Los Angeles’ competition with Paris to host the 2024 Summer Olympics could turn into a win-win for both cities, with Paris hosting the 2024 games and L.A. taking its turn in 2028 under a new plan being touted by International Olympic Committee officials.
Los Angeles and Paris are the final two candidates for the 2024 games, with the IOC scheduled to meet in Lima, Peru on Sept. 13 to choose the winning bid. But IOC President Thomas Bach said Friday that a four-person working group is studying a change to IOC procedures that would allow the committee to award both bids in September, the Associated Press reported.
That smaller group is scheduled to report to the IOC at a meeting in Switzerland from July 9-13, where L.A. and Paris will make their formal presentations.
“All the options are on the table, and this includes also the ’24-’28 procedure and vote,” Bach said Friday.
Olympic officials say that with so few cities willing or able to mount a successful bid to host the summer games, it makes little sense to reject either of the two qualified cities.
“We are in a comfortable situation now it will be up to the working group how to best explore, how to best exploit, the positive situation,” Bach said. “We should not miss the opportunity to explore this opportunity.”
