Paris 2024 and LA 2028 is ‘Win-Win-Win’ says IOC President

In what was in effect a rubber-stamping of an agreement reached in July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the 2024 Olympic Games to Paris, France, and the 2028 Games to Los Angeles in the United States.

With the IOC members gathered for an official session in Lima, Peru, IOC president Thomas Bach made the announcement.

‘Congratulations to Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028. 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,’ Bach commented.

‘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,’ Bach added.

The idea of a tripartite agreement came to light after a working group of IOC vice-presidents studied the possibility of a double allocation of the Olympic Games 2024 and 2028. The working group was set up in March this year.

With the blessing of the 130th IOC session that met in Lausanne in July, the IOC, plus Los Angeles, Paris, and their national Olympic committees have been working together in order to reach the agreement that was ratified by the IOC session.

Los Angeles and Paris both put together very inspiring projects, embracing Olympic Agenda 2020, particularly in the way they are planning to use a record-breaking number of existing and temporary facilities.

Said the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo: ‘Today I’m delighted to invite you to join the great family of Parisians, a family which belongs to the world. With this team, I’m 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.’

And across the Atlantic, her LA counterpart, mayor Eric Garcetti, said: ‘Bringing the Olympics back home to LA gives us the chance to imagine what our city will look like a decade from now

‘LA is a city where the Games are not a barrier to making progress; we know that they are an accelerating force to re-envisioning a better city and a better world in the days ahead as we welcome you back to the City of Angels.’

The Paris Games, which had fallen short with bids for 2008 and 2012, will mark 100 years since it was last held in the French capital, while LA hosted the Games back in 1932 and 1984.

Source: www.sascoc.co.za