LA 2024's second major bid document submission to the IOC on Friday "emphasizes an expanded venue footprint that revolves around four sports parks and extends beyond the city limits to Long Beach and into Orange and Riverside counties," according to Scott Reid of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Stage II documents "reinforce what bid officials and longtime IOC watchers believe is Los Angeles’ greatest strength in seeking to host the Games for the third time: a wealth of top flight existing venues." Eighty-five percent of proposed venues "either already exist or are planned," with 80% of the facilities built since '84. That is a "leading reason LA 2024 officials are projecting" a $161.1M surplus from a '24 Games and "addresses the standards of the IOC’s Agenda 2020 reforms, which stress sustainability." Long Beach "will serve as one of four sports parks, hosting sailing, triathlon, BMX and team handball." The Downtown Sports Park "will host at least 12 sports, including track and field and swimming." A South Bay Sports Park at StubHub Center "will hold the rugby, tennis, track cycling and field hockey competitions." The Valley Sports Park "will host equestrian, shooting and canoe slalom events." The revised venue plan also has Honda Center "hosting indoor volleyball and Lake Perris in Riverside County holding rowing and kayak events." Gymnastics "will be held at The Forum." The Stage II documents also highlight California Gov. Jerry Brown’s "recent signing of legislation creating a state-funded Olympic Games Trust Fund for potential cost overruns." The fund would pay up to $250M "to cover cost overruns related to the Games." The payments "would begin only after LA 2024’s private insurance payouts are exhausted" and the City of L.A. contributes $250M (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/8).
