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New NFL stadium would play key role in Olympics
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Organizers trying to land the 2024 Summer Olympics for Los Angeles would include a new football stadium in the games’ ceremonies.
The NFL stadium being built in Inglewood near Los Angeles International Airport would be used for ceremonies along with Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as part of the committee’s concept to create a “new games for a new era,” LA2024 announced Monday.
The opening ceremony would be held July 20, 2024, and begin with a torch relay down the row of columns of the Coliseum, which hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.
The stadium is expected to seat 70,000 spectators for a Hollywood-produced spectacle of musical performances and a live viewing and virtual reality experience of all ceremonies at the NFL stadium.
The torch relay would pass landmarks on the streets of Los Angeles until it reaches the NFL stadium, which would hold 100,000 spectators. The Inglewood stadium would host the opening ceremony, including the parade of nations, the Olympic oaths, the official opening of the games and the lighting of the flame.
On Aug. 4, 2024, the Coliseum would host the closing ceremony, including the parade of athletes, the Olympic flag handover and the extinguishing of the flame. At the same time, the Inglewood stadium would host spectators for live viewing and high-tech entertainment.
“Hosting Olympic ceremonies across two iconic stadiums has never been done,” LA204 CEO Gene Sykes said. “But LA’s wealth of stadiums and technology mean we can think about ‘What’s next?’ instead of just asking what has been done before.”
The new NFL stadium is expected to open in 2019, when it will be the home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers. It already has been named as host of the 2021 Super Bowl.
The Los Angeles bid committee said the Coliseum would host the track and field competition in 2024 using a temporary track deck. Starting next year, the Coliseum is set to undergo a $270 million renovation funded by the University of Southern California, whose football team plays there.