Leaders of the L.A. 2024 and Paris 2024 Olympic bids met with top IOC officials in Denmark on Monday, discussing for the first time potential reforms that would lead to the IOC awarding the Games to both cities later this year. First, IOC President Thomas Bach met with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo in separate sessions that were described as “courtesy meetings” by an IOC statement. Then, the entire delegations met with a working group led by four IOC VPs to discuss the campaign. According to the IOC, the bid groups “provided valuable feedback” about the remaining 5 1/2 months of the campaign, and were told that if changes were made, they would be raised with the bidding cities at a later stage. The IOC is considering awarding both ’24 and ’28 hosting duties at the same time, though Paris and L.A. both are insisting publicly they only want '24.
MEETING IN DENMARK: The bid groups are in Aarhus, Denmark, for the SportAccord convention. The American delegation includes: Garcetti, bid Chair Casey Wasserman, bid CEO Gene Sykes, Vice-Chair Janet Evans and the three American IOC members: Anita DeFrantz, Angela Ruggiero and Larry Probst. Paris is represented by Co-Chair Tony Estanguet, Hidalgo, CEO Etienne Thobois and French Olympic Committee Dir Denis Masseglia, among others. On Tuesday, both cities will present their bids to the Association of Summer Olympic Int'l Federations. While the body has no formal role in the bid process, its members must coordinate closely with Olympic hosts regarding sports venues, schedules and other logistical matters. Approximately 20 voting members of the IOC are at the conference.
