This Tuesday, July 11th, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the principle of dual awarding of the 2024 and 2028 Games.
The IOC and the two cities must now find a “tripartite” agreement to decide the order in which the Games will be awarded.
Therefore, the IOC is no longer tasked with choosing a winner, but rather with ensuring that neither city is disappointed.
This decision will be made on September 13th in Lima, Peru.
“We have an opportunity here, we have two excellent bids from two great Olympic nations,” said Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC.
The president of the IOC evaluation commission, Patrick Baumann, was impressed by the plans of both cities. For Los Angeles, he praised “an excellent foundation for the Games to be held here,” while Paris boasts “an exceptional and well-detailed project.”
In fact, the IOC wants to avoid the risk of losing a quality bid for the 2028 Games, as the competition for hosting them has become less and less intense.
The reason: the prohibitive cost of organizing the Games. The London Games in 2012 cost 10 billion euros, while Tokyo’s budget for 2020 is expected to reach 16 billion euros.
Paris has continued to firmly advocate for 2024, emphasizing the historical aspect of the centennial of the 1924 Games, which took place in Paris.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, has shown much more flexibility.
The IOC members and the presidents of international federations can be thrilled: with these two heavyweights, the Olympic movement has hit the jackpot.
