Paris was formally confirmed as host of the 2024 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games on Wednesday, while Los Angeles landed the 2028 Games, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) broke with decades of tradition in what president Thomas Bach claimed was a “win-win-win” situation.
The IOC has never before assigned two editions of its showpiece event at once and the move was formally ratified when no objections were raised at the IOC Session in Lima, Peru yesterday (Wednesday). The decision, foregoing the traditional dramatic conclusion of a voting process for the hosting rights, ends what has been a troubled bidding process for the summer Olympics.
Budapest became the third city to exit the bidding process for the 2024 Games earlier this year, leaving just Los Angeles and Paris in contention. A referendum also put paid to the German city of Hamburg’s ambitions, while Rome exited the race last year amid financial concerns. Boston’s initial American bid was replaced by that of Los Angeles.
The exit of Budapest led to the idea of a Tripartite Agreement between the IOC, Paris and Los Angeles after a working group of IOC vice-presidents studied the possibility of a double allocation of the 2024 and 2028 Games.
The working group was set up in March with IOC officials keen to ensure there was no loser in a 2024 race that was left with two strong bids. The path was smoothed to Wednesday’s announcement when the IOC in July reached an outline host city agreement with the Los Angeles bid committee for the US city to host the 2028 Olympics, leaving Paris to take the 2024 Games.
Speaking yesterday, Bach said: “This historic double allocation is a ‘win-win-win’ situation for the city of Paris, the city of Los Angeles and the IOC. It is hard to imagine something better. Ensuring the stability of the Olympic Games for the athletes of the world for the next 11 years is something extraordinary.
“These are two great cities from two great countries with a great Olympic history. Both cities are very enthusiastic about the Games and are promoting the Olympic spirit in a fantastic way.”
Paris, which has hosted the summer Olympics on two previous occasions, entered the 2024 Games race with the emotive target of an event which would mark the centenary of its last staging in the French capital. Having been beaten in previous efforts to land the 1992, 2008 and 2012 Games, Paris has outlined a 2024 Games budget of €6.8bn ($8.1bn).
Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said: “With this team, I am very proud and moved to bring the Games back to Paris. At the heart of these Games, we will place young people, who represent our present, our hope and our pride.”
Los Angeles 2028 will return the summer Games to the United States for the first time since Atlanta 1996. The Californian city will be hosting the Olympics for the third time, following previous Games in 1932 and 1984, and the Paralympics for the first time.
Under the revised host city contract agreed with the IOC, LA 2028 is able to invest up to $160m (€134.2m) to increase youth sports access and participation in Los Angeles in the years leading up to the Games. The new contract will also provide LA 2028 with an 80 per cent share of any Games surplus and an IOC contribution of $2bn.
The LA Games will have a budget of $5.3bn and essentially follow the same template that was in place under the original 2024 Olympics vision. LA 2028 chairman Casey Wasserman said: “This 11-year agreement with the IOC is the ultimate validation of LA 2028’s New Games for a New Era, and Los Angeles’ vision for the future.
“As a team and as a city, we could not be more excited to be entering into this long-term partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic movements, and with one of the great cities of the world, Paris. This will be an extraordinary collaboration that secures the future of the Movement for generations. Now LA 2028 has a golden opportunity, with four more years to prepare and a $2bn contribution from the IOC, to redefine how hosting the Games can benefit host communities.”
It has been confirmed that both Wasserman, and Paris 2024 co-chairman Tony Estanguet, will stay on and lead their respective cities’ preparations.
For more on the bidding process for the 2024 and 2028 Games, check out the following articles:
IOC Dual Award | Winners & Losers – Part 1: The Cities: http://bit.ly/2xk3plI
IOC Dual Award | Winners & Losers – Part 2: Thomas Bach and the IOC: http://bit.ly/2uUtBhF
IOC Dual Award | Winners & Losers – Part 3: Eurosport: http://bit.ly/2fF7ZEo
IOC Dual Award | Winners & Losers – Part 4: Bid consultancies: http://bit.ly/2i4Y23z
IOC Dual Award | Winners & Losers – Part 5: Sports federations: http://bit.ly/2w8UnaX
