Paris 2024: No Deal-Making Yet for 2028

(ATR) Paris 2024 says there's been no talk with the IOC for a 2028 Olympics...Also: security incident at Notre Dame. Christian Radnedge reports.

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TOPSHOT - The campaign's official logo of the Paris bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games is seen on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on February 9, 2016.  AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP / LIONEL BONAVENTURE        (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - The campaign's official logo of the Paris bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games is seen on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on February 9, 2016. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

(ATR) Paris 2024 will not be looking for concessions from the International Olympic Committee should a double hosting award of 2024/2028 be approved.

Tony Estanguet, co-chair of Paris' bid, insisted to reporters during the French Open at Roland Garros this week that his team were still fully focused on winning the race for 2024. That is despite the IOC Executive Board meeting on Friday to determine whether to pursue the proposal of a double award.

Last week Eric Garcetti, mayor of rival bidding city Los Angeles, hinted that they may be persuaded to wait 11 years to host the Games if the IOC were to offer certain concessions.

But that thought was not crossing the mind of Estanguet, who reaffirmed to Around the Rings the Paris bid's commitment to securing the 2024 Games

"We haven’t been involved in discussions about concessions so I don’t have to comment on this," he said.

"I understand very much the situation that if there is a deal, probably there will be concessions but because we continue to say that we are hoping for the 2024 race, we haven’t had any discussions on concessions.

"We don’t need concessions for 2024 because our project is built for 2024 and is ready to be delivered in 2024."

Reporters in Paris on Monday were treated to a tour of the redevelopment work currently underway at Roland Garros, which will see a new retractable roof for the Philippe Chatrier court and an increase in courts to 20 from the current number of 18.

The work also includes an increase of seating from 37,500 to 40,000 and will be completed in July 2018. Should Paris win the right to host the Games in 2024, the new facilities will be well worn-in but still fairly fresh for the Tennis competition and Boxing finals.

In 2028 the renovations would be 10 years old, but Estanguet would not be diverted from Paris' one-track focus on 2024.

While LA have shown some signs of being open to negotiating for 2028, the IOC will find a stubborn response from Paris on that issue.

"On the 2024/2028 topic, since the beginning of this story we have been consistent with Paris 2024," Estanguet said.

"Since the beginning we welcomed very well the situation because we find it interesting to look at this process and to have the different way to award the Games so there is no doubt that it makes sense for the IOC to look at this situation and to see if it is possible to have a double award.

"But at the same time, we remain on the same line we keep on pushing on the same line our project has been built for 2024 we believe it makes sense to get Paris in 2024 and we will not change this line."

Despite his steadfast rhetoric, Estanguet was not over-confident about winning 2024 and insisted that despite recent reports that suggested Paris was the front-runner, he immediately referenced similar reports in 2005 when the city lost out to London for 2012 and said there was still a long way to go.

"Anything can happen in the last minute, so count on me to give all my energy and experience in the last stages of this journey," Estanguet said.

Paris 2024 also received a boost from the current tennis world number one Andy Murray who said on a TV interview that he was sure Paris would host a "great Olympics" because of the French people's passion for sport.

"I think facilities are important [when deciding on a host city], weather definitely can help, but I think the country if they love their sport, and in France they do," Murray said.

"Certainly I've competed here for many years and the crowds are fantastic which, as an athlete, is great to play in front of big crowds that appreciate what you're doing. Selfishly, Paris is like a 40-minute flight from where I live so it would be great, very convenient to have it here and I'm sure they'd host a great Olympics."

There was an incident across the city of Paris on Tuesday as a man tried to attack a police officer outside Notre Dame cathedral. The suspect was shot by police but not fatally.

The area around the cathedral was immediately cordoned off from the general public and officials confirmed it was a "terrorist incident". Paris remains in a state of emergency since numerous attacks in the city since 2015.

Paris admitted security threats are a problem in its filing with the IOC for the 2024 candidacy, saying the risk from terrorism is "high" in volume one of its bid book, submitted more than a year ago.

Written and reported by Christian Radnedgein Paris.

Follow on Twitter: @ChristianRad

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