Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Wednesday, 2 August 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
AFP: Paris is celebrating outright victory in its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games despite cautionary rhetoric from French President Emmanuel Macron and bid leaders following a historic deal with Los Angeles.
Macron hailed the “very important step” on the road to hosting the Games after Los Angeles on Monday announced its intent to organise the 2028 Olympics.
The deal was described by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach as a “win-win-win” agreement for both cities and the Olympic movement.
But despite the fact that Paris is now effectively the only remaining candidate to host the 2024 Games, Macron and other bid leaders shied away from overt triumphalism.
“France notes the decision of Los Angeles to put forward its candidature for 2028 and to reach an agreement with the IOC and Paris,” a statement from Macron’s office said.
Macron spoke to Bach following Los Angeles’ announcement and was “delighted by this very important step towards France obtaining the Games in 2024”.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter on Monday night: “Happy that my friend @MayorofLA has made an important new step on an agreement that will have three winners: Paris, Los Angeles and the IOC.”
Both Paris and Los Angeles had wanted to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, with the winner to be officially named by the IOC on September 13 in the Peruvian capital Lima.
But the possibility that Los Angeles would abandon a 2024 bid and instead accept the 2028 Games has been growing since the IOC decided in July that it would attempt to award both Games at its Lima meeting.
The French capital insisted it only wanted to host the Games in 2024, on the 100th anniversary of the city’s 1924 Olympics, prompting Los Angeles to soften its stance and consider hosting the 2028 Games.
