Paris 2024 got the ball rolling on Friday August 5. Los Angeles followed. The Californian bid team held its press conference on Tuesday, August 9, at the Rio 2016 Games media center. Same location: the Frevo room. Same format: 30 minutes watch in hand, with a maximum of six speakers authorized by the IOC. But the comparison stops at these constraints of the regulations imposed on the candidate cities. The French had invited François Hollande, the head of state, to sit in the center of the stand. The Americans gave the middle seat to Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles. Another philosophy.
Stakeholders. All six places on the podium were occupied. Predictable. Janet Evans and Casey Wasserman, the bid chair, seated to the right of Eric Garcetti. To his left, the three American members of the IOC: Angela Ruggiero, elected last week as president of the Athletes' Commission; Anita DeFrantz; Larry Probst, President of the USOC. Three women, three men. Suit for Eric Garcetti (no tie) and Larry Probst. Polo in the colors of Los Angeles 2024 for the other four. Relax. Very Californian.
Assistance. The bid team brought four of its athlete ambassadors, seated in good order in the front row of the room: Michael Johnson, Nadia Comaneci and her husband Bart Conner, Sinjin Smith, presented as the greatest beach volleyball player in the world. 'history. For the rest, a lot of empty seats. Four days earlier, Paris 2024 had almost sold out. But the Olympic events had not yet started on the competition sites.
The message. Clear. The Americans are playing the card of a candidacy focused on the future and focused on athletes. “The facilities already exist, so we can focus on the athletes,” insisted Angela Ruggiero, going so far as to promise the best Games in history for the athletes. “A bid for the 21st century,” suggested Anita DeFrantz. “Creativity, innovation, technology,” added Casey Wasserman. But the most important speaking time was given to Eric Garcetti to present the vision of the American candidacy. “We have the capacity to organize and connect the Olympic movement with the next generation,” insisted the mayor of Los Angeles. The LA 2024 team is playing the card of a project likely to bring young people back into the Olympic universe. A message meant to resonate like sweet music to the ears of a CIO concerned about the aging of its audience. Eric Garcetti repeated it: the 2024 Games in Los Angeles would be “risk-free”.
The questions. Very diverse. Financial impact of the Games in 2024, cost of the event, security and gun control in California… For the most part, the questions from the room were addressed to Eric Garcetti. The mayor responded precisely, without tongue in cheek. American style. Unsurprisingly, a journalist made reference to Donald Trump and the risks that his election could pose to the Olympic candidacy. Eric Garcetti’s response: “Sports transcend politics. This candidacy does not depend on an election. »
Star. Eric Garcetti was perfect. The opposite would have been a surprise. Both sober and relaxed, he perfectly “sold” his city, his Olympic project and his bid team. But Janet Evans stole the show. The former world swimming star, vice-president and director of athlete relations within the bid committee, was chosen to don the mistress of ceremonies outfit. Very comfortable, the Californian led the maneuver, allowing herself to talk about herself, her experience as an Olympian and her role as a mother. She stands out as the face and voice of the candidacy.
The anecdote. The Americans were seen in the last row of the audience at the Paris 2024 press conference last weekend. The French returned the favor. A handful of members of the Parisian team took their place at the back of the room. Among them, Etienne Thobois, the general director of Paris 2024.
