EU preparing 'further countermeasures' to protect its interest, von der Leyen says    911 emergency centers handle over 2.8 million calls in March    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Saudi Arabia posts SR49.8 billion travel surplus in 2024 as visitor spending hits SR153.6 billion    Saudi Arabia urges stronger global action to protect children in cyberspace at UN    Israel announces expansion of military operation in Gaza to seize 'large areas' of land    US cancels visa of Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias    Danish prime minister refutes US claim on Greenland on visit to the Arctic territory    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Cristiano Ronaldo joins Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves    Saudi Arabia welcomes trilateral border treaty between Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan    Swedish table tennis legend Jörgen Persson appointed head coach of Saudi national team    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Los Angeles, Paris await Olympic inspectors in 2024 race
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 09 - 05 - 2017

Los Angeles and Paris, both already seen as winning options for the 2024 Games, await their Olympic inspectors this week. The cities will host three-day visits by an International Olympic Committee panel, whose chairman has no doubt about their hosting credentials.
"I think today at least you can already say, either way, we will have fantastic Olympic Games," IOC evaluation commission chairman Patrick Baumann told The Associated Press.
IOC President Thomas Bach seems so sure of the candidates' qualities that he asked his four vice presidents for advice on also bringing the 2028 Olympics into play, rewarding both cities with hosting duties. That guidance is due in July, so Baumann's 13-member group will press on with scheduled work in Los Angeles starting Wednesday, then in Paris from Sunday. Each visit ends with Baumann taking questions at a news conference.
"There is no change in the scope and the role and the mandate," Baumann said of the possible dual award affecting his eventual report to IOC members. In the typically secretive world of Olympics elections, it is unclear how many voting members are swayed by the type of report they will get from Baumann's team on July 5.
IOC inspections typically do not rank candidate cities, and a more flexible evaluation process introduced for the 2024 contest will look to stress the positives. The IOC says it will also publish the report on its website.
"It is not about finding the black spot," Baumann, an IOC member from Switzerland, said in a recent interview. "It is, of course, to highlight challenges if there are, but also and mainly to highlight the opportunities."
Baumann acknowledged that the "differences are going to be extremely small" between two obviously world-class cities. Still, the Olympic hosting model has been burned by recent high-spending and budget-busting hosts. Baumann cautioned that "realistic financing" is a key factor to avoid an unwanted legacy of tax hikes and white elephant venues.
A privately funded Los Angeles project also differs from a more European model in Paris that looks to some taxpayer money toward projected spending of 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) on new venues and buildings.
The bids came from countries that are "organized differently in sports terms," said Baumann, pointing to his experience staging events in the United States and France as secretary general of basketball's governing body, FIBA.
"That doesn't diminish in any way one bid versus the other, it's just different," the Swiss official said. "That difference is something that also the IOC membership needs to understand."
About 88 of the current 95 IOC members are entitled to choose the 2024 host in a vote scheduled for Sept. 13 in Lima, Peru. American and French members will be barred from voting, and others have recused themselves while under investigation.
Plans could change during politicking from July 9-12 in Lausanne, Switzerland. First, a two-day meeting of the IOC executive board will hear the vice presidents' advice. Bid leaders from LA and Paris will then make separate presentations to IOC members.
By the evening of July 12 it could be clear if both Los Angeles and Paris will win in a doubled-up 2024-2028 contest - though in which order may be unresolved. Neither city has offered to take the later option.
For Baumann, the two cities' aims should stay the same for the next week, and next decade. "How are you going deliver a great experience for the athletes?" Baumann said. "How are you going deliver a great experience for the fans? And how are you going to deliver on the legacy of the promises and the ideas that the bid committee has put on paper?" — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.