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Trump may have won Olympics for... Paris
Paris could be set to host the 2024 Olympic Games in a historic centenary sports celebration after a statement from its Los Angeles rivals appears to concede that they would be prepared to host the 2028 event.
It comes as influential Forbes magazine says it would be politically difficult for the IOC to name Los Angeles for 2024 due to President Trump’s “proposed travel ban on citizens from Muslim countries”.
The International Olympic Committee is to break with tradition and announce the winners of both the 2024 and 2028 games at one time, at its meeting in September, rather than waiting four years to announce the 2028 host city.
On hearing this, Casey Wasserman, president of the LA 2024 organising committee, said his committee had never said it was “LA first” or “now or never” when looking at 2024.
His comments were quickly seized upon as evidence that a deal is close that would see Paris host in 2024 followed by Los Angeles in 2028.
Wall Street Journal reported a source close to the LA campaign saying a decision along these lines would be taken by the IOC, which meets in Lausanne on July 11-12, before the September 13 final declaration.
If Paris does host the 2024 games it would be 100 years since it previously hosted them and its third time as host after 1900 and 1924. It lost to London for the 2012 games and failed to win both 2008 and 1992 events.
The Paris Olympic Committee has said it welcomes the IOC Executive Board decision to review the bidding process and possibly announce the 2024 and 2028 winners at the same time.
If the decision is voted through then Paris is sure to have either 2024 or 2028 as no other city will be considered.
A spokesman for Paris 2024 said they could not be 100% confident until after the July decision. He would not comment on whether the “Trump effect” of the planned travel ban on citizens from Muslim countries had given them a boost.
“We cannot say we are confident of winning the 2024 Olym- pic Games but we are convinced we have the best project.”
However, Paris 2024 earlier said they would not be interested in being 2028 hosts – bid co-chairman Tony Estanguet said “now or never” – and the planned Olympic Village would not be available then.
Los Angeles says it has the bulk of the facilities already in place while Paris said 95% of its venues were “already existing or temporary” to cut costs.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games would be held from August 2-August 18, while the Paralympics would run from September 4-September 15.
