Olympic Games: Paris & LA to host 2024 & 2028 respectively

 

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Paris and Los Angeles have been named as hosts of the 2024 and 2028 summer Games respectively by the International Olympic Committee.

 

Both cities had wanted to host the 2024 event, before LA agreed to wait an extra four years after the IOC made guarantees on funding.

 

The Paris Games, which had fallen short with bids for 2008 and 2012, will mark 100 years since it was last held in the French capital.

 

Los Angeles hosted it in 1932 and 1984.

 

Paris and Los Angeles had been the only two candidates for the 2024 Games after Hamburg, Rome and Budapest withdrew from the race.

 

The IOC voted in June to award the 2028 Games at the same time as 2024.

 

The Californian city wanted the earlier Games because of its readiness to host while Paris said its prospective site for the Games would not be available for redevelopment after 2024.

 

IOC President Thomas Bach said the votes for both cities were "unanimous".

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/41259992

 

Anyone else interested in following when future Olympic host cities are announced? I'm surprised it's been (or will be) a whole century since Paris last hosted. I also thought (and sort of hoped) the US bids would continue to be overlooked, but the three withdrawals must have worked in LA's favor.

I think it's funny and completely in line with everything the IOC stands for that the cities got the opposite date to the ones they actually wanted

I still think it is daft that Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

 

It's great to see Paris host an Olympic Games after many 'failed' bids.

 

If you are looking at the 2026 Winter Olympics, these are the cities who could be bidding:

 

Calgary, Canada

Innsbruck, Austria

Lillehammer, Norway

Sion, Switzerland

 

100 years since Paris hosted, that's nice and fitting. Good division of continents with what should both be reliable hosts.

Well I clearly need to make a date to go to Paris for 2024, that's the closest it'll get to being on my doorstep after London!

 

Certainly will be two great shows from them both.

I'm a little bit disappointed that we're not getting another brand new host city but obviously after the unsure nature leading up to Rio, it's understandable that they've chosen two Olympics-ready cities. I definitely have to visit Paris though, I didn't attend any events in London (apart from open water swimming) but I'd love to be in the audience for one of the main sports there!

 

I hope Budapest go back into the bidding, when I was in the city earlier in the year they had some lovely infographics up about Hungary's history in the Games and I only learned after reading it all that they'd withdrawn :lol:

I'm a little bit disappointed that we're not getting another brand new host city but obviously after the unsure nature leading up to Rio, it's understandable that they've chosen two Olympics-ready cities. I definitely have to visit Paris though, I didn't attend any events in London (apart from open water swimming) but I'd love to be in the audience for one of the main sports there!

 

I hope Budapest go back into the bidding, when I was in the city earlier in the year they had some lovely infographics up about Hungary's history in the Games and I only learned after reading it all that they'd withdrawn :lol:

 

Don't think that's much of the problem really, lots of cities don't want to host because the costs spiral out of control if you do not already have a lot of the infrastructure in place. Whilst it's great to see the games truly worldwide and in new cities, lots of cities cannot afford to host the games without mass government funding. I think that's the reason everyone dropped out of this race.

Again there were quite a few host cities that did drop out such as Hamburg, Budapest and Rome. Would be good although unlikely if the Olympics took place just one country but with venues around the country could work instead of venues around one area for future Games if money costs continue to spiral.

Cricket could be in the Olympics for the first time since 1900 after organisers recommended it to be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

 

Twenty20 cricket will be put forward for approval to the International Olympic Committee for a vote next week.

 

Flag football, a non-contact version of American football, and squash are set for their Olympic debuts in 2028.

 

The other recommendations are baseball/softball and lacrosse, which were both left out for Paris 2024.

 

"They're relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centres, stadiums and parks across the US and the globe," said LA28 chairperson Casey Wasserman.

 

International Cricket Council chairman Greg Barclay said: "While this is not the final decision, it is a significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century."

 

The final decision is set to be made when International Olympic Committee members meet in Mumbai next week.

 

There is expected to be both a T20 men's and women's tournament at the LA Games.

Cricket's return to the Olympics for the Los Angeles 2028 Games has been approved by the International Olympic Committee executive board.

 

Flag football, a non-contact version of American football, squash, lacrosse and baseball/softball are also in.

 

IOC members will now vote on Monday to ratify the board's recommendation.

 

IOC president Thomas Bach said the new sports allow the Olympic movement to "engage with new athletes and fan communities".

Paris 2024 organisers say they are committed to hosting the Olympic surfing event at its planned site in Tahiti - despite concerns raised by locals about the environmental impact.

 

The site at Teahupo'o, which is 9,500 miles from Paris, is renowned as one of the best surfing waves in the world.

 

But residents on the Pacific island say the construction of an aluminium tower would damage the coral reef.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) says it welcomes construction delays at the site of the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti.

 

The construction of a judging tower has been paused after local opponents said a barge had damaged coral near the contest site in Teahupo'o.

 

Footage posted on social media by Save Teahupo'o Reef appeared to show a barge stuck on the reef, and broken coral.

 

The ISA said it was "saddened and surprised" by the incident.

 

Surfing's governing body confirmed the French Polynesian government has paused "all further testing and preparations to draw lessons following the incident on the reef".

 

Teahupo'o is renowned as one of the best surfing waves in the world and has long hosted events on the professional World Surf League's (WSL) championship tour.