IOC President Praises "Strong" Paris 2024 Bid

(ATR) Thomas Bach says he is "impressed" with the unity of support for the French Olympic bid.

On a two-day visit to Paris, he told French President Francois Hollande that Paris had a "very, very strong bid" because the government is fully behind the Olympic quest.

"I'm very impressed by the unity among both the sporting and political worlds," Bach was quoted Sunday by the Associated Press.

"This has not always been the case with the previous French bids," he added, a reference to the political infighting which led to Annecy’s embarrassing defeat to PyeongChang in the 2018 race which garnered just seven votes, and the 2012 bid from Paris.

Hollande presented Bach with an Olympic flag from the 1924 Paris Games.

In the wake of several deadly terror attacks in Paris in the past year, Hollande again offered assurances that the city has the capability to safely host the Olympics. He said the UEFA Euro 2016 championships showcased what was possible, despite the increased threat of terror attacks.

The IOC chief emphasized that security was number one priority and that all cities and countries faced challenges to protect their citizens amid the threat of terrorism.

"What is important is to see how countries are dealing with this challenge. And France has shown with the recent organization of the Euro [European Championship] that they can deal with security challenges," he told the AP.

Bach began his visit with a tour of France’s elite sports performance centre and a speech to a gathering of 400 athletes. He was accompanied byParis 2024 co-chairmen Tony Estanguet and Bernard Lapasset. Among those present were Frédéric Pietruszka and Bernard Talvard, Olympic bronze medallists who joined Bach on the podium when he won gold in team foil fencing at the 1976 Montreal Games.

The IOC president held meetings with bid leaders and attend a private dinner hosted by Mayorof Paris, Anne Hidalgo. IOC member Guy Drut and French NOC president Denis Masseglia were also part of the Paris 2024 delegation.

He started the ‘We Run Paris’ 10km run near the Louvre before touring a number of the venues that form a key part of the Paris 2024 Olympic plan.

Estanguet, said the bid had shown Bach a compact Games plan, the French people’s love and passion for all Olympic sports "and our vision for a thrilling celebration of sport and Olympism in Paris and across France in 2024".

Bach described "Paris 2024 as "a very strong candidate", applauding the use of some of the city's iconic sights as a backdrop for the Olympics. The finish of the road cycling races would take place on the Champs Elysees, while the Eiffel Tower will provide a stunning backdrop for beach volleyball. He said the bid plans were in line with IOC reforms, with 95 percent of proposed venues either already existing or temporary.

The IOC president’s visit to Paris ended at a football match between refugees and French athletes organised by the mayor in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Lapasset said the bid team had benefited from hearing Bach’s views on how the city could share the values of Olympism and the Olympic Movement.

"We have illustrated our commitment to bidding for these Games with new ideas and fresh concepts, learning from the lessons of our past campaigns and setting a new bar in delivering a stunning Games in 2024," he said.

"We have seen further evidence that sport, and especially Olympic sport, is in the DNA of Paris and France. We have highlighted our compact, city-centre Games plan, and we have seen first-hand the strong support for the bid among the athletes, the public and all levels of government."

Budapest and Los Angeles are the other contenders for the 2024 Olympics. Rome is all but out of the race, having failed to secure the backing of new mayor Virginia Raggi and the city council.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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