L.A. Wins Bid For 2028 Olympic Games, Ending Long American Drought

Mark your calendars, folks: The Summer Olympics are returning to American soil for the first time in 32 years.

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday awarded Los Angeles the 2028 Summer Games via unanimous vote. The IOC also gave Paris the 2024 Olympics, marking the first time the committee has determined two host cities at the same time.

The 2028 Games, set to run from July 21 to Aug. 6, will mark the third time L.A. has hosted a Summer Olympics, having also hosted in 1932 and 1984. This latest selection was less dramatic than in years past, as L.A. and Paris were the last bidders standing after three other potential hosts — Rome, Hamburg and Budapest — all dropped out.

Boston briefly was in the running for the 2024 Games but pulled its bid due to lack of support.

A U.S. city hasn’t hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996, and an Olympics hasn’t been held in America since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

The next three Games all will be located in Asia, with Pyeongchang, South Korea, hosting the 2018 Winter Games, Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Games and Beijing hosting the 2022 Summer Games.

Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images