Janet Evans, Chief Athlete Officer, LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Interviewer: Michal Lev-Ram, FORTUNE

MPW Next Gen 2022 - On Track: 2028 Olympics Los Angeles

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In 2028. Los Angeles is set to host the Summer Olympics for the third time. So you can't say they haven't had the practice Together with the Paralympic Games, the city will host 15,000 athletes competing in over 800 events spread across 75 venues. We will get an update on the, on the preparations from Janet Evans, a three time olympic champion who is at the heart of the L. A. 28 organizing committee. Please welcome Janet Evans Chief Athlete Officer of the L. A. 28 Olympic and Paralympic Games for a conversation with Fortunes Graham. Thank you. Okay, I get all of the like super champion badass athletes today. I don't know what Allison was here yesterday and Felix was here yesterday and we had a W. N. B. A. Player and a yoga master. And so um I'm very, very inspired. Um I want to start Janet just by having you explain a little bit to us about, you know about your medals and your background as an athlete yourself. But what exactly does it mean to be the chief athlete officer for L. A. 28. Um, so I was a swimmer in the olympics a long time ago, my first Games were in 88 I swam in 1992 and 96. Um in that interim, I I worked a little bit with the Atlanta organizing committee um to um as the bid committee and then um as Atlanta hosted the 96 Games, which also swam at, so I had some experience um working with bringing the olympics home to the United States of America. So when the city of Los Angeles decided they wanted to bid? Um case and our chairman and Mayor Garcetti, mayor of L. A. Um you know Casey came to me and said we need an athlete, we'd love to have a female athlete, um someone who has a little experience with the bid process which is basically convincing the international olympic committee um why your city should host the Games. Um So went through the bid process with the city of L. A. Um talking a lot about what L. A. Has to offer, which is basically a no build olympics and paralympic games. Um you know, you think of the embarrassment of riches that Los Angeles has with our incredible stadiums and facilities. Um So once we won the right to host the Games in 2028 I was renamed as the chief athlete officer. So in our daily um you know, work of delivering the olympic and paralympic games to Los Angeles athletes are key stakeholders. The games don't take place without our athletes. And so my role and my team's role is to ensure that athletes really are kind of central to the decisions that are being made, whether they're commercial decisions or venue decisions, you know, everything fun and basic from what is their food gonna taste like to what are their bed's gonna look like or what, but are they going to be on um to more specific things like, you know, where are we thinking is the best place to put swimming or where is the best place to put this in that. So if you think about an organizing committee or any sporting event that's planning, you know, a large scale mass event um with athletes, it's very important to have, you know, an athlete representative and voice their to ensure proper delivery of the games take us and I know this is super comp and is a multi year process, but take us a little bit behind the scenes in the into the bidding process because I this is an area that I do not understand at all. So since you've had so much experience with it, what happens behind closed doors? Yeah, it's actually very interesting and the L. A. Bid um we had a great team, it was a small team. So like I said eric Garcetti, he like he's about to leave office but he likes to say on his first day as mayor of Los Angeles, he sent a letter to the International olympic committee um asking to be considered to host the Games. Um ultimately our olympic committee, the U. S. Olympic and paralympic committee gave that right to boston. Um In about 2014 boston ultimately passed the torch to us because they didn't want to try to afford and uh and we said about bidding and so um Mayor Garcetti asked Casey to be our chairman and Casey for any of you? Um that no, you know, a sports media um you know owns Wasserman Sports media group. So very dialed in with sports in Los Angeles. Um so Casey, the mayor and I set about trying to convince the international olympic committee um and to some extent, the paralympic committee that Los Angeles was a place to host the Games. So, you know, we spent about 18 months traveling the world meeting with IOC members. Uh the IOC is comprised of just over 100 members. They're ultimately the individuals who vote on where the next olympics and paralympic games will be. Uh so we spent 18 months following these IOC members around the world, meeting with them, talking to them about what games would look like for our athletes, um what our costs would be, which in Los Angeles are low because like I said, we don't have anything to build. Um and ultimately we were bidding on 2020 for um the race came down to Los Angeles and paris paris was looking at the 100th anniversary of their last Games, which was 1920 for 2020 for um it started to look a little sideways for us in the sense that paris was is amazing. It's the 100th anniversary, most IOC members, the european, they love paris and I've actually a really cute story as we were meeting with an IOC member from archery and he said, well where you gonna put archery? And we said we're gonna put in the Sepulveda basin. We have this great facility and we're just gonna be beautiful and he said well paris is putting archery at Versailles and we were like well um anyway so the basin right? And so um so kind of became clear to us that we couldn't trump paris. Um and so the mayor in case we ended up negotiating with the IOC to um bring the games to L. A. In 28 without actually bidding. Um bids tend to be expensive. They take a lot of time. Um So we had an unprecedented runway, we were announced as the winners of the 28 games in 2017. Um So we've had we will have had 11 years um to plan our games and facilities are already built. So we've spent, so what are you guys doing? So now we are we are doing a lot of great things. Um One thing that the IOC did was they we are now the stewards of 100 and $60 million that they um you know we are putting into, it's their money that we're putting into youth sports in the city of Los Angeles. So we are um giving every child in Los Angeles the right to um play sports park and recs for a low cost, very low cost. So we're introducing sport to young people. Um We're doing a lot of community events were we are planning on delivering our games? There is infrastructure that needs to be built and planned? Um, I work on athlete team. Um, in terms of um, programming for athletes. How do we help athletes before, after and during the games? We have some great programming. So we're busy and we're close to finding out. I know you are. And one of the things that you've done, um that you're in the process of reviewing, I guess there are proposals for nine shortlisted sports for that are under consideration. I mean, we've seen some new ones enter, you know, surfing and others um, in recent years. Um, she brought up pickleball earlier. I understand it's actually not consideration. It's not and and you're not the first to ask. So it is a great sport. I played it this weekend. Right? So I was in the desert with my family. Um, so to be considered to be a new sport, you have to have a federation. So the IOC sits here. The federation sit underneath it. Um, and a federation that is well established, that has doping policy, anti doping policies for their athletes. Um, there's a lot of that going on in pickle, but you never know, right? So, it's um, it just needs a little more time. I think it can do it. It just needs a little little, we just need to mature a little bit. So, so what are the, I mean, can you say, which sports you are looking at the new entrance? So the nine sports were looking. So, so every organizing committee is allowed to think about adding a few sports to their to their agenda. Right. And so for us it comes down to cost complexity, like where is this sport gonna be? And we're gonna have to use an arena. Right? Howard ticket sales going to look for this sport? Right. So there's a lot that goes into the consideration. So the nine sports and I hope I can just get them off the top of my head. It's um squash, lacrosse, cricket, kickboxing, breakdancing, which is in paris um flag football. Um Okay, now I've lost track because um okay, anyway, um that's good. That's good. It's good. I think you gave us enough of a flavor there. That's very exciting. Um so you mentioned also um the no, the no build part. Okay. And that there is existing infrastructure. Um that's a really interesting way of thinking about the olympics and I know there's a big push for that. There's been a lot of criticism on the cost that it takes to to do this for a city to do this. Um What I mean, is there a in what ways I guess are you really trying to forge a new path for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly, economically viable and successful olympics because we have not seen that in recent years and I will say this is one thing athletes really care about and from my seat where I said, we talk about what are the ocean's gonna look for, like for athletes who are swimming and canoeing and paddling in them. Right. What what are are the levels of heat and smog gonna be like for the our runners in the marathon? So on that sustainability side, we do think a lot about that. Um, you know, but the great news about Los Angeles is we're not building things and and you think about, you know, these these buildings that are building these these arenas and and then they just sit there if you look at the example of the Rio olympics and at the end of the day, while olympics and paralympics are expensive to host a lot of the lion's share of the money comes in building these facilities and sometimes they become white elephants. And so, you know, it's interesting when we were bidding, going back to the bid and we would present to the IOC our plan so far stadium wasn't even part of that yet. Right. And so so far was announced to be built towards the end of our bidding process. Um you know, and then the intuit dome is being built next to it for the clippers to play basketball. Um and, and so I think that was one of the things that is so appealing about Los Angeles for the games. And I think it's a it's a new type of games. Um, and it can be a blueprint, if you will for for subsequent organizing committees? Um, we don't, we like to say that we're kind of, you know, adapting the olympics around our city versus changing the city for the olympics and the paralympic games. So, um, the great thing about Los Angeles is our athletes will come, the Spectators will come, the fans will come, they'll watch opening ceremonies at so fi stadium and, you know, five weeks later the RAMs will be playing in it. Right? And so we just borrow it. We, we use their infrastructure, we use their people that work in the stadiums and then we give it right back. And I think it's, it's a really great model and we're hoping that subsequent organizing committees do it. Any questions for Janice? We've got one over here. We'll bring a microphone over to you and if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself. Thank you. Hi, sorry. From left. Um, oh, sorry, apologies. I think I speak for many of us, but I think you have the coolest job. I'm a little envious as a former athlete as well. Um, I have two questions and all good if you can't answer the second because I think it's a bit sensitive, but in the first one, you talked about Mayor, Mayor Garcetti, um, being really adamant about this being may be part of his legacy, if you think about what he was hoping to accomplish with this coming to Los Angeles, what are maybe some of your success metrics at the end of the day, you talked a lot about cost and which is really cool because again, as a european, I remember growing up in Athens this like debacle in a way uh, along with Rio and a few others. And so what are your like key success metrics? And it doesn't have to be just dollar signs and things like that. Um so that's the first one. And then if you can comment on what's happening with Qatar with the upcoming world, you know, soccer cup, that would be really interesting for me to hear yours. Thank you. That's on my list of questions. You beat me to it. It's a terrific question. So hopefully you can answer both of them. Um as far as Mayor Garcetti, it's I've spent many years now listening to him speak about Los Angeles and why he wanted to bring the game back and um he and both he and Casey and I was also at opening ceremonies, I was 12 in 1984. Um talk about the magic that came to Los Angeles. Um and talk about the magic that Los Angeles still feels about the olympic games and, and to know this will be our first olympic games and paralympic games, it's our third olympic. But first paralympic, which in and of itself, the paralympic games holds such an opportunity um for disability awareness for these amazing paralympic athletes. So I think there's there's a harkening back to Los Angeles um in 84 the magic that was sprinkled around our city and the lives that have changed and the positivity that it brought and we run into people now who say I remember and I still have my grandma still has a uniform and my mom was a volunteer and and I think remembering that, but also understanding this is a new era. And so we don't we don't lean into the legacy of 84. We want to create our own new legacy, which is how do we help our community? How do we inspire young people who how do we educate people? And the thing for me about the olympics and paralympics is not all these people that watch it are going to be olympians or paralympians, but they're going to be inspired by it. So, a metric for success for me is did we leave Los Angeles a better place in our community? Um what experience did the athletes have? Right, and I think, and it can be a little bit of of the Qatar question if you will. So my what keeps me up at night is that the athletes come to Los Angeles and they haven't experienced That allows them to look back on their games experience in Los Angeles and say this was the most amazing experience of my life I went to three Olympic games, I lived in a village 20 days each time. So I spent roughly 60 days of my life in an Olympic village. I don't remember any of it because it's so fast and you're you're competing and there's all these things and you're shuffled in and out. And so I talked to athletes every day which does make my job cool. I get to meet with athletes from all over the world and I wanna understand what they want out of their olympics and paralympics. They want their friends and families there. Um They want to remember it better. They want to own some of their own pictures. They um they wanna have a T shirt that doesn't cost $80 right? Because we're talking global. We have athletes coming from all over the world and so me success is giving these athletes opportunities um above and beyond. Just simply being in the olympic village for 20 days. How do we talk about um giving them educational opportunities and career transition, transition opportunities. Um you know, as for the Qatar World Cup, I really haven't followed enough to to comment on it. We are very separate from from from um that organization, but I will say what I want for the athletes going there is an experience um that is positive for them. That's what we want, other questions. Got one over here. Hi Lynn Bresnahan with zero. Um I am a southern California native and so love to hear that we're talking about established infrastructure in terms of the arenas. But as anyone who's probably tried to cross the 105 at four p.m. On a friday afternoon, I think our transportation infrastructure does leave a lot to be desired. And so I'd love to hear more about that. And how you guys are thinking about that. When you think about the influx of visitors, athletes, their family, Spectators, how are we gonna handle that? As someone who trying to drive in that area or or or L. A. X with all of that. And you keep hearing that um, you know, the people mover, the monorail is coming in time for the olympic and paralympic games, which is true. Um, so there have been, you know, there is infrastructure that is coming. Um, we are planet sports parks. So we have um, the downtown sports parks, we have think of all the venues that are downtown from USC and the colosseum and the Galen center up into the, the convention center, crypto dot com former staples center. Right, So these are all sports parks for us. That's the sports park. We have the dignity health center used to be home depot center, then StubHub center. That's a sport park for us. Right? So that's where we have um, rugby, tennis, field hockey, cycling for the velodrome. So the transportation, no one will be driving to those. It will all be public transportation to those area and dignity. Health is actually the only we call it the south based sports park is the only sports park that doesn't have public transportation to that sports park. So every other sports park we have a Valley sports park. Um We have the village at U. C. L. A. Um which is a big infrastructure piece that we don't have to build a billion dollar village. Our athletes will live at U. C. L. A, which hosts, you know, students every day so they know how to feed them and bathe them and clothe them and transport them. Right? And so um so they'll have the infrastructure will be there to bring Spectators there. Um There will also be olympic lanes. Um that's for the athletes which I worry about is basically a carpool lane for athletes getting to and from most of them will be in the village at U. C. L. A. To their venues. And You know, having done this for many years now, I always hear, Oh my gosh, the traffic and I'm old enough right? The traffic in 84 was so great. Right, are you gonna do that again? And yes that's our wish. And there were things that 84 did that were really revolutionary. They didn't have any deliveries during the day. So no trucks were allowed to deliver anything. All deliveries. I forget the hours during the 84 Games were from 11 a.m. P. M. To like five a.m. So you took all the trucks off the road. So there's things that will be happening that I think will ease some of the some of the congestion alright it's too cliche to end a conversation about the olympics coming to L. A. With a note of traffic. So I'm gonna just ask you super super quick. Um We all work on long term projects. This is crazy long Like how do you pump yourself up to get to the finish line? Yeah, well I think one thing Casey, our chairman has always said is um you know we had 11 years were like 11 years right? Everything will like what are we doing right? And he always said the one thing you want at the end of this is more time and you know we are doing well, we are progressing um but I think for me me um my motivation and what keeps me motivated is like I said, I speak to athletes every day and I don't just get to speak to american athletes. I get to speak from athletes, athletes from all over the world and understand their needs and understand what they want. So my head is always spinning with, we're gonna try to do this, we're gonna do that and some of it sticks and some of it doesn't but every day and every, you know month and every quarter and every year my team is you know coming up with programming and thinking about athletes and so The time has passed quickly, and I think I always say I would have a big ball of wine on the last day of the Paralympics and sit down and ask the athletes how the experience was. I hope you get at least a glass of wine at some point between before 2028, I think a lot. Thank you so much. My pleasure. Thank you.