LA 2024 during today's presentation to the IOC implored the body for first dibs if it awards both the '24 and '28 Games simultaneously, while still trying to claim the high ground of compromise. “L.A. is ready to throw these Olympics in two months if we were asked, or two decades if it came to that, because we have everything,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti told the media, which was not allowed to see the presentation. Many believe a plan to give Paris the '24 Games and make L.A. wait until ’28 is already proceeding behind closed doors.
But Garcetti argued having L.A. go first is in the IOC’s own best interests. His reasoning: Assuming the joint award proceeds, the next time the Summer Games will be subject to open bidding will be '25, with the memory of whatever happens in '24 fresh in their minds. The smooth execution of the '24 Games will determine the future of the bid process, Garcetti said, and the city’s higher popular support and lower budget risks make it the best choice for that year. "The sooner you get to L.A., the sooner you will reignite the global passion of cities,” Garcetti said.
Some in Olympic circles believe Paris has outflanked L.A., using its flexibility against them and saying its own plans cannot deviate from '24. Garcetti said he thought L.A. had made its case for '24 forcefully enough, and then took the high road. “You can be a kid with his toys and say, ‘If you don’t give me exactly what I want, I’m getting out of here,’” he said. “But we believe in this movement too much to do that.” The IOC meets this afternoon to make the change, which will then lead to tri-party negotiations.
