won’t make money.
One syndicated columnist pleaded with L.A. not to work with “a lawless U.S. regime,” while sportswriter and author Jeff Pearlman wondered if Latin American athletes would feel safe in the U.S. due to the Trump administration’s current deportations.
There are pushes from some, but how possible is it that the Games will be canceled?
My colleague Thuc Nhi Nugyen wrote about that issue and dispelled the notion any cancellation was likely.
Let’s dive into her work.
Why is backing out difficult? We’re three years away
Host cities and host country national organizing committees (in this country, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee) sign a host city contract (HCC) after the International Olympic Committee officially awards the Games.
The contract for the 2028 Games, signed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti and then-City Council President Herb Wesson in September 2017, includes procedures for termination from the IOC’s perspective but doesn’t leave the same option for the host city or the national organizing committee.
“While one cannot foreclose all potential theories, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Los Angeles could terminate the HCC without facing substantial legal issues,” Nathan O’Malley, an international arbitration lawyer and a partner at Musick, Peeler & Garrett, wrote in an email. “Especially if the reason for ending the contract was a political disagreement between the federal, state and local branches of government.”
When even COVID-19 didn’t stop the Games
After an initial one-year delay of the Tokyo Games, medical professionals pleaded to cancel amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Public sentiment soured drastically, with protests in the streets. A March 2021 poll by Asahi Shimbun, one of the most prominent newspapers in Japan, found 83% of voters believed that the Olympics set to take place that summer should be postponed or canceled.
But, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, only “the IOC has the authority to decide.”
Breaching the contract could have put Tokyo in danger of being sued by the IOC for $4-5 billion, economist Andrew Zimbalist told Yahoo Sports in 2021. The Nomura Research Institute estimated the total cost of cancellation to be 1.8 trillion yen — about $12.3 billion.
What influence will President Trump have?
LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman has emphasized that he has assurances from the federal government that the United States will be open, despite recent travel bans and tighter scrutiny of international travelers arriving in the U.S.
Trump’s June proclamation includes exemptions for athletes, team personnel or immediate relatives entering the country for the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.
But in the two months since the ban, visas have been denied for athletes, including the Cuban women’s volleyball team traveling for a tournament in Puerto Rico, a baseball team from Venezuela that qualified to play in the Senior Baseball World Series and Senegal’s women’s basketball team preparing for a training camp.
One final outlook
If any city should be ready to host the biggest Olympics in history, it should be L.A. Not only because of the existing venues, but because of the unprecedented 11-year planning time after the IOC awarded the Games in 2017.
Now with less than three years remaining, relocating to a city that would likely have to build new venues would be unrealistic for the IOC.
“For Los Angeles, a city whose identity is partly predicated on staging the Olympics twice, and now having a third time,” said Mark Dyreson, a sports historian at Penn State University, “I think it would be really, really difficult for L.A. to give up the Olympics.”
For more, check out the full story.
The week’s biggest stories
High-profile murders and deaths
- Lyle Menendez denied parole, will remain in prison along with younger brother Erik.
- Menendez family stunned after Erik denied parole.
- The tragic end of Emmanuel Haro: Demanding ‘answers for this beautiful, little baby.’
Health issues and heat
- Millions died from the plague in the 14th century. Here’s how it just reappeared in California.
- Huge marijuana farm spewing toxic chemicals is busted in Sequoia National Park.
- ER doctors say we need to pay more attention to heat.
- California’s dangerous heat wave is staying longer than expected, forecasters warn.
Trump and his impact on California politics
- Love it or hate it? Poll shows how Californians feel about Newsom’s redistricting fight with Trump.
- Millions of dollars flow into redistricting battle on the November ballot.
- More human-trafficking survivors are seeking visas but face longer waits and risk deportation.
- Epstein’s former girlfriend told Justice Department she did not see Trump act in ‘inappropriate way.’
Los Angeles-area fires
- ‘Unseasonable’ heat causing severe conditions in SoCal, new wildfires starting to burn.
- To clean fire-tainted soil, L.A. residents turn to nature to do it themselves.
More big stories
- California elementary teacher filmed himself sexually assaulting kids at school, authorities say.
- San Diego Zoo mourns deaths of three beloved animals in less than a week.
- A former Superior Court judge accused of two sexual assaults and covering up the crime.
- Convicted rapist admits to spray-painting swastikas, posting them on social media.
This week’s must-reads
From personal pergolas to dining tables and commissioned benches, Harold Greene has built a life in custom, handmade furniture.
More great reads
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- ‘A land that our ancestors walked’: L.A. County tribe wins land back for the first time.
- Opinion: Cracker Barrel changes its logo. MAGA flips out. And a pancake is still a pancake.
- Opinion: How Colin Kaepernick’s story fizzled out.
For your weekend
Going out
- Sunday Funday: How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to actor, emcee and graphic artist Zack Fox.
- Movie Review: Margaret Qualley’s sleazy crime caper ‘Honey Don’t!’ is a hot mess — just as intended.
- Finding a great bite: 65 of our favorite places to eat in the San Fernando Valley.
- Exploring our backyard: This Orange County coastal oasis is more than magical beaches. 17 reasons to visit right now.
- Libation time: Find a hidden weekend-only bar and tasting menu at one of the Valley’s favorite restaurants.
Staying in
- Television review: ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox’ dramatizes the events around a case that drew a media spectacle.
- What to watch: 16 TV shows we’re excited to watch this fall.
- Baseball showdown: The Padres and Dodgers conclude their season series today with first place on the line.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for Adrian Forte’s fried plantain with pickled Scotch bonnet aioli.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
L.A. Affairs
Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.
I was in the dating scene in Los Angeles in hopes of finding my perfect match. Lucky for me, I eventually met the one, and that’s how we ended up with ‘chuppahs and kimchi.’
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff writer
Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Diamy Wang, homepage intern
Izzy Nunes, audience intern
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