- Title: Hollywood factor will help L.A. deliver best Olympic Games ever, says boss
- Date: 6th September 2024
- Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 5, 2024) (REUTERS) DESTROYED BUILDING HOUSING DISPLACED PALESTINIANS FAMILY IN TENT VARIOUS OF WOMAN BAKING BREAD IN AN OUTDOOR OVEN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN, MUHAMMAD SHABAT, SAYING: "There was no security, there was shelling wherever you went, wherever you turned your face, there was shelling. But since this ceasefire is imp
- Embargoed: 20th September 2024 15:39
- Keywords: LA28 Los Angeles Olympics Olympic Games Paris 2024 Reynold Hoover Summer Games
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA008212406092024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Los Angeles cannot compete with the iconic landmarks of the Paris Olympics, but LA28 Games organisers are confident the Hollywood factor and the American city's identity will help them raise the bar when they host the event in four years' time.
The Paris Games were a hit with fans, athletes, sponsors and broadcasters and LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover praised French organisers for an "incredible Games".
Hoover, a former U.S. Army lieutenant general who came out of retirement to take charge of the next summer Games, admitted to Reuters in an interview on Friday (September 6) there were areas where the West Coast city could not compete with Paris, but said they had plenty to offer nonetheless.
With venues close to each other, easy transportation and competitions in or near stunning monuments in the heart of the city saw Paris 2024 set a high bar.
Hoover believes L.A. can do better. After all, they have got Hollywood, which already played a part in the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.
While he remained tight-lipped about their opening ceremony plans after Paris delivered a brilliant show along the Seine river - the first Olympic ceremony to be held outside a stadium - Hoover recalled how L.A. stunned the world in 1984.
At the 1984 opening ceremony, William Suitor, one of the first to master the rocket belt - a large rocket pack powered by hydrogen peroxide that allows pilots to make short solo flights - stunned viewers and spectators as he flew across the Olympic stadium wearing the futuristic device.
The U.S. elections in November will see a new president elected, but Hoover was unfazed about any potential impact on the Games.
In a city that is much larger than Paris and with venues that will be more spread out, L.A. will have to overcome challenges around transport.
(Production: Noemie Olive, Manuel Ausloos) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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