Paris nears 2024 Summer Olympics bid
Paris is one step closer to securing the right to bid on the 2024 Summer Olympics after the Paris city council approved a study examining whether the city could feasibly host the Games, reports the Associated Press.
Paris hosted the Summer Olympics in 1924 and lost out to London in bidding for the 2012 Games. The city also lost bids for the 1992 and 2008 Games.
The National Olympic Committee for French Sport has until Sept. 15 to declare Paris’ candidacy for the games and is expected to receive final approval from national government by June.
Boston, Hamburg and Rome have all expressed interest in hosting the 2024 Games. Budapest, Hungary; Baku, Azerbaijan; Istanbul, Turkey; and Doha, Qatar are also considering a possible bid. A final decision will be made by the International Olympic Committee in 2017.
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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says that hosting the games would made the suburbs around the city more accessible.
"This is an historical vote which marks an important moment of our collective life," Hidalgo told the Associated Press. "We are now committed to the Olympic adventure."
Hidalgo was skeptical about a Paris bid last year, citing concerns with the economy.
Paris deputy mayor in charge of sports, Jean-Francois Martins, says it could cost $4.5 billion for infrastructure and another $4.8 billion in operational costs to host the 2024 Games, according to the AP.
Martins also said that the city would not bid on the 2028 Summer Games if they lost out on the bidding in 2024.
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