Paris was in a frenzy over the Olympics.
But things will be very different when the “young people of the world” gather in Los Angeles four years from now.
Two of the most controversial sports of the past two weeks may be gone.
Destruction is absolutely impossible.
The sport has already been removed from the program and there is no guarantee it will return in the future.
“It was especially disappointing when they decided it wasn’t going to happen in LA before we had a chance to perform it,” said Australian B-girl Rachel “Raegun” Gunn.
“I think it may have been a little too soon. I wonder if they regret it now.”
Reagan has been fired. (Photo: Odd Andersen/AFP) Source: AFP
Boxing, which has been part of the Olympic program for more than a century, is also on the verge of disappearing altogether.
Boxing has long been one of the core Olympic sports and has been the launch pad for many athletes, including Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis and Sugar Ray Leonard.
But in Paris, the controversy surrounding Algeria’s Imane Kherif only added further question marks to a sport already in crisis.
IOC officials took over running the Tokyo Olympics from the IBA, the official world governing body led by Russia’s Umar Kremlyov, who banned Ukraine from competing in the Olympics in 2022 after it invaded its neighbour.
Britain’s four boxing associations helped set up a breakaway group, the World Boxing Organization, to wrest control of boxing from Kremlyov and his cronies, but the organization is not currently on the Los Angeles roster.
Boxing may not reach Oscar De La Hoya’s hometown. Source: Provided
IOC President Thomas Bach warned that a decision needed to be made quickly.
“The answer will come sometime next year, as soon as possible, but I don’t expect a final decision to be made before next year,” Bach said.
“We hope to have an answer in the first half of next year.
“The IOC will not organize boxing without a trusted partner. If we want our athletes to win Olympic medals, we need to organize them as a federation.”
But an Olympics without boxing is just part of a larger overhaul of both the events and the schedule.
It will see the addition of five different sports and cricket is set to return in the T20 format for the first time since 1900, a major addition for Australia.
Pat Cummins is 31 years old. Can he hold on until cricket’s comeback? (Photo: Mane Sharma/AFP) Source: AFP
And after years of lobbying, squash, lacrosse, baseball, softball and flag football will also be held — sort of like the NFL’s version of “tag rugby.”
However, due to a major change in the schedule, the Olympics will now begin on July 14, two weeks earlier than the Paris Games.
That comes just five days after the Euro 2028 final at Wembley and the men’s singles final at Wimbledon.
For the first time since 1968, track and field events will be scheduled for week one and swimming for week two.
The early start to the tournament also means golf’s superstars will rush back to California on 13-hour flights across the Atlantic, with the final round of the British Open taking place on the first weekend of the tournament.
Get ready for the biggest swimming competition ever. Source: Provided. And diving outdoors. Source: Provided.
Track and field will return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, its main stadium from 1984, and after the Opening Ceremonies, SoFi Stadium will be transformed into the largest swimming venue ever.
The majority of the action will take place within a 40 kilometre radius of Downtown Los Angeles, with venues for the triathlon, sailing and rowing events including Long Beach (where the usual 2 kilometre race distance will be shortened by 500 metres) and Santa Monica Beach.
But please feel for Jessica Fox and her paddlers: The canoeing venue is in Oklahoma City, 1,200 miles due east of the host city.
The paddling event is held in Oklahoma City. Credit: Provided
Fans can also expect the Olympics to feature a large number of celebrities and A-listers who are already beginning to make a name for themselves.
Rapper Snoop Dogg was spotted around Paris, while Tom Cruise and Ariana Grande were also seen enjoying the day.
We expect them and many more to return in four years’ time.
But whatever happens, La La Land is guaranteed to have its share of heartbreak and fairy tales.
– The Sun
