LOS ANGELES -- It's Los Angeles' turn for the torch. Mayor Karen Bass accepted the Olympic flag at the Paris closing ceremony Sunday, before handing it off to a key representative of LA's local business — Tom Cruise — who in a pre-recorded trek via motorcycle, plane and parachute kicked off the countdown to 2028.

Los Angeles will become the third city globally to host the games for a third time, joining the ranks of 1932 and 1984. Let's take a look at the city's Olympic history and what's in store for the future.

Los Angeles got the 2028 games as a consolation prize when Paris was picked for 2024.

Back in 1932, LA hosted its first Olympic Games . The city was the sole contender for the games during a period marked by the Great Depression and the absence of numerous countries. Nevertheless, memorable athletic feats were achieved by athletes like American star Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who won gold medals in the newly introduced women's javelin and hurdles events.

The financial and cultural success of the 1984 Olympics established it as the “good” Olympics, inspiring numerous major cities around the world to aspire to hosting their own games.

Blending contemporary and traditional elements, with a touch of Hollywood flair, the Games kicked off with decathlon champion Rafer Johnson igniting the torch, a jetpack performer soaring into the Memorial Coliseum, and a soundtrack by “Star Wars” composer John Williams .

With Eastern Bloc nations abstaining, the U.S. dominated the competition. Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton became household names among the athletes. A young Michael Jordan led the men's basketball team to a gold medal victory.

The Games temporarily revitalized the global image of a city perceived as struggling.

“We aim to host a modern, vibrant Games, infused with the optimism that Southern California embodies for the world,” stated Janet Evans, four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist and chief athlete officer for the LA 2028 organizing committee, in an interview with The Associated Press in Paris.

Bass, who returned to LA on Monday, highlighted the Paris organizers' success in making the "Olympics accessible to everyone, regardless of their participation in the Games.”

She cited examples like watch parties in surrounding cities and breakdancing classes offered prior to the competitions.

Accompanying her were LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman, a prominent entertainment executive, and LA councilmember Traci Park, who heads the city's Olympic committee.

City council president Paul Krekorian, who joined Bass in bringing the Olympic flag to LA, stated that they were "going to make this the only city in the world who have ever had three financially successful Olympic Games.”

Amid a surge in stadium and arena construction, LA will focus on enhancing existing structures rather than building new ones.

“This is a no-build scenario,” Evans stated.

Following Paris' innovative opening ceremony on the Seine River, LA plans to open with a traditional stadium-based approach at SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood that also incorporates the century-old Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles itself.

Home to two NFL teams, SoFi Stadium has hosted a Super Bowl and several Taylor Swift concerts since opening in 2020. It will become what organizers describe as the largest Olympic swimming venue ever. Its hosting of the opening ceremony means swimming will take place after track and field for the first time since 1972.

Intuit Dome, the soon-to-open Inglewood home of the NBA's Clippers, would be the games' newest major venue and will be the site for Olympic basketball. The Lakers' downtown Crypto.com Arena will be used for gymnastics.

The safety of swimming in the Seine became a major concern in Paris. This situation might bring renewed attention to Long Beach's waterfront as it hosts marathon swimming and triathlon events. The water quality in the area has had its ups and downs, but a 2023 analysis by the nonprofit Heal the Bay consistently gave its ocean waters high marks.

The Long Beach shoreline served as the backdrop for the pre-recorded performances during Sunday's ceremony of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. However, it was easy to confuse it with LA's Venice Beach, where the journey of the flag, initiated by Cruise, was shown concluding moments earlier.

A city renowned for its challenging transportation system may seem an unusual choice for the Olympics, but it can be successful.

Bass stated she intends to adopt strategies similar to those implemented by Tom Bradley, the mayor in 1984, whose traffic management efforts were praised by some as being more efficient than during non-Olympic times. These strategies include requesting local businesses to adjust employee work hours to reduce traffic congestion and encourage work-from-home options during the 17-day games.

Securing the Olympics under then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2017 provided the city with an unusually long timeframe for planning.

Although not as extensive as the Paris Metro, Los Angeles has built a subway system since the last Olympics, with lines connecting major event venues.

In 2018, the city envisioned an ambitious plan involving 28 bus and rail projects to enhance public transportation. While some were abandoned, others progressed, including the extension of a subway line linking downtown Los Angeles to UCLA, the site of the planned Olympic Village.

Another notable project is the Inglewood People Mover, an automated rail line with three stops passing by key Olympic venues. Initially, it secured a $1 billion federal funding commitment, but opposition from Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters led to a $200 million reduction, as reported by the Los Angeles Times reported . The completion of this line by 2028 remains uncertain.

Metro recently obtained $900 million in funding through an infrastructure package and grants from the Biden administration. Of this amount, $139 million will be allocated directly to transportation improvements by 2028, aiming towards a “car-free” Olympic experience.

“The primary challenge lies not in waiting until 2028, but in seizing the opportunity between now and then to assist both Angelenos and visitors in reimagining the transportation network as a preferred option,” stated Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins.

Although crime rates were significantly higher in 1984 than they are today, the countdown to 2028 has brought renewed focus to the issue, amplified by social media and casting a shadow over the city.

The Olympics are designated as a national special security event, placing the U.S. Secret Service as the primary agency responsible for developing a comprehensive security plan, supported by substantial federal resources.

Law enforcement agencies from Los Angeles city and county sent officers to Paris to observe, learn, and collaborate as they prepare for their own Games in 2028.

The number of homeless encampments on city streets is considerably greater now than in 1984, and it's unlikely that Los Angeles will have addressed its homelessness crisis within the next four years. Following the conclusion of the Paris Games, California Governor Gavin Newsom threatened to withhold funding from cities failing to clear encampments.

Prior to the Games in Paris, organizers relocated thousands of unhoused individuals , a practice also used for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games and condemned by activists as “social cleansing.”

Los Angeles is the “next logical destination” for the Olympics, stated Adam Burke, president and CEO of the LA Tourism and Convention Board. “LA has emerged as one of the world’s leading sports capitals.”

First though, the city will host a FIFA World Cup event and the U.S. Women's Open in 2026, followed by another Super Bowl in 2027.

The city's hotel industry has seen a surge in recent years, adding 9,000 new hotel rooms in the past four years, with even more on the horizon over the next four years.

LA28 organizers are relying on revenue generated from ticket sales, sponsorships, payments from the International Olympic Committee, and other income sources to cover the $6.9 billion budget for the games. The committee has already secured just over $1 billion towards their goal of $2.5 billion in domestic corporate sponsorships.

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Associated Press Writer Noreen Nassir contributed reporting from Paris.