The date is fast approaching. Tuesday, September 15 at midnight, candidates for the organization of the Summer Games in 2024 must have sent their letter of intent to the IOC, co-signed by the mayor of the city and the president of the national Olympic committee. Beyond that, the list will be closed, no latecomers will be accepted. On D – 1, there are five to officially apply: Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome. Two others are still considering: Baku and Toronto. How many will there be tomorrow evening, at the stroke of midnight? While waiting for a definitive answer, FrancsJeux takes stock of recent news in candidate cities.
- A Paris, the official mail left Saturday morning. A letter coupled with an email. Anne Hidalgo, mayor of the capital, and Denis Masseglia, president of the CNOSF, signed it as one initials a marriage contract. Its preamble states that “the Olympic spirit and the Parisian identity share the same attachment to unity in diversity, the same tolerance in the face of differences, the same demand for common peace and openness”. The bid team promises an “unforgettable, innovative, responsible and sustainable” project. She says she is “guided by the Olympic values and by the recommendations of Agenda 2020, driven by the desire to offer athletes an extraordinary experience”. The letter has already been received in Lausanne by Jacqueline Barrett, in charge of relations with the IOC candidate cities. Everything is in order, then.
– Same news at Rome. The mayor, Ignazio Marino, the president of the bid committee, Luca di Montezemolo, and the president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malago, signed the nomination documents at the city hall, before making them reach the IOC. “No other city can offer an artistic, cultural and historical heritage extending over such a long period,” insists the letter. The leaders of the Italian project suggest that the Games in Rome would offer athletes and the whole world “the opportunity to experience the emotions and the Olympic spirit in the middle of a scene of rare beauty”.
- A Hamburg, where the mail went out at the end of last week, it’s time for opinion polls. The latest, the results of which were published this Monday morning, was produced by YouGov. It reveals that 58% of those questioned think that the German city's candidacy is a good thing, with only 20% of respondents believing that it is a bad choice. On the other hand, few of them, only 32%, believe that the file presented by Hamburg has a solid chance of victory.
- A Toronto, the question of the candidacy is still pending. And time is running out. John Tory, the mayor of the Canadian city, repeated on Sunday September 13 that he continued to seriously consider the issue but that his decision had not yet been made. “I still have a little time left, I’m going to use it as much as possible to make sure I make the best decision,” he explained. But according to one of the municipal councilors, James Pasternak, the mass is said. “The train has passed,” he suggested, explaining that Toronto currently lacked the enthusiasm to pursue such a project.
- A Los Angeles, the campaign is launched. Casey Wasserman, the boss of LA2024, and Larry Probst, the president of the American Olympic Committee (USOC), went to the world wrestling championships in Las Vegas. The opportunity for the two leaders of the American project to meet Nenad Lalovic, the president of the International Wrestling Federation (UWW), a person to be looked after since he was elected member of the IOC during the Kuala Lumpur session at the beginning of the last month. “We are going to attend as many major competitions as possible, because no one masters their organization better than the international federations,” assured Casey Wasserman.
No doubt, the campaign is really launched. At five, six or even seven.
