LA 2024, Paris, IOC discuss which city will host 2024, 2028 Olympics

International Olympic Committee officials on Wednesday confirmed that discussions have begun between the IOC and Los Angeles and Paris officials that are expected to result in Southern California hosting the 2028 Games.

IOC, Los Angeles and Paris officials had informal talks over a celebratory dier Tuesday night, just hours after the IOC voted unanimously in Lausae to award both the 2024 and 2028 Games this year, a move that guarantees both cities the right to host their third Olympics.

Those informal talks continued Wednesday morning with more formal negotiations begiing Thursday or Friday, IOC president Thomas Bach said.

Bach reiterated his desire to have a tripartite agreement between the IOC, Los Angeles and Paris complete by the end of August.

If Paris and Los Angeles officials can reach an agreement with the IOC on which city will host the 2024 Games and which will hold the 2028 Olympics then IOC membership would ratify the tripartite agreement during September meetings in Lima, Peru, IOC officials said. If no agreement is reached then the IOC will vote to award the 2024 Games on Sept. 13 and the 2028 bid process would re-open with either Paris or Los Angeles leaving Peru empty-handed.

But talks between the two cities and the IOC are expected to go relatively smoothly and result in an agreement where Paris agrees to host the 2024 Games while Los Angeles will take the 2028 Games.

“Now we are going to talk to the two cities directly,” Bach told reporters Wednesday. “I hope we can make reasonably quick progress. You have seen the reaction of both cities, it was very amiable. If that continues we can reach agreement soon.”

Paris officials have resisted any suggestion that the French city wait until 2028 while Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles 2024 bid committee chairman Casey Wasserman have been more receptive to the idea of hosting the 2028 Olympics.

Garcetti and Wasserman returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday. LA 2024 chief executive Gene Sykes remained in Lausae.

“Two of the world’s greatest cities, with outstanding but different proposals, stand ready to serve and advance the Olympic and Paralympic movements and their values,” LA 2024 said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the IOC and Paris in the weeks ahead to turn this golden opportunity into a golden future together.”

The initial negotiations will be between bid leaders, IOC administrators and the IOC’s executive board. The next step is for IOC leadership to present the two cities with a contract that covers both the 2024 and 2028 Games.

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