Olympics: Four cities open campaign to host 2024 Olympics

Agence France-Presse

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Olympics: Four cities open campaign to host 2024 Olympics
Paris, Rome, Los Angeles, and Budapest are vying to host the 2024 Olympics

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Candidature files from Paris, Rome, Los Angeles and Budapest to host the 2024 Olympic Games were all delivered on schedule, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed on Wednesday, February 17.

The new Candidature Process encourages the cities to present projects which match their sports, economic, social and environmental long-term regional planning needs. 

This is part of the ‘Olympic 2020 Agenda’ which also insists on the use of existing facilities and provides flexibility for the venues to meet local sustainability and legacy needs.

A delighted IOC President Thomas Bach, confirming the four candidates, was clearly impressed with a first look at the bids on Wednesday and said he was looking forward to a fascinating competition.

“Los Angeles, Rome, Budapest and Paris are all submitting projects fully in line with Olympic Agenda 2020,” he said.

“It is impressive to see how they have incorporated the Olympic project into the long-term development plans of their city, region and country. 

“Coming from different starting points, for all four there is a clear focus on sustainable development, legacy and in particular how the facilities are going to be used after the Olympic Games.”

The candidate files under the new procedure are delivered in 3 phases and the IOC will confirm (or not) the cities passing their criteria at that stage.

Wednesday’s first installment deals with global vision, Games concept and strategy. These will now be studied by IOC working groups who will deliver reports by June.

Phase two propositions dealing with governance, legal matters and venue funding are due by October 7. The final dossiers on Games delivery, experience and venue legacy are not due until February 3, 2017.

‘Follow the sun’

Los Angeles bid chiefs decided not to hold a launch ceremony and instead kicked off their campaign by unveiling an official logo of an angel basking in rays of Californian sunshine, as the city bids to stage the Olympics for a third time after 1932 and 1984.

The logo is accompanied by an official slogan, urging people to ‘Follow the Sun’ by supporting the Los Angeles bid.  

Existing venues such as the Staples Center, the LA Coliseum, the Rose Bowl and university stadiums will be used, with athletes to be housed on the UCLA campus.

Hungarian capital city Budapest has announced a modest budget of 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to build their entire infrastructure.

No launch ceremony will take place there after opponents, fearing spiraling costs and risks of corruption, tried to force a citizen referendum to block the bid, as was the case with Hamburg.

Rome bid president Luca Di Montezemolo presided over a ceremony which was broadcast on state-owned television RAI.

With the Colosseum as their emblem and the city’s major tourist attractions as venues, the Italian capital will build on its strengths and existing infrastructure.

Paris bid committee president Bernard Lapasset confirmed a budget of 3.2 billion euros for infrastructure, with existing stadiums, arenas and internationally recognized landmarks all on the bill.

At an official ceremony at the city’s new Philharmonie centre built by the celebrated architect Jean Nouvel, the team’s co-president and triple Olympic kayak champion Tony Estanguet insisted that Paris was already well equipped.

“Around 95% of the sites already exist,” said the 37-year-old.

“We are lucky to have so many extraordinary sites and beautiful monuments to fall back on.”

Paris would use its world famous tourist sites such as the Seine river for swimming, the Eiffel Tower for the start and end to certain races, the Gustave Eiffel-built Grand Palais exhibition centre for fencing, and the Champs Elysees to stage the cycling road race, among many other top-level sites. 

“With all these sites we believe the Olympic Games would be just incredible,” Estanguet said.

The vote for the host city will take place on September 13, 2017 in Lima. – Rappler.com

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