LOS ANGELES — A City Council committee on Wednesday, Aug. 27, approved a proposal from LA28 to relocate Olympic diving events to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena.
In a unanimous vote, the seven-member Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games advanced the proposal, which will head to the full City Council for consideration. LA28 officials said the move was necessary to address athlete safety and financial concerns.
“This presents a significant opportunity to deliver successful marquee events, with greater budget certainty, while also ensuring an exceptional competition venue for our diving athletes, with their safety remaining our top priority,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement.
Earlier this year, the City Council approved several updates to the venue plan, which officials said will save more than $150 million in combined cost savings and boost revenues.
Among the updates, LA28 planned to use the John C. Argue Swimming Stadium at Exposition Park, which was also used for swimming events in the 1932 Olympic Games. Recently, the organizing committee determined the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center would be best suited to host diving events in 2028.
Shana Ferguson, LA28 chief of sport and games delivery, told committee members Wednesday morning the stadium was not up to international and domestic standards for swim competition — in addition to issues related to the diving towers.
In exchange, LA28 offered to make certain improvements to the stadium pool, bringing it up to national and international standards. LA28 noted moving diving events to Pasadena would result in nearly $18 million in savings.
“LA28 determined that the Swim Stadium pool would require a complete reconstruction in order to meet Olympic standards,” according to a report from city officials. “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.”
The stadium pool improvements are estimated at less than $2 million to $3 million, Ferguson noted.
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, raised concerns about the city being left with the cost of construction at a time when city spending is tight.
“I would love to see the pool brought up to that standard, but maybe on the back end, if you have money left over, then we can improve the pool so that it can be an asset for Angelenos,” Yaroslavsky said.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez emphasized the need to ensure that communities are not left behind and working class neighborhoods receive investments in preparation for the Games.
Ultimately, all members of the Ad Hoc Committee advanced the proposal to move diving out of Los Angeles to Pasadena and the deal to improve the stadium pool for residents in South Los Angeles.