2024/2028 Host City Election
A golden opportunity
On 13 September at the IOC Session in Lima, it was confirmed that Paris and Los Angeles will host the Olympic Games 2024 and 2028 respectively, following the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) historic decision to award both Games simultaneously. Here, we trace the exceptional circumstances that led to the decision.
On 11 July 2017, the IOC Session unanimously agreed in principle to award both the Olympic Games 2024 and 2028 simultaneously in Lima, paving the way for a “win-win-win” situation for the Olympic Movement, Los Angeles and Paris.
This historic decision initiated a period of constructive discussion between the IOC and the two Candidate Cities, resulting in Los Angeles declaring its candidature for the Olympic Games 2028 followed by a Tripartite Agreement and the release of the Host City Contract 2028 on 31 July.
The agreement was ratified by the full IOC membership at the IOC Session in Lima on 13 September, confirming that Paris will host the Olympic Games 2024, and that Los Angeles will host the Olympic Games 2028. This was the culmination of a two-year Candidature Process that was shaped by the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms.
It was the very fact that the two candidatures embraced so fully the principles laid out in Olympic Agenda 2020 that created what IOC President Thomas Bach termed a “golden opportunity” for the Olympic Movement.
Both cities have really embraced Olympic Agenda 2020 in different ways, but particularly in the way they are planning to use a record number of existing and temporary facilities.
“This is something we have not seen in this dimension before, and will lead to significant cost reductions in the organisation of the Olympic Games and will make the Games more sustainable and more feasible,” said President Bach at a press conference on 9 June 2017, after the IOC Executive Board had put forward the proposal to award both Games at the same time.
On 11 July at the Candidate City Briefing 2024, when the two delegations – led by Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron – presented their respective Games concepts, it was this mutually strong focus on sustainability and legacy that made losing one of them unthinkable for the Olympic Movement.
A Host City Contract 2028 was drawn up specifying that the IOC contribution towards the successful organisation of the Olympic Games 2028 would be USD 1.8 billion. In addition, the IOC will advance funds in view of the longer planning period, in order to increase participation in and access to youth sports programmes in Los Angeles in the years leading up to the Games.
The result is the safeguarding of the future of the Games through the allocation of hosting rights to two historic Olympic cities, giving athletes, National Olympic Committees, International Federations and the entire Olympic Movement an exciting framework within which to map out the next 11 years, and providing legacies that will benefit the local populations long into the future.
In fact, collaboration between the two cities has already begun through the drawing up of a framework for cooperation between Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028, outlining opportunities that the two cities and the IOC are planning to explore to create mutual benefits, efficiency, transparency and reduction in costs and complexity.
Gallery - 2024/2028 Host City Election
The Candidature Process
Prior to the tripartite agreement, the Candidature Process 2024 including evaluation of the Paris and LA projects took place. This process allowed for a significant shift in philosophy, aimed to increase openness, simplicity and transparency, and created the opportunity for an ongoing dialogue between the IOC and the Candidate Cities. Changes included cost savings for the Candidate Cities, open discussions with the Candidate Cites and an Evaluation Commission report which focused on the opportunities and challenges presented by each Candidate City. In line with the IOC’s commitment to good governance and transparency, all documentation relating to the 2024 Candidature Process can be found here. The 2024 process was the first time all documentation, including the Host City Contract, was made available at the outset of the process.
Detailed information in regard to this Candidature Process 2024 may be found here.
Key Features of the Candidature Process 2024 and the Los Angeles and Paris Projects
Explanation given by the Chairman of the Evaluation Commission, Patrick Baumann, IOC Member, on behalf of all members of the IOC Evaluation Commission 2024.