Los Angeles 2024 chairman Casey Wasserman has claimed the idea of awarding both the 2024 and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Lima in September “is an interesting concept.”
The IOC has been actively investigating the possibility of awarding Paris the 2024 Olympics and Los Angeles 2028 at its Session in Lima on September 13.
Earlier this month, Los Angeles and the United States Olympic Committee claimed they have no interest in bidding for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games if they are not awarded the 2024 edition.
But they have not ruled out the possibility of hosting the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics if they are awarded them without having to bid again.
“We have been clear on this point,” Wasserman said during a live question and answer session on Facebook today.
“The process we are involved in is bidding for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Nobody has come to us with the idea in an official capacity, we have obviously read the press like everyone else.
“I think it is an interesting concept but you might be too far into the process to change that.
“We are focused on the task at hand which is connecting with the Olympic family, telling the story of Los Angeles and why we believe that, for the future of the Olympic movement and the Olympic Games, the Games in 2024 should be in Los Angeles.
“That is what we are focused on and what we will keep our head down and keep working at.”
Last week, the LA City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee gave their backing to the city’s final set of documents for their bid.
The Committee accepted the documents, including the Host City Contract, at a meeting held on Friday (January 20).
A full City Council vote is set to take place tomorrow, with Los Angeles 2024 then scheduled to submit the third part of their Candidature Files – on Games Delivery, Experience and Venue Legacy – by February 3.
The City Council are likely to rubber-stamp the bid for the Olympics and Paralympics again during tomorrow’s meeting.
In September, the Council voted unanimously to the city’s efforts to bring the Summer Olympics back to the United States for the first time since Atlanta in 1996.
If Los Angeles win, they will become only the second city after London to host the host the Olympics three times, having previously staged it in 1932 and 1984.
Budapest are also bidding for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.
By Max Winters
Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.