Tom Cruise Delivers Olympic Flag, Arrives in LA... Heralding a "Car-Free Olympics"

Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, the next host city, Los Angeles (L.A.), USA, which received the Olympic flag, has announced plans to create a "car-free Olympics" in 2028.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to The Guardian and others, on the 12th (local time), LA Mayor Karen Bass arrived at LAX Airport with the Olympic flag received at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Earlier at the closing ceremony, actor Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance suspended from wires against the backdrop of the U.S. national anthem, delivering the flag to the next host city in a scene reminiscent of the movie "Mission: Impossible." Accordingly, the official countdown to the 2028 LA Olympics has begun.

At LAX Airport that day, as a plane marked "LA28" arrived and Mayor Bass stepped off holding the Olympic flag, Tupac Shakur’s "California Love" played on site. Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials also came to the airport to welcome them.

Shortly after, Mayor Bass announced that a key element of the 2028 Olympics in LA would be public transportation, stating, "We are working to expand the public transit system and create jobs for a car-free Games." She emphasized, "LA is a city heavily dependent on cars, but to get to sports venues, only public transportation will be allowed," adding, "We will strive to build a greener LA."

The 2028 LA Olympics will be held from July 14 to 30, 2028. This will be the third time the Olympics are hosted in LA, following 1932 and 1984. The competitions are expected to take place in more than 80 existing venues throughout the city. LA28 organizing committee chair Casey Wasserman confirmed, "We will not build new permanent structures (non-temporary)." Axios reported, "Taking Paris’s example of striving for sustainability, they declared a car-free, no-construction Olympics."

The opening ceremony will be held at SoFi Stadium, which has previously hosted major events ranging from NFL games to Taylor Swift concerts. The Olympic Village will be located on the UCLA campus, and golf competitions will take place at Pacific Palisades between Santa Monica and Malibu. Additionally, triathlon, marathon, and swimming events, which faced concerns over the Seine River water quality during the Paris Olympics, will be held in Long Beach. The Associated Press noted that although the area has a complicated water quality history, recent tests have received high marks.

However, considering LA’s notorious traffic congestion at key points, questions remain about whether the Olympics, held extensively across the city, can operate efficiently without cars. In response, Mayor Bass plans to deploy 3,000 buses and ensure access to Olympic venues exclusively via public transportation. She also confirmed that LA businesses and employers will be asked to allow employees to work from home during the Games.

Axios described Paris’s environmentally friendly Olympics, which featured swimming in the Seine and accommodations without air conditioning, as an "ambitious promise," but noted that many teams still brought their own air conditioners despite the host’s efforts.

Addressing the upcoming Olympics, LA’s homeless issue is also cited as a problem to be resolved. The Guardian reported, "LA is under significant pressure to solve its homelessness problem," adding, "In Paris, thousands of people living on the streets were relocated (to other cities, etc.) ahead of the Olympics by officials."

According to LA-related agencies, the homeless population in the LA area exceeds 45,000, and the total county-wide figure is about 75,000. Regarding this, Mayor Bass stated, "We will get them off the streets," adding, "We will provide temporary housing and address the reasons why they lost their homes."