LA28 moves Olympic diving to Pasadena, citing costs and safety

LA28 organizers propose moving Olympic diving venue

Diving events during the 2028 Olympics would be shifted from a historic Exposition Park facility to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena under a proposal that has been backed by a Los Angeles City Council committee.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a motion to move the 2028 Olympic diving events from the Exposition Park facility to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena. 

The decision was made following a request from LA28, the organizing committee, which cited financial and safety concerns regarding the original venue.

What we know:

The LA28 organizing committee for the 2028 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games requested the venue change for diving events. 

The original plan was to use the historic John C. Argue swimming stadium at Exposition Park, which also hosted swimming events during the 1932 Olympic Games. 

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The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena was determined to be a more suitable venue.

The change comes after the city council approved several updates to the Olympics venue plan earlier this year, which officials said would result in over $150 million in combined cost savings and revenue boosts. 

The relocation of the diving events alone is expected to save nearly $18 million.

The backstory:

Prior to this vote, the seven-member ad hoc committee on the 2028 Games had already backed the proposal in August. 

Shana Ferguson, LA28's chief of sport and games delivery, previously stated that the Exposition Park stadium was not up to international and domestic standards for swim competition and had issues with its diving towers.

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In exchange for the change, LA28 has offered to make certain improvements to the stadium pool at Exposition Park. 

The estimated cost for these improvements is between $2 million and $3 million.

What they're saying:

According to a city report, "LA28 determined that the swim stadium pool would require a complete reconstruction in order to meet Olympic standards. The necessary reconstruction is not able to occur simultaneously with the LA memorial Coliseum track construction projects due to limited space within the surrounding footprint. The historical nature and close proximity of these facilities adds further complexity and cost."

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