After netting 11 events in the 2028 Olympics, Long Beach is now also set to host seven events in the Paralympic Games just weeks later, according to an announcement Tuesday.
The decision, made by the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board, will make Long Beach the second busiest city in the region, hosting nearly a third of the total disciplines at five locations between Downtown and Marine Stadium.
“The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport, but brings it to the next level,” said LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover. “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.”
Events and locations include:
- Blind Football at Alamitos Beach
- Para Canoe Sprint at Marine Stadium
- Para Climbing outside the Convention Center
- Para Rowing at Marine Stadium
- Para Swimming outside the Convention Center
- Shooting Para Sport in the Convention Center
- Sitting Volleyball in the Arena
The city will host the shooting competition in an indoor range set up in its convention center; blind football at a dual-use stadium at Alamitos Beach; and a sitting volleyball tournament in the Long Beach Arena.
Further down the coast, para canoe sprinters and para rowers will ply across Marine Stadium, and para swimming will take place at a temporary aquatics center at the Convention Center parking lot.
The vote also confirms the debut of para climbing, which will feature 80 athletes across four men’s and four women’s events staged in a temporary venue outside the Convention Center.
Other events across the region will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released.
Locations were chosen in part based on the venue’s demonstrative ability to host large-scale events, as well as a need to consolidate trips for the 4,480 expected parathletes around the 35-mile region. Paralympians will be housed together at the Olympic and Paralympic Village on UCLA’s campus.
While the Olympics will be in LA for a third time, 2028 will mark the city’s first Paralympic Games. In 1984, when Los Angeles hosted the Olympics, the Paralympics were split up, with portions staged in New York and the rest in Britain.
The 2028 Paralympics are scheduled to take place from Aug. 15 to 27. The Olympics are scheduled from July 14 to July 30.