Big cities hail the right answer to competition

Lima, Sept. 14: Paris and Los Angeles officials saluted a victory for the Olympic movement on Wednesday after both cities were handed the hosting rights for the 2024 and 2028 Games in a historic double award.

Paris 2024 bid co-leader Tony Estanguet was overcome with delight just moments after International Olympic Committee members unanimously approved a joint award that had been agreed in July.

“It’s a magical, unique victory,” Estanguet told reporters. “I’m feeling an emotion I have felt only rarely in my life.”

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo meanwhile spoke of her joy in bringing the Games back to the French capital — exactly 100 years after they last hosted the Olympics in 1924.

“It’s a great feeling of happiness to be bringing the Games back to Paris after 100 years,” Hidalgo said.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the decision to award Paris 2024 as a “victory for France”, calling for the “whole country” to get behind the Games.

Los Angeles 2028 officials, who had agreed to step aside in the race for 2024 in exchange for a package of financial sweeteners, said the IOC’s willingness to award two games at the same time had been a game-changer.

“We cracked the code when the committee changed the formula,” Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said.

“Talking to folks who said it used to be about one corner of the room celebrating and the rest crying. There was a real feeling of solidarity, cooperation and happiness today which I think is what this movement is supposed to be about. For my city I couldn’t be happier,” Garcetti added.

Garcetti, a friend of Paris counterpart Hidalgo, said the two cities had enjoyed close ties for decades. “This was the right answer, it was about fraternity, it was about friendship, it was about finding a winwin. The terms were too good to say no to,” he said. — AFP