- Title: Los Angeles celebrates the 2028 Summer Olympics
- Date: 1st August 2017
- Summary: CARSON, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) DELEGATES AND MEMBERS OF US WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM WALK ONTO GRASS IN STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOS ANGELES MAYOR, ERIC GARCETTI, SAYING: "In 2028, we're bringing the games back to L.A., one of the great capitals of this Olympic movement, a city which has always been a games-changer and will be again in 2028. A little more than four years ago on my first day as mayor I wrote as my first act a letter to the United States Olympics Committee saying we wanted to bring the Olympics back. I told them that L.A. was ready to host the Olympics again that you would find the greatest sports city on the face of the earth and more than that, the fans who support this movement and have showed time and time again that we can reimagine the games for a new generation." WIDE OF PODIUM ON PITCH (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOS ANGELES MAYOR, ERIC GARCETTI, SAYING: "Our bid for 2024 was one of the greatest ever assembled. Don't take my word for it, we heard that from IOC members time and time again saying they'd never seen a bid this strong. The IOC president said the strongest bid that was put out there and in the spirit of partnership we worked together with the IOC in forging a new future at a delicate time in international relations and for the Olympic games and Los Angeles, today, we have won the greatest prize of all. We will host the games here in the City of Angels again." GARCETTI WITH LA 2024 CHAIRMAN CASEY WASSERMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LA 2024 CHAIRMAN, CASEY WASSERMAN, SAYING: "It's been an honor to participate in this campaign. I want to acknowledge our competitors along the way and honor their Olympic dreams as well and the IOC for being such a great partner. We've a lot of work to do and it will begin immediately when the IOC ratifies our agreement in Lima on September 13. This opportunity is unprecedented. Never has an organizing committee had 11 years to prepare - four more years to implement the extraordinary plan we developed for 2024 from every vantage point - sports, infrastructure, social programs, finance. This is a big win for Los Angeles but this agreement is also a big win for the IOC. Two great world cities, Los Angeles and Paris, now stand together ready to serve the Olympic and Paralympic movement for more than a decade and provide the strongest foundation possible for growth and renewal." PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) LA 2024 CHAIRMAN, CASEY WASSERMAN, SAYING: "This is an incredible moment for our city and our people and for every member of our bid team and for the Olympic movement. It's not only incredible from what we've achieved but in the way we achieved it. Let me put that in some perspective for you. In January 2015, L.A. lost the bid to represent the United States in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. That was tough moment for me personally and for all of us in Los Angeles but we never gave up on our Olympic dream. We fought on and we fought hard because we knew L.A. represented the Olympics best chance to embrace the future when it needed it the most."
- Embargoed: 15th August 2017 04:09
- Keywords: Olympics Summer Olympics 2028 Olympics 2024 Olympics
- Location: CARSON, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: CARSON, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SBPV0N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Paris moved within a hair's breadth on Monday (July 31) of formally being chosen to host the 2024 Summer Olympics after rival candidate city Los Angeles agreed to accept the consolation prize of the 2028 Games in a rare two-way contest between the cities.
Both cities were competing for the 2024 Summer Games after several other contenders withdrew, and the stage was set for Paris to win its bid when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Los Angeles had officially embraced the later date of 2028.
"The IOC welcomes this decision of the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Candidature Committee," IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement.
The decision, subject to formal ratification by the IOC at a meeting in Peru in September, paves the way for Los Angeles and Paris to join London as the only cities ever to host the Games - summer or winter - three times since the modern Olympics began more than a century ago.
The United States last hosted the Olympics for the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Its first was the Summer Olympiad III, staged in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904, coinciding with the World's Fair held there that summer.
"I am proud to announce that the Olympic Games are coming back to the United States of America," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told a news conference at the StubHub Center sports complex in suburban Carson.
U.S. President Donald Trump, beleaguered by recent staff shakeups and setbacks on Capitol Hill, hailed the news in a statement of congratulations from the White House.
"I am confident that the Summer Games in Los Angeles will exemplify both the Olympic ideal and the American spirit, and we look forward to hosting them," he said.
The United States has hosted the Olympics 9 times - 5 Summer Games and 4 Winter Games. France has hosted 6 times, three each in summer and winter. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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