01 May 2017
LA's Olympic bid team releases 'virtual tour' of sustainable 'low-risk' Valley Sports Park
BY Kim Megson
The committee hoping to bring the Olympic Games to Los Angeles in 2024 has released new renderings of Valley Sports Park – the district that would host several events at the tournament if the city’s bid is successful.
In keeping with LA’s sustainability-first and low-risk pitch for the Games, the Valley Sports Park is comprised of temporary facilities combined with existing venues, both set against a backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains.
Events that would take place in the park include Olympic Dressage, Jumping, and Eventing and Paralympic Dressage; Olympic and Paralympic Shooting; and the Canoe Slalom.
LA has hosted the Olympics twice before, in 1932 and 1984, but no events have ever been held in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, where the sports park is situated, despite it being home to 40 per cent of the city’s population.
It is customary for a host city to have one large Olympic Park. However, the organiser of the LA bid – called LA 2024 – has presented plans for four; located in downtown Los Angeles, the South Bay, the Valley and Long Beach.
In a statement, it said this approach “ensures athletes, officials and fans from around the world will be able to enjoy LA’s diverse geographies and cultures, and allow as many Angelenos as possible to experience the Games on their doorstep.”
Each park would be connected to the public transit system and lie within a single, integrated secure perimeter “where all attendees can walk easily from one venue to another in a safe, festival atmosphere.” Food and beverage areas and fan zones are included in the designs.
LA 2024 claimed the use of temporary facilities that can be easily and inexpensively dismantled and reused after the Games “will enhance the credibility of the Olympic Movement provide a template for future host cities to emulate.”
The newly-released renderings, and some videos providing a “virtual tour” of the site, demonstrate in detail what these temporary facilities could look like.
The bid’s chair, Casey Wasserman, said: “We’re thrilled to bring the Games to the Valley for the first time, paving the way for a new Olympic and Paralympic legacy for nearly two million Angelenos. LA is the right choice for 2024 because our city can host the Games without having to build any new permanent venues or an Olympic and Paralympic Village.
“These virtual tours of our world-class venues demonstrate that LA 2024 is prepared to offer the lowest-risk and sustainable solution for the future of the Olympic Movement and an unforgettable Olympic festival experience for everyone in 2024.”
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