Community Corner
Los Angeles Could Get 2028 Olympics Under New IOC Plan
LA and Paris are competing to host the 2024 games, but because so few cities are willing to bid on the games, the IOC is eying LA for 2028.
LOS ANGELES, CA --
Los Angeles' competition with Paris to host the 2024 Summer Olympics could turn into a win-win for both cities, with one city hosting the 2024 games and the other 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.
Find out what's happening in North Hollywood-Toluca Lakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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.
Find out what's happening in North Hollywood-Toluca Lakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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."
Officials with LA2024, the committee behind the Los Angeles bid, said Friday that they're still focused on securing the 2024 games.
"All of our work for more than two years has been about 2024. So we are only bidding on 2024," LA2024 Chief Communications Officer Jeff Millman said. "And while the IOC has established a working group to explore changes, we have not heard anything different from the IOC on the bid process. We believe the future is now for the Olympics movement. With 88 percent public support, and even higher support from young Angelenos, LA 2024 offers an innovative, low-risk and truly sustainable solution to help secure the future of the Olympic movement in 2024 and beyond."
-- City News Service, photo courtesy of LA2024
