(ATR) French President Emmanuel Macron heads for Lausanne this weekend to plant the flag for the Paris bid for the 2024 Olympics.
Macron will visit the Olympic Museum before dining with IOC President Thomas Bach on July 9, according to reports from AFP. Los Angeles is the other city in the race for the Games.
The Olympic world is descending on Lausanne this weekend as part of a series of meetings that will set the course for the future of the Olympic Games.
First the IOC Executive Board will meet on July 9-10. Then Bach will receive leaders from both 2024 bids on July 10, and on July 11 both bids will present to the IOC members.
Macron could feature "actively" in the Paris presentation according to a presidential spokesperson
"This is a crucial step as this strategic presentation will lead to the final decision in Lima," the spokesperson said as quoted byAFP. "For all this it was very important that the president could go himself to Lausanne."
Following the presentations by the bid cities, members will hold an Extraordinary Session when they will vote on a proposal to award the 2024 and 2028 Olympics together this September. Paris is believed to have the inside track for 2024 and Los Angeles the choice for 2028.
Both cities are rated outstanding in the just released report of the IOC Evaluation Commission that visited LA and Paris.
Receiving Macron is the last step in the IOC’s engagement with the political leaders from both Olympic bids. Macron spoke with Bach by phone after his election victory. He then met the IOC’s Evaluation Commission during its visit to Paris where he pledged to go to Lausanne for the candidate city presentations. At that time a potential dual award was being discussed in theoretical terms.
U.S. President Donald Trump received Thomas Bach on June 22 for meeting in the Oval Office. Joined by Bach were IOC members Anita DeFrantz, Larry Probst, and Angela Ruggiero. All three have actively lobbied for the Los Angeles bid on the international stage.
DeFrantz told Around the Rings that the face to face meeting between the IOC and U.S. Presidents was "an important meeting," with "good talks."
Trump is not expected in Lausanne but will meet with Macron two days after the IOC Session when the U.S. president is Macron's guest for Bastille Day celebrations in Paris,
Written by Aaron Bauer
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