BERLIN – The race for the 2024 Olympics heated up on Wednesday as the International Olympic Committee confirmed four cities —— Rome, Paris, Budapest and Los Angeles —— had submitted the first part of their bids to host the Games.
The four potential hosts delivered their vision, concept and strategy plans by Wednesday’s deadline, the IOC said.
The Olympic body has introduced a new three-part bidding process that is aimed at making the Games more attractive to potential hosts as well as making it easier and cheaper to bid. Previously cities would submit a single bid to host the Games.
The IOC hopes the new process will allow it to check at an early stage whether bidders actually meet the criteria to host the Games, while helping to avoid the sudden withdrawals that have recently become commonplace. Several candidates for recent Olympics have dropped out in mid-race, citing concerns over the rising costs of hosting the Games or amid strong opposition from local residents. Four of the six cities bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, including Oslo and Stockholm, pulled out of the race well before last year’s vote.
Los Angeles, which has twice before hosted the Games, only entered the race after Boston pulled out over financial concerns. Lamburg withdrew its bid for the 2024 Games when citizens of the German port city voted against a bid last year.
“Coming from different starting points, for all four there is a clear focus on sustainable development, legacy and in particular how the facilities are going to be used after the Olympic Games,” said IOC President Thomas Bach in a statement.
