Paralympics-LA28 unveils venue plan for largest ever Paralympics

By Rory Carroll

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released by Games organizers LA28 on Tuesday.

Like the LA Olympics, the Paralympics will seek to take advantage of the city's vast network of existing sports venues when it hosts the event for the first time.

Downtown LA will be a major hub of activity with wheelchair fencing, para judo, para taekwondo, boccia and para table tennis all held at the Convention Center.

"By hosting multiple competitions side by side, the events will encourage constant movement, shared fan engagement and a festival-like environment that highlights the diversity of athletic performance," LA28 said in a release.

Wheelchair basketball will be held at Crypto.com Arena, home of the NBA's LA Lakers, with the U.S. men's team looking to capture a fourth consecutive gold medal.

Goalball, a sport designed exclusively for people with visual impairments that requires total silence from the crowd, will take place at the nearby Peacock Theater in an acoustically optimised setting.

LA Memorial Coliseum will host para athletics and the Paralympics closing ceremony, while the opening ceremony will be held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers.

Galen Center will host para badminton and wheelchair rugby, Carson will stage para archery, wheelchair tennis and para cycling, while Arcadia's Santa Anita Park will be the site of para equestrian.

On the west side of the city, Venice Beach will host para triathlon and mark the starting point of the para athletics marathon, while Long Beach will host seven events including para swimming, blind football and para climbing's debut.

The most gender-balanced Paralympics yet will award the most medals in its history and feature 4,480 athletes across 23 sports.

With every competition taking place within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan seeks to minimize travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village.

"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 CEO Reynold Hoover.

LA Mayor Karen Bass said the Games would provide an opportunity for LA to improve inclusive accessibility citywide.

"The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles," she said.

The Paralympics will be held from August 15-27 in 2028.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Christian Radnedge)