2024 Olympics: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation Surrounding Host Cities
The deadline for prospective 2024 Summer Olympic host cities to declare their candidacies has passed, and the International Olympic Committee announced five finalists on Wednesday: Budapest, Hungary; Hamburg, Germany; Los Angeles; Paris; and Rome, per ESPN.
Paris; Rome; Hamburg, Germany; and Budapest, Hungary, were all officially in the running when Boston ended its pursuit of a bid, eventually being replaced by Los Angeles as the United States' entry. Toronto followed suit by opting not to proceed.
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IOC President Comments on Finalists
Wednesday, Sept. 16
"We are welcoming five outstanding and highly qualified candidate cities. ... This is a competition about quality, not quantity," IOC President Thomas Bach said during a conference call, per ESPN, which added:
"Bach said a candidate would be cut only if it violates bidding rules or if the IOC determines a city cannot meet "minimum requirements" for hosting the games. ...
Bach said all five bid cities for 2024 fully embraced his Olympic Agenda 2020 reform program, which seeks to reduce bidding and hosting costs. "Sustainability and legacy are the cornerstones of each candidature," he said.
The IOC will contribute $1.7 billion in cash and services to the organizing committee of whichever city is chosen as host. Bach expressed confidence the city will produce a surplus on its operating budget, which does not cover long-term infrastructure costs.
The cities must submit their first bid files by Feb. 17, 2016.
An IOC evaluation commission will visit the cities between February and June 2017.
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Toronto Bid Speculation Ended
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Mayor John Tory admitted "nobody was rushing forward with their checkbooks" to enter Toronto into the 2024 race, relayed by Rob Gillies of the Associated Press (h/t Yahoo).
As noted by Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports, this revelation marks "the first time since 1984 that no cities outside of the U.S. and Europe bid for a Summer Olympics."
Paris Officially Submits Bid
Saturday, Sept. 12
According to the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports), Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French Olympic Committee president Denis Masseglia promised to "build a project which is unforgettable, innovative, responsible and sustainable."
On June 23, ABC.net.au reported the Parisians confirmed their entry into the race for the 2024 Summer Olympics with a statement from Bernard Lapasset, who will be the future head of the country's bidding committee.
"Paris is delighted to officially confirm its bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games—an important first milestone as our Host City campaign journey commences," Lapasset said. "We believe that this bid and our goal to host the 2024 Games will excite, unite and enthuse the people of Paris, our entire nation and lovers of Olympic and Paralympic sport all over the world."
Hopeful countries have until Sept. 15 to declare their hosting intentions, at which point entries will be closed for consideration. Then, on Sept. 15, 2017, the International Olympic Committee will declare a winner.
Although Paris failed to win the rights to the 2008 or 2012 Summer Olympics, its current prospects look solid when compared to Boston's now defunct bid.
According to Bonesteel, Paris bid organizers estimated the total cost of hosting the 2024 Games at €6.26 billion, or roughly $7 billion U.S.
Plenty of deliberation lies ahead, but the concept of a 100-year Olympic reunion in Paris is undeniably enticing at this stage in the proceedings.
Rome Formally Submits Bid
Friday, Sept. 11
"Thus begins a path of construction and sharing for the capital of a plan that will offer athletes and the entire world the chance to experience the Olympic spirit and emotions in a setting of incomparable beauty," a statement from the Rome committee said, according to the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports). The statement continued:
""No other city in the world can offer an artistic, historical and cultural heritage that stretches over such an ample arc of time, which will allow Olympic competitions to be held in the most spectacular and symbolic places of the Eternal City," the committee added.
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Hamburg Formally Submits Bid
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Hamburg officially announced their bid to host the Olympics, according to the Associated Press:
"We invite the international sports family to get to know our clearly colorful and increasingly diverse country," Alfons Hoermann, the president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), said, per the AP.
Hamburg is attempting to become the first German city to host the Games since Berlin in 1972, and mayor Olaf Schwartz said the city intends to show itself as a "gateway to the world" and to show that "transparent, compact, modern Olympic Games are possible in our city."
L.A. Officially Named U.S. Olympic Bid After City Council's Unanimous Effort
Tuesday, Sept. 1
The U.S. Olympic team confirmed the news of Los Angeles' nomination via its Twitter account, with United States Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun saying: "I want to thank Los Angeles for standing up once again as America’s bid city for the Olympic & Paralympic Games," per the Olympic team.
"We believe in the vision of LA," Blackmun said, via the Olympic team. "We believe this city can produce a new kind of Games for a new Olympic era."
Earlier in the day, the Associated Press passed along word of the 15-0 vote, which "cleared the way for Mayor Eric Garcetti to execute agreements that begin negotiations with the U.S. Olympic Committee without obligating the city financially," according to the report.
The news comes days after David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times reported on Aug 29 that Los Angeles officials and the USOC reached an agreement in negotiations for the city to serve as the American bidder for the 2024 Olympics.
On Aug. 25, the city of Los Angeles unveiled a budget showcasing a $161 million surplus for the city and projects a budget of $4.1 billion for the 2024 Olympic Games, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).
"In Los Angeles, the spotlight is always on. We have the resources, experience and secure environment to share the biggest events with the world," the proposal stated.
The city would spend $800 million on renovations for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with $500 million of it coming from the University of Southern California, per the Associated Press.
San Francisco Defers to Los Angeles For 2024 Bid
Wednesday, Aug. 12
While the city of San Francisco supports Los Angeles' attempt to land the U.S. bid for the 2024 Olympics, they will not compete against them, according to NBC Bay Area.
On July 27, the Associated Press claimed Los Angeles would be the "best bet" for a backup city.
"L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement saying that his office hadn't had any recent conversations with the USOC but he'd be happy to have them," the report stated.
Boston Organizers End Effort to Land Olympics; USOC Still Interested in Bid
Monday, July 27
The Boston group confirmed the decision in a release on Twitter, ending the city's hopes. According to the Associated Press, the USOC said it was still interested in mounting a bid.
On June 29, organizers detailed a $4.6 billion plan for the games that would leave Boston with a $210 million surplus, according to the AP (via Syracuse.com).
The AP also noted more details of the city's bid:
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- They estimate revenue at a minimum of $4.8 billion, and more likely $5.1 billion, based on domestic sponsorships, ticket sales projected based on previous Olympics and Boston's share of the IOC TV and sponsorship revenue.
- Estimated expenses of $4.6 billion already include contingencies to cover hundreds of millions in cost overruns. Insurance would cover potential increases in some projects.
- The Olympics would leave behind 4,000 housing units in the former athletes village, with another 4,000 planned near the temporary, 69,000-seat main stadium.
- Olympics-related construction would create 4,100 jobs from 2018 to 2023, with the total "job-years" resulting from the games approaching 100,000.
- Tax revenues from the site of the Olympic stadium would rise from a current value of less than $1 million per year to $7 million annually in 2030 and $32 million a decade after that.
- Improvements needed for Boston's oft-maligned public transportation independent of the Summer Games would be sufficient to accommodate the needs of the Olympics.
"This has been a transition from a conceptual plan," bid chairman Steve Pagliuca told reporters at the time. "We've now done the 'little-picture' thinking. We think we've made the major leaps."
Budapest Announces Intention for 2024 Bid
Wednesday, July 8
Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos and Zsolt Borkai, head of Hungary's Olympic agency confirmed the decision to pursue the games in a letter to Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, per the Associated Press, via ESPN.com:
""The City of Budapest and the Hungarian Olympic Committee wish to participate in the application and bidding process with the aim of selecting the host city" of the 2024 Olympics, the letter, published Wednesday, said.
The officials said that Hungary was alone among the 10 most successful countries in the Summer Olympics yet to host the event and highlighted the IOC's efforts to cut organizational costs with its Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms.
"We also welcome that the IOC is orienting itself to a more economical and sustainable organization of the Olympic Games, by that breaking the monopoly of the largest and wealthiest countries" as hosts, Tarlos and Borkai said.
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