Paris 2024 Engages Public to Avoid Boston Mistakes -- On the Scene

(ATR) Paris bid leaders say they are treating public support "very seriously" after Boston’s ignominious exit from the 2024 Olympic race.

The U.S. Olympic Committee dropped the Boston bid earlier this week due to strong and vocal public opposition and financial issues.

Paris bid chiefs including Bernard Lapasset and CEO Etienne Thobois met international media Saturday for the first time since launching their Olympic effort in July.

"We take public support very seriously. It’s important domestically. It’s also important for the IOC," Thobois told reporters on the sidelines of the IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur.

"We enjoy as of today pretty good support but that is something that will need to be enhanced," he said.

No public opinion surveys have been conducted by the bid, but Thobois says support is in the "top 70s" [percent], according to other polls.

Unlike Boston and Hamburg, Paris 2024 is not committing to a referendum on the Olympic project, which was confirmed at the bid launch.

Styling Paris 2024 as a "humble bid", officials were quick to point out that significant consultation would take place with the general public on various elements of the Olympic concept.

"This is something our politicians are very keen about and something we want to embark on," Thobois said.

He said Paris 2024 was currently building a plan that is "ambitious but still reasonable" in financial terms based on the city’s existing infrastructure "and through opportunities of Agenda 2020".

"We are blessed with great infrastructure," Thobois said, listing existing venues such as Stade de France, Roland Garros, a new velodrome and Bercy arena.

The biggest spend will be on the Olympic Village and aquatics center, with the Stade de France requiring a multi-million dollar renovation.

On the transport front, Paris boasts a modern airport and public transport network. There’s a "huge plan" for investment in public transport developments up to 203O, Thobois commented. "We are building our concept around that."

"There are not so much infrastructure costs issues. That’s why we are quite confident we can move forward with something that will not derail," he said, suggesting temporary venues would be used where possible.

No budget estimates were available for constructing venues and Olympic infrastructure. Details are expected to emerge around the time of the Sept. 15 IOC deadline for 2024 applicant cities.

On the bid challenges ahead, French IOC member Tony Estanguet said Paris had "many things to improve" from past bids. He said bidding and hosting of international sporting events was showing France had a stronger stategy in sport.

IOC member Guy Drut, who has said that a U.S. bid might start as favorite, told reporters: "If you want to have a good competition, you need to have good competitors.

"We have confidence on the work we have done before. What Bernard has done during two years to preparing the bid, to know if it is the time to go, is a good base," Drut said.

After failed bids for the 2012 and 2018 Games, partly due to political leadership issues, Drut underscored the importance of the sports movement leading the French capital’s new assault on the Olympics.

While the race won’t get under way in earnest until after Sept. 15, Paris is already being referred to as the frontrunner. The field of applicants also includes Budapest, Hamburg and Rome, with other bids possible from the U.S., Baku and Toronto.

"Even if you are favorite or not you have to do the race on your rhythm," Drut said.

Lapasset dismissed the favorite tag: "At the moment we need to build to be sure that we are in the right process that we are the best at the end."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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