2024 Bids Ready Federations Pitch for SportAccord

(ATR) Los Angeles 2024 and Paris 2024 leaders say their Olympic projects respond to the challenges facing international sport.

That's the message that bid leaders from two cities with rich Olympic history will try to get across this week on the sidelines of the SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark.

The convention brings together more than 1,000 stakeholders of international sports including International Federations, sponsors, marketers, International and National Olympic Committee members and rights holders. The 2017 edition of the event begins April 2 and concludes April 7.

The two bids will have the opportunity to deliver a 10-minute presentation to members of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations during its general assembly on April 4.

The presentations are confined to a simple PowerPoint presentation where Los Angeles and Paris will share their Olympic vision with the presidents and general secretaries of the 28 Summer Olympic sports federations and five new sports on the Tokyo 2020 program. No videos are allowed.

LA 2024 chairman Casey Wasserman tells Around the Rings the Los Angeles pitch will focus on how the city is best suited to adapt to the changing needs of the Olympics.

"The 2024 host city needs to guarantee the Olympic Movement new ideas, stability and the lowest possible risk at this critical moment," Wasserman says. "LA 2024 does that, and this week we are looking forward to sharing how our existing world-class venues and innovative sports industry can serve the international sport federations for the future."

Paris 2024 co-chairman Tony Estanguet says the city is sticking with its athlete-centered approach to its Olympic bid.

"This project was built with the input of the international federations and places athletes at the core of our plans," Estanguet said in a statement. "We look forward to sharing our tailor-made project with each federation. And we will also be there to discuss with the international sporting community why Paris 2024 is the right city, with the right vision at the right moment."

While the two cities only have eight members of their bid committees listed as delegates on the SportAccord Convention attendee list, each bid will be accompanied by numerous supporters from their respective city governments, communications specialists and IOC members from their country. Los Angeles has 27 registered delegate supporters while Paris lists 33.

ATR is told the LA 2024 team is led by Wasserman along with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, chief executive officer Gene Sykes and vice chair Janet Evans. IOC members from the U.S. Anita DeFrantz, Angela Ruggiero and Larry Probst will also represent the bid in Denmark.

The Paris 2024 team features Estanguet, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, French IOC member Guy Drut, French Olympic Committee president Denis Masseglia, Paris 2024 chief executive officer Etienne Thobois and international relations director Sophie Lorant.

Outside of presentations, each bid team will utilize the opportunity to connect with relevant stakeholders from the IFs, IOC and NOCs to explain why its bid is better suited to host the 2024 edition of the Games. Neither city has fallen for the bait cast by the IOC that the loser in the 2024 race would be given the opportunity to host in 2028.

"We Angelenos believe in partnership, not brinkmanship, and we are delighted to be here among our friends and colleagues from the Olympic Family, sharing our ideas and listening to their needs," Mayor Garcetti tells ATR.

"LA 2024’s message here is: ‘When LA is ready to help connect the Olympic and Paralympic Movements to the future right now, why wait until ’28?’"

Los Angeles is seeking to host the Summer Games for the first time since 1984 while Paris hopes to be selected for the 100-year anniversary of its last Olympics in 1924. The IOC will select the 2024 host city at its IOC Session in Lima, Peru on Sep. 13.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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