Different pools, same push: The LA28 Paralympic swimming venue decision
In early June of this year, the LA28 Organizing Committee announced the venue plan for the 2028 Paralympic Games, the first Paralympic Games to be held in the city of Los Angeles, California. (Note: while the 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, the 1984 Paralympic Games were held in Stoke Mandeville, England and Long Island, New York.) This plan has been approved by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the governing body for the Paralympic Games, and is said to be, according to the press release, “...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.” Speaking on the venues, LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover said, “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.”
For both the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, most of the sporting events will be held at venues within the city of Los Angeles. In addition, the nearby cities of Carson, Long Beach, and Arcadia will be hosting competitions as venue cities. While there is some overlap with the venues being used across both Games, there are differences. One notable one being that, while Olympic swimming will be held in So-Fi Stadium, for the Paralympics it will take place outdoors at the Convention Center Lot in Long Beach. This decision seems to go against the 2001 agreement made between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and IPC which ensured that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be hosted by the city. As stated on the IPC website: “It formally recognised that, from 2008, the Olympic host city had an obligation to also stage the Paralympic Games, using the same venues, facilities and infrastructure.” Interestingly, as pointed out by Cripple Media, the last time Paralympic swimming was held at a different venue than their Olympic counterparts was in 1984, which was the last year the Olympics and Paralympics were held in different cities.
Sophia Herzog-Gibb, a two-time medal winning Paralympic swimmer and NBC contributor for the 2024 Paralympic Games, explained that this decision was made most likely due to the fact that SoFi stadium does not want to be blocked off for eight weeks. SoFi stadium is the home for both the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers football teams and, while there is a chance the Paralympic Games could overlap with the start of the 2028 NFL season, no official schedule has been announced. (Perhaps it should be worth noting that, if the Paralympic Games were to take place this year, there would be no overlap between closing ceremonies and the start of the NFL season including the preseason games.)
Speaking on how this decision could impact the athletes in regards to training and competition, Herzog-Gibb stated that swimming outside could pose additional issues for the Para-athletes. For example, there are additional factors to consider when swimming competitively outside such as the sun, weather, trying to acclimatize in an environment that is unpredictable and cannot be easily controlled, visibility, and, perhaps especially for Para-athletes, thermoregulation. Indoor swimming venues, such as what will be used in SoFi stadium, are much easier to control in many aspects such as environment, ambiance, water temperature, sun protection, safety and accessibility. In addition, this decision further reflects the current inequalities that the Paralympic swimmers face. For example, as Herzog-Gibb noted, the US Olympic Trials for swimming, the competition that determines who will be representing and competing for the United States during the Olympic Games, take place at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana (home of the Indianapolis Colts), whereas the US Paralympic Swimming Trials still take place in collegiate pools.
When asked what her initial reaction to this decision was, Herzog-Gibb said it was one of disappointment. She was frustrated that LA28 made this decision, saying that, “It’s indescribable to share the water with our Olympic counterparts, where we watched history be made two weeks prior. It’s a thrum in the water, a buzz in the stadium left behind for us Paralympians to carry on. It’s one of the things that make the Games year special, sharing the same water; it’s truly indescribable. It’s what makes the Games that much more special, more intense than any other competition.” Based on the reactions on social media, Herzog-Gibb was not the only Paralympian feeling this way. Martha Reuther commented on social media that this decision was, “Extremely disappointing. When it’s our turn to host, we still can’t have equality.” Anastasia Pagonis created the hashtag “#samepoolsamerespect” in a video post pointing out the inequality in this decision.
Speaking about the greater message this decision sends to Paralympians and society at large, Herzog-Gibb was very upfront and honest. She said that this decision makes clear that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are still not perceived to be on the same playing field here in the United States as they perhaps are in other countries. (Note: LA28 and the IPC made this venue decision without the direct involvement of The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.) This is in spite of the fact that real, measurable progress and investments have been made over the past 15 years. For example, US Paralympic medalists now earn the same financially as their US Olympic counterparts. Additionally, as we saw during last year’s Paris Paralympic Games, United States audiences were not only given greater media access compared to Games prior, but they also tuned in to watch, support, and celebrate in record-breaking numbers. However, as this decision demonstrates, there is still work to be done.
While, as of this writing, we are three years out from the Games, there is no time to change this decision. As Herzog-Gibb pointed out, preparations began the moment Los Angeles won the bid back in 2017. However, 2034 is on the horizon and Salt Lake City has the opportunity to learn from this decision, listen to Team USA athletes, and make a venue plan that is equal and equitable for all athletes competing— as the world will be watching.
