Olympics 2024

With only two remaining cities — Los Angeles and Paris — competing to host the 2024 Olympic games, it’s looking increasingly likely that the International Olympic Committee will declare a tie, of sorts, and award hosting responsibilities for the 2024 and 2028 games simultaneously.

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the committee’s goings on, the Wall Street Journal reports that IOC officials will likely award the 2024 games to Paris and the 2028 games to Los Angeles. What’s more, the decision could be more or less finalized by June 9 — months ahead of an official vote scheduled for September.

Rumors that the 2024 and 2028 games might be awarded simultaneously have been swirling for months, but after leaders of the Paris bid made it clear the city was in the running for the 2024 games alone, the idea of a “double allocation” became dependent on LA’s willingness to accept the later games.

Well, that seems to be exactly what has happened. Sources tell the Journal that Mayor Eric Garcetti and U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Larry Probst have both discussed the matter with IOC President Thomas Bach, apparently leaving open the possibility of LA accepting hosting responsibilities in 2028 — so long as a few incentives are thrown in.

It’s not clear yet what kind of incentives those might be, but the Journal reports that Bach has “committed the IOC to making sure the four-year wait could be made worthwhile for both the USOC and Los Angeles.”

The extra wait time will give LA a bit more time to prepare for the games, ensuring that key infrastructure projects like the Crenshaw/LAX Line and Purple Line extension are fully operational before thousands of spectators descend on the city.

Of course, an extra four years also allows more time for resistance to the games to build. In spite of polls suggesting that most residents support the games, a handful of influential political groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, are opposed. They argue that bid leaders have not been transparent about the true cost of the games, while valuing the profits of a handful of individuals and corporations over the welfare of the general public.

Source: Curbed LA