Paris Relying on 'Heart and Soul' in 2024 Bid Mission

(ATR) Paris bid leader Tony Estanguet says his team must continue to improve to edge out Los Angeles in the battle for the 2024 Olympics.

Estanguet was speaking to reporters following the climax of the IOC Evaluation Commission’s three-day inspection in the French capital.

The packed schedule included a meeting earlier on Tuesday with new French president Emmanuel Macron, who committed to joining the delegation that heads to Lausanne for the candidate cities briefing in July.

During its visit, the commission was ferried around prospective Olympic venues at a tremendous pace, as well as being given a significant insight into the bid’s legacy plans. The deprived Saint-Denis region, site of the planned Olympic Village, was a key focus.

Three-time Olympic champion Estanguet said that now the commission visit is over, the bid phase had moved beyond proving Paris’s obvious technical capabilities to the emotional phase.

"What I have in mind is that we have to continue to improve," he told reporters. "I believe it’s not any more about technical points, we have a strong proposal. But it’s about how we will convince with this team that is really passionate, that is really committed.

"It’s like in sport at one point you have to forget about the technique or your physical capabilities, you just have to believe in yourself and to go and it’s about the feelings.

"We are ready and we have to move to the next stage and the next stage definitely relies on heart and soul. We really, really push to try and convince them [the IOC] that maybe we want the Games more than the others."

In his earlier closing press conference, Estanguet also reaffirmed Paris’ desire to only focus on the race for 2024, and not the possibility of a double award which is being considered by an IOC working group. He said no action could be taken until a decision is made.

"I think it’s quite clear from the beginning of the past few days that we are to target 2024," he said when asked by ATR. "We are not here to discuss 2028 with the IOC. It was made very clear we don’t have to discuss it, and the next step for us in this chapter will be Lausanne.

"We know that this commission of the IOC vice presidents will present in front of the session in Lausanne their report on possible change in terms of awarding the Games so we will wait for this. But until this date, we have to concentrate only on 2024."

Commission chief Patrick Baumann delivered his closing remarks Tuesday and looked visibly tired after a grueling schedule which saw his team take in a three-day inspection of Los Angeles last week before flying to Europe on Saturday to scrutinize Paris.

Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois was asked by Around the Rings if coming second on the IOC’s inspection tour was a disadvantage to the bid.

"We don’t really know," he said. "You never have a second chance to make a first impression.

"Did they [LA] have an advantage to make a first impression or because we spoke last is that what is going to be staying in their heads? Frankly no one knows so you have to deal with this."

Thobois suggested that members of the IOC’s 2024 watchdog might have reflected on their first trip to LA and come better prepared to Paris: "You can see that maybe as a disadvantage them having more thoughts."

Paris deputy mayor Jean-Francois Martins admitted to ATR, when asked the same question, that he did notice the fatigue in the commission team.

Martins, not usually stuck for words, paused before replying: "I don’t know. They were tired because they were in Los Angeles before. But they can make the comparison. 1-1, a draw."

Reported by Christian Radnedge

Follow on Twitter: @ChristianRad

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