ATR First: Dual Olympic Allocation 'Creates a Lot of Questions'

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(ATR) U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive officer Scott Blackmun says the International Olympic Committee’s dual Olympics award proposal has created a situation that may be difficult to navigate.

Blackmun says caution, we're now entering uncharted territory.

"I think it’s great that the IOC is exploring it, but it obviously creates a lot of questions that haven’t been answered yet," Blackmun tells Around the Rings during an exclusive interview in Miami, Florida.

The Olympic bids of Los Angeles and Paris are in a unique position knowing they are almost guaranteed to host the Games. The only questions that remain are when, and how?

Blackmun declined to comment on which year the USOC would prefer Los Angeles to host the Games but noted the city will need to have lengthy discussions with the IOC.

"Hosting in 2028 is going to create both opportunities and challenges so there will need to be some conversations about how we take advantage of those opportunities and how we solve those challenges," he says.

"I don’t know if I would call it a negotiation but I think there are going to be issues that need to be addressed no matter which city steps forward for 2028."

While challenges will inevitably arise for the city chosen to host the 2028 Games, Blackmun says it’s a positive the IOC is reconsidering the bidding process.

"I think the good news is that everyone is exploring the possibility in good faith."

The IOC is convening an Extraordinary IOC Session in the Olympic capital of Lausanne from July 11-12 to vote on the dual allocation proposal and hear the penultimate presentations of LA 2024 and Paris 2024. If approved, the IOC members will descend upon Lima, Peru on Sep. 13 with a rare opportunity to choose two host cities.

The decisions made at these Sessions will re-chart the course for future Olympic bid cities. That is, of course, unless the loser of the 2024 race and winner of the 2028 Games decides to rock the boat.

Reported and written by Kevin Nutleyin Miami.

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