Countdown to LA28: IOC Exec Christophe Dubi Reveals Key Milestones Ahead for the Olympic Games

The Final Countdown

Organizers of the Olympics often liken the preparation process to an S-curve: a period of extensive planning that suddenly accelerates as the event nears. Dubi noted that LA28 is now entering the most challenging part of this curve. Key tasks include finalizing venue agreements, signing significant contracts, ramping up staffing, and intensifying procurement activities. In the final six months leading up to the Games, Southern California will see the installation of around $1 billion in temporary infrastructure and venue enhancements.

“The steep phase begins in the next six months,” Dubi said during an interview with Forbes following meetings between the IOC and LA28 leadership in downtown Los Angeles.

Olympic organizers often describe Games preparation as following an S-curve: years of careful planning followed by a sharp acceleration of activity as the event approaches. According to Dubi, LA28 is now approaching the most demanding segment of that curve. Venue agreements will be finalized. Major contracts will be signed. Staffing levels will rise dramatically. Procurement efforts will intensify. By the final six months before the Games, approximately $1 billion worth of temporary infrastructure and venue overlay will need to be installed across Southern California.

“The final two years are where costs and activity rise exponentially,” Dubi explained.

For LA28, the challenge is amplified by scale. Spread across some of the most iconic venues in Southern California, the Games will be larger and more complex than any Olympic event before them. That reality, Dubi believes, makes leadership and institutional experience more valuable than ever.

“The most important thing is having the right team in place,” he said.

The Olympic Games As Only Los Angeles Can Deliver Them

Every Olympic host city seeks to define itself through a unique identity. The Paris 2024 Games showcased culture and history through unforgettable imagery, including beach volleyball beneath the Eiffel Tower and an Opening Ceremony staged along the Seine River. The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics embraced Italy’s geography, connecting alpine communities and urban centers through a uniquely distributed Games concept.

What, then, will define Los Angeles? According to Dubi, LA’s greatest asset is not a single venue or landmark. It is the city’s ability to attract the world.

“Los Angeles is a city where people come to reinvent themselves and dream bigger,” he said.

Unlike Paris, which leveraged centuries of architectural grandeur, Los Angeles offers something different: a convergence of sport, entertainment, business, politics and popular culture unlike anywhere else on earth. Olympic athletes will share the stage with movie stars. Heads of state will mingle alongside technology innovators, musicians, entrepreneurs and global influencers. The result, Dubi predicts, will create a level of energy and visibility that only Los Angeles can generate.

“If you have a fear of missing out, LA28 will be the place to be,” he said with a smile.

In many ways, Dubi’s assessment captures a broader reality facing the Olympic Movement. The Games are no longer simply a sporting event. They are increasingly a global cultural gathering where sport, media, entertainment and digital storytelling intersect.

And no city understands that intersection better than Los Angeles.

Lessons From Italy

Before looking ahead to LA28, Dubi spent much of the past year focused on delivering the Milano Cortina Winter Games. His biggest takeaway from Italy was not technological innovation or operational efficiency. It was authenticity.

“The Games felt authentically Italian,” he said.

From the sophistication of Milan to the mountain culture of Livigno and Cortina d’Ampezzo, each host region expressed its own character while remaining connected to a larger Olympic narrative. For Dubi, that lesson has direct relevance for Los Angeles. While LA28 will be centered within one metropolitan region, it will unfold across distinctly different communities. Long Beach possesses a coastal identity. Carson reflects Southern California’s sporting culture. Downtown Los Angeles brings urban energy and international connectivity. The San Gabriel Valley contributes yet another layer to the city’s personality. Rather than creating a uniform Olympic experience, Dubi believes each community should showcase what makes it unique.

“Long Beach, Carson, Downtown LA and the Valley must each express their own character,” he said.

That approach aligns with a broader trend in Olympic planning, one that emphasizes local identity over standardized presentation.

The Athlete Experience Still Comes First

Despite praising Milano Cortina’s success, Dubi remains focused on areas that require improvement. One issue stood out. Some athletes competing in remote locations felt disconnected from the larger Olympic experience. The geographical spread that helped showcase Italy’s diversity also created moments of isolation for competitors who were far removed from celebration venues and fellow athletes.

“We did a good job keeping athletes at the center,” Dubi said. “However, some athletes still felt isolated.”

The IOC is already applying those lessons to future Games planning. For the French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics, organizers are exploring concepts that would connect athletes across multiple locations, including synchronized medal celebrations designed to create a stronger sense of unity. The goal is simple: regardless of where athletes compete, they should feel part of one Olympic community.

Why Pau Gasol Earned Athletes’ Trust

Among the Olympic Movement’s most influential voices today is former NBA champion and Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol. Dubi speaks about Gasol with obvious admiration.

“People gravitate to him everywhere he goes,” he said.

What impresses Dubi most, however, is not Gasol’s fame but his leadership style. Thoughtful. Respectful. Curious. Collaborative. Dubi also emphasized an important distinction often overlooked by observers: Gasol was not appointed by the IOC hierarchy. Instead, he was elected by fellow athletes and subsequently chosen by his commission colleagues to serve as chair.

“The athletes made an excellent choice,” Dubi said.

As athlete representation continues to expand within Olympic governance, Gasol’s role reflects the growing influence competitors hold in shaping the future of the Games.

The Challenge That Matters Most

When asked what keeps him awake at night, Dubi did not mention venue construction, transportation planning or security. Operational problems, he argued, can be solved. His greatest concern is preserving the Olympic Games’ relevance.

“Importance and relevance,” he said.

Importance means ensuring the Games remain valuable enough that the world continues finding ways to stage them, even during periods of extraordinary disruption. The successful delivery of the Tokyo Olympics amid a global pandemic serves as a powerful example.

Relevance is a different challenge.

It means remaining meaningful to future generations, athletes, communities, broadcasters, sponsors and (increasingly) digital audiences. That evolution extends directly into media strategy. Traditional broadcasters, journalists, influencers and content creators all want access to the Games. Managing those competing demands while preserving value for rights holders is becoming one of the IOC’s most delicate balancing acts. Yet Dubi views that tension as a positive sign.

“When demand exceeds supply, that’s healthy,” he said.

It signals that the Olympic product remains compelling in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

Mission Accomplished—But Never Finished

Reflecting on Milano Cortina, Dubi ultimately delivered a simple verdict: The Games succeeded. Not perfectly. Not without lessons. But successfully. Athletes competed on the world’s biggest stage. Communities embraced the event. Italian culture was showcased globally.

Still, perfection remains elusive.

Dubi wants athletes to feel more connected. He wants venues completed earlier. He wants fewer last-minute questions about readiness and operations. Those lessons are already informing preparations for LA28. As Los Angeles enters the steepest section of the Olympic delivery curve, the task ahead is enormous. Yet Dubi remains convinced the city possesses something no other Olympic host can replicate.

For two weeks in the summer of 2028, the world will gather in one place.

And if Dubi is right, missing out on the LA28 Games will simply not be an option.