The Paris City Council "voted to bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which would bring the world’s biggest sports event back to the French capital 100 years after it last hosted the games," according to Viscusi & Rossingh of BLOOMBERG. Mayor Anne Hidalgo said, "The Council has spoken, here we are in this new Olympic adventure. With all the competence we have behind us, we can prepare an excellent bid that can convince the Olympic Committee." France last staged an Olympics in '92, "when the Winter Games were held in Albertville." Although Paris "had been the favorite for the 2012 Summer Olympics," it lost to London in '05 and has not bid since. Paris officials said that "most of the necessary sporting infrastructure is in place." The major facilities that need to be built "are a swimming center and a field hockey stadium." A preliminary report, released in February, estimated the infrastructure needs at €3B ($3.2B), and said at least €2B ($2.1B) of that "is for housing that will be built anyway." The report "calls for using some of Paris’ best-known landmarks including the Grand Palais for fencing, the Champ de Mars park beneath the Eiffel Tower for beach volleyball, and the Invalides for archery." Road cycling races "would finish at Versailles Palace southwest of Paris" (BLOOMBERG, 4/13). REUTERS' Julien Pretot wrote it is now up to the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) "to formally declare the candidacy before the Sept. 15 deadline." After French President Francois Hollande said that he "was in favour of a bid," only the city's support was missing. Boston, Hamburg and Rome "have already launched their bids for the 2024 Games" (REUTERS, 4/13).
