Paris, others to make 2024 Olympic bid presentations next week
Los Angeles, Budapest also in mix for Summer Games after Rome withdrawal
Two-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will travel to Qatar to showcase the city's 2024 hosting bid at an upcoming general assembly for The Association of National Olympic Committees.
The ANOC meeting will be held in Doha on Tuesday and Wednesday, drawing about 1,000 delegates from all 206 national Olympic committees.
The 2024 bid cities will also give presentations to the NOCs for the first time.
"Our vision for the 2024 Games, which is completely aligned to the city's long-term sports, economic, social and environmental strategies, is advancing very well, but it is important that we work with all Olympic stakeholders," Hidalgo said Thursday in a statement. "Paris is a vibrant, open and sharing city famous for sport, culture and a love of life. We are ready to welcome the world in 2024."
Our bid has 100 per cent cross-party political support across all levels of government from the president down.- Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on the city's 2024 Summer Olympic bid
Rome pulled out of the bidding last month, with its city council withdrawing support of the bid on the recommendation of Mayor Virginia Raggi. That left only Los Angeles, Paris, and Budapest, Hungary, in the running. The International Olympic Committee will select the host city next September.
"Our bid has 100 per cent cross-party political support across all levels of government from the president down," Hidalgo said. "A Paris Games will be a guaranteed success for the IOC: the Olympic flame will shine stronger after Paris 2024."
The bid delegation is eager to gain "valuable insight" about how a Paris Games can best serve NOCs and the Olympic family.
"The bid will also present its unique vision to deliver a thrilling and memorable games that places Olympism and Olympic and Paralympic sport firmly at the heart of everyday life in Paris and across France," the bid committee said.
'Paris will be the games of passion, purpose'
The delegation includes three-time Olympic champion Tony Estanguet and Bernard Lapasset — the bid's co-chairmen — and French Olympic committee president Denis Masseglia.
"Paris 2024 will be the games of passion and purpose, celebrating sport in the heart of a truly global city," Lapasset said. "We will count on NOCs to help us write together another glorious chapter in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic movements."
Boxer Sarah Ourahmoune, a silver medalist at this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and David Smetanine, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in swimming, are also attending.
"The Paris 2024 Games plan is centered on the athlete experience with athletes driving the bid," the bid committee said. "This is reflected by the presence of leading French Olympians and Paralympians."