The growing possibility of Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics instead of the 2024 Games appeared to become a reality Monday amid reports the city has agreed to terms of an agreement with the International Olympic Committee to concede the 2024 event to Paris.
The city has been competing with Paris to host either the `24 or `28 Summer Olympics, with the International Olympic Committee recently approving a plan to award both Games simultaneously, expanding what had originally been a competition just for the `24 Games.
The Los Angeles Times reported Monday morning that LA 2024, the nonprofit committee leading L.A.’s bid, reached an agreement with the IOC to host the `28 Games, although no terms were released.
Los Angeles and LA 2024 officials had no immediate comment on the report, although City Councilman Gil Cedillo posted on his Twitter page, “Hastag goes from #LA2024 to #LA2028.”
Mayor Eric Garcetti, Council President Herb Wesson and LA 2024 bid chairman Casey Wasserman scheduled at 5 p.m. news conference at the StubHub Center in Carson to discuss the Olympic bid. They will be joined by members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.
After the IOC announced its intention to award both Games, either Paris or Los Angeles needed to agree to host the `28 Games if not awarded the `24 Games, and the cities’ Olympic leaders started negotiating with the IOC after the announcement was made in June.
The final decision and announcement on which cites would host which Games was scheduled to be made at an IOC meeting in Peru in September, but the negotiations appear to have morphed into full agreements on hosting duties before that meeting.
Since the idea of awarding two Games at once was first reported, it was widely expected that L.A. would end up hosting in `28 because its leaders expressed more openness to the idea, while Paris leaders were firm on `24 because they said their planned Olympic village may not be available in `28.
