Los Angeles Olympic bid organisers on Tuesday reiterated that officials remained focused on staging the games in 2024.
“Los Angeles is the right city at this critical time for the Olympic Movement and is only bidding for 2024,” a statement from LA 2024 said.
“With all permanent venues already built and 88% public support, only LA 2024 offers the lowest-risk and truly sustainable solution for the future of the Olympic Movement in 2024 and beyond.”
The statement comes amid speculation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may attempt to broker a deal which sees Paris and Los Angeles awarded the 2024 and 2028 Games.
The IOC confirmed last week it will study the possibility of awarding both Olympics at the same time when the body meets for a crunch vote in Lima in September.
Under one scenario, Paris could be chosen as hosts for the 2024 Olympics — 100 years after last staging the Games — with Los Angeles handed the right to host the extravaganza four years later.
LA 2024 officials have consistently played down speculation surrounding a possible joint award, maintaining that the focus remained on a 2024 bid.
On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, one of the leaders of the LA 2024, reiterated that position in an interview with the insidethegames.biz sports news website.
“We are competing for 2024. Full stop,” insidethegames quoted him as saying. “I would love to visit my friends in Paris in 2028. We have never contemplated anything else.”
“We are focused on the present, which is a bid for 2024. We will play by the rules and the rules today say this is a competition for 2024.”
Soaring costs have made hosting the Olympics prohibitive, deterring cities from bidding for the four-yearly sporting spectacular.
Budapest last month became the third city to pull out of the bidding for 2024, following public opposition sparked by fears over costs and corruption.
Germany’s Hamburg withdrew after a referendum in late 2015, and Rome cancelled its bid last year, with its mayor Virginia Raggi calling it “irresponsible” for the city’s finances.
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