IOC Moves Closer to Fully Approving 2024/2028 Hosting Award After Board Meeting
June 12, 2017
The dual hosting award of the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games moved a step closer after the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board approved changes to the bidding process last week.
The proposal was announced at a press conference by IOC president Thomas Bach on Friday, following a day-long meeting with members of the EB.
A working group of the IOC’s four vice-presidents confirmed that the IOC could offer a mechanism which would not breach the terms of the Olympic Charter, following a study of the proposal which includes the two highly praised bids of Paris and Los Angeles for 2024, originally.
Therefore, an extraordinary session on July 11 and 12 will ratify the recommendation from the entire membership ahead of a formal vote of allocations in Lima in September.
Bach did not give an indication of which city would be preferred for 2024 or 2028, although it is expected that with a less congested window of opportunity, LA would be happier to wait 11 years to host.
“First of all the IOC members have to express themselves about this proposal coming from the executive board, and only after the members of the IOC have this opportunity, then it will be the time to enter into deeper discussions with the candidate cities,” Bach said, trying to curtail speculation on any prearranged award.
“Then discussions and negotiations may start if the IOC members should hopefully give a green light.”
City reaction
After the decision, LA2024 welcomed the news in a statement and highlighted how the city is an “ideal partner” for the IOC.
“We welcome the IOC Executive Board’s decision to recognize two excellent bids from two of the world’s greatest cities,” Casey Wasserman, LA 2024 chairman, and Eric Garcetti, Mayor of LA, said in a joint statement. “With no new permanent venues to build and unwavering public support, Los Angeles is an eternal Olympic city and ideal partner for the IOC.
“We look forward to… working together to offer the best path forward for our city and the Olympic Movement’s future.”
The team behind Paris 2024 also released a statement more specifically targeted at remaining on track to win the right to host the 2024 Games.
“Paris 2024 remains totally focused on preparing its presentation to the Lausanne meeting where we will have an opportunity to present to all the IOC Members our proposal for centenary Games of passion and purpose,” the statement said.
“We are proud to represent the City of Light and to promote a plan, in partnership with the IOC, all the key stakeholders and the people of Paris and France, that would deliver Games of wonderful celebration and genuine legacy.
“We continue to work hard to win the support of IOC Members and the broader sports family for a Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games based on that vision.”
Changes were also proposed for the bidding system of the 2026 Winter Olympics. This will last only one year, not two as per the current system hopefully resulting in greater cost-saving and therefore opening it up to more bidders.
Concerns have been raised before about the cost of bidding to host the Winter Olympics, with only Almaty and Beijing bidding to host the 2022 edition which the Chinese capital won.
By Christian Radnedge