LA2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman, in a statement Wednesday titled “An Opportunity to Serve,” all but conceded the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to bid rival Paris. Claiming that LA2024 was never “only about LA or 2024,” Wasserman stated:
“To be blunt, LA 2024 has never been only about LA or 2024. Even when the issue of a dual award for the 2024 and 2028 Games was initially raised, we didn’t say it’s ‘LA first’ or it’s ‘now or never’ for LA: that sounds like an ultimatum,” said Wasserman.
“We could have used that strategy, but we didn’t because we thought it was presumptuous to tell the IOC what to do and how to think. We’re better partners than that,” continues Wasserman.
Wasserman’s statements flow seamlessly from the altruistic language and spirit detailed in the document Olympic Agenda 2020, which lays out recommendations for future Olympic host cities so as to avoid post-Olympic economic catastrophes like Athens and Rio. If Paris can host a stellar Games in 2024, and LA can continue with that upward trend four years later, the two cities could play a vital role in saving the Games and re-branding the Olympics.
“In recent years, several cities have withdrawn from bidding for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says Wasserman.
“They walked away due to a variety of reasons, but mostly due to cost and legacy concerns, and the resulting devastating impact on public support. That’s why the IOC created its Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which have guided us in the creation and planning of our 2024 bid,” Wasserman continues.
The IOC and the Olympics generally face intense scrutiny, with some calling for no future Olympic Games, and others calling for the Olympics to find a permanent home. Wasserman recognizes that going forward the Olympics need to focus more on creating a positive social and economic impact on host cities and the myriad of communities that make up a metropolitan area robust enough to host the Games.
“It has always been our contention that LA 2024 had to make as much sense for the Olympic Movement as it did for the people of LA – and we’ve stuck to that premise,” claims Wasserman.
“Our bid reflects a unified, diverse and welcoming city, and we want to make it clear to the IOC and the global sports community that LA’s primary focus isn’t on ourselves,” Wasserman continues. “Instead, we are focused on the Olympic Movement and the world.”
However, Los Angeles has not formally withdrawn its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. While Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has expressed openness to hosting the 2028 Olympic Games, a spokesman for LA2024 pushed back on Wasserman’s statement, claiming “LA is not conceding anything in the race for the 2024 Games,” and that “LA is the ideal host city for 2024 and partner for the Olympic Movement,” reports insidethegames.
Tomorrow IOC President Thomas Bach will meet with a select group of IOC officials and representatives from both Paris and Los Angeles to further discuss the prospect of awarding both the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games simultaneously. The official vote to determine which city will host the 2024 Games is set for September 13th at the IOC summit in Lima, Peru.
Wasserman’s full statement, per gamesbids.com, reads:
June 7, 2017
An Opportunity to Serve
By LA 2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman
In recent years, several cities have withdrawn from bidding for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They walked away due to a variety of reasons, but mostly due to cost and legacy concerns, and the resulting devastating impact on public support. That’s why the IOC created its Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which have guided us in the creation and planning of our 2024 bid.
In my city and country, there is an unshakeable public confidence for the Games. Even after Boston 2024 withdrew, Los Angeles’ faith in the Olympic Movement encouraged us to step forward with our 10th Olympic bid – a record. 88% of Angelenos support our bid in a city where almost 40% of the population was born outside the US. That’s called unity, not diversity – just like the Olympic Movement itself.
At the meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees in November of last year, our Mayor Eric Garcetti said something profound for a bid. He said, “we believe this campaign isn’t just about the Games in our city in 2024 … it’s about ensuring that the Games are sustainable and relevant in every year beyond 2024.”
To be blunt, LA 2024 has never been only about LA or 2024. Even when the issue of a dual award for the 2024 and 2028 Games was initially raised, we didn’t say it’s “LA first” or it’s “now or never” for LA: that sounds like an ultimatum. We could have used that strategy, but we didn’t because we thought it was presumptuous to tell the IOC what to do and how to think. We’re better partners than that. It has always been our contention that LA 2024 had to make as much sense for the Olympic Movement as it did for the people of LA. And we’ve stuck to that premise.
Our bid reflects a unified, diverse and welcoming city, and we want to make it clear to the IOC and the global sports community that LA’s primary focus isn’t on ourselves; instead, we are focused on the Olympic Movement and the world. For some, that may be a surprising statement for an American bid; but, it shouldn’t be because America’s support for the Games has never wavered – ever.
We are confident in our plan and in our Games legacy for the people of LA because we don’t have to build any new permanent venues – that’s the new definition of “Olympic sustainability.” And during its recent trip to Los Angeles, the IOC’s Evaluation Commission resolutely confirmed the technical excellence of LA’s plan for the 2024 Games. In fact, they called it “mind blowing.” We are ready to share it now with the world in the service of the Olympic Movement.
We don’t believe in ultimatums – we believe in partnership; that’s why we are willing to look beyond ourselves and ask the question “how can LA best serve the long-term needs of the Olympic and Paralympic Games?”
Follow the Sun has always been an invitation to the future. LA 2024 offers the Movement a “no surprises” plan that can help redefine sustainability for the Games, ensure continued financial stability for the Olympic Movement and create new opportunities to engage with young people around the world. For these reasons and many more, Follow the Sun is an opportunity, for everyone.
On 5/30 the WSJ carried an excellent article that laid out what was happening. https://www.wsj.com/articles/olympic-committee-favors-paris-in-2024-1496170751 I am surprised that this article doesn’t touch on any of those points. To sum it up, the IOC thinks both cities deserve to win and both cities have excellent bids. However, for Paris, it is basically 2024 or key elements of funding for the bid disappear. The Paris bid depends on Billions in public funding that could disappear if it has to wait for 4-years. In contrast, the strength of the LA Bid is that it depends entirely on existing facilities which means it is a solution that works in 7 or 11 years. Also, the LA bid… Read more »
Public funding is needed for LA security – estimated to be 800 million minimum . And yes , Paris you can get to the centre by train or plane or bus & travel around on the metro . What is more you can ride bucycles in the new road arrangments . Also you can walk .
The LA airport is horrible but I have to say the ppl working there inc TSA & Custome have always been helpful & friendly – this is not the reputation in Paris .
Hope France can keep the Olympics safe. The Tokyo Olympics will be overbudget, but Japan will set the standard for security and safety.
I would like to go to an Olympics that we can afford…. #LosAngeles2024
Right move! Hosting an Olympics with this White House administration would a nightmare!
That should just be a given yet you got a decent amount of downvotes. Most of the world makes fun of us and hates us especially after we left the Paris agreement
Jason, I have zero respect for the crazy Republican party and your crazy so-called “President”, but I don’t hate America at all. I make a difference between these guys and America overall. The decision about the Paris agreement makes bad publicity for USA but fortunately many cities or states (look at California) will do the job.
And coachMM, you really think these crazy guys will still be in power in 2024? 😆 It would be the real nightmare.
Bobo loves the US! Indeed, every night before he goes to bed, he thanks his lucky stars that the Americans visited his country in 1944-45 to make sure that he would not be speaking German today.
Does in US Schools they still do not teach that Stalin already had the Uranus operation and was marching to Berlim? If US did not “visit” France the only difference would be that the Soviets would have been the Great Winner of the War almost by themselves..
Yep . Axis had 2 divisions in Africa , 6 in west Europe & 19 on Operation Barbarosa. We get overwhelmed when 20 ppl die in an attack but 400,000 ppl died of starvation in Leningrad ( including Putin’s brother) .
What i think is if it has happened it is history & we all love archeology .Politics is polemicising about deckchairs . On a cruise the chairs are limited & not everyone gets one . You just got to hang on the rails & maybe next trip!
Are we really discussing politics on a swimming website?
Don’t waste your time on her/him. How can this person “love” America if she/he hates the half of it. The people like this person doesn’t help this country to stay united and to find the right way through democratic process of liberties. She/he makes already tense situation even worse.
To make a peace just ask her/him to tell some French stories. For example about the half of young France that voted for Marine Le Pen recently. Also to understand this person better will be interesting to know where her/his grandparents were born.
@Coach MM: why don’t you just go ahead and say that the people in the 30 states that Trump carried are deplorable losers? Because that’s the way it sounds.
@Jason: the Paris Accord was a feel-good exercise that would have accomplished very little. Does it make sense to spend nearly $200 Trillion over the 85 years to MAYBE lower the projected temperature in the year 2100 by .04 degrees? Of course not. Could that money be better spent in other places? Absolutely. Trump made the correct ECONOMIC decision by backing out of it. You, your company, your municipality, and your state are still perfectly free to curtail carbon usage and contribute to the Green Climate Fund. And Americans will still… Read more »
Because havng more money is more important than Cleaner Air, Cleaner Water, Less Harmful Chemicals and so on right?
“Years of plain suck”, I don’t think that the 46.1% of people that voted for Trump are deplorables as you suggested.
Well, West Virginia has been poor for years. It actually had a higher poverty rate in 1985, North Dakota poverty has dropped a lot more since 1986. So, the states won by Trump which are both West Virginia and North Dakota are in some different from each other.Clinton won California but the poverty rate is over 2 points higher than in 1985. In 1985 it was 13.3 and now 15.5. Losing a lot of aerospace manufacturing and shifting the economy to Universal studios and Disneyland doesn’t help with keeping the poverty down in LA/OC area.
There have apparently been problems getting athlete visas this year for major sporting events that event organizers haven’t had to deal with before. (Eugene Diamond League folks have talked about it). This is in contrast to many other countries from Russia to Brazil that loosen visa requirements for both athletes and fans ahead of global events. Heck, even the UAE lifts its usual travel ban on Israeli passports for sporting events it hosts.
So back chatter is indeed the current US political scene is growing hostile to hosting global sporting events, regardless of what’s said on the surface
Read the “Big Agenda”, President Trump is on track. 45 is doing an outstanding job of getting rid all of Barry’s failed policies. LA will host the 2024 Olympics.
Lol straight up conservative delusion. trump is an absolute failure with a terrible approval rating. He’ll be lucky if he makes it through this term.
Even though the Olympics would be returning to Europe after only 12 years, I think a Games in France will be incredible. They already have quite a few international sporting events, and most of the venues are already built. I’ll be glad that LA n get their stuff in gear by 2028: maybe by then they’ll find a way to get past traffic problems in SoCal.
Roland-Garros for tennis
Stade de France for main Olympic stadium. SdF hosted the WC Final in 1998. It is a truly convertible stadium, the only one of its kind that I know of. A entire seating section can be pulled back to convert from a football pitch to an athletics stadium. It has… Read more »
LA 2028 and Paris 2024 seem good to me.