The 2024 Olympic bid race ushers in a new era.
Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome are the finalists, since they submitted bids by the Sept. 15 deadline and the IOC has done away with the “applicant city” phase that it previously used to narrow the field.
However, a specific recommendation may be made by an IOC evaluation commission group to defer a city’s
candidature to a later Olympics. That would come by December 2016.
Outside of that, the five cities, should they decide to stay in the race, will be on the ballot for IOC members at the September 2017 vote in Lima, Peru.
It’s the first Summer Olympic bid cycle for International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, and under his Agenda 2020 reforms.
It’s also the first time since 1992 that none of the finalist host cities were finalists for either of the previous two Olympics. It’s the first time since 1984 that no cities outside of the U.S. and Europe are finalist bidders.
If a European city doesn’t host the 2024 Olympics, it will mark the longest stretch between Olympics for the continent ever, if Moscow 1980 is counted as a European Games.
What’s next? The five cities must submit more documents concerning their bids, followed by IOC evaluation commission visits to the cities between February 2017 and June 2017.
Here’s a look at each bid city:
Budapest
The capital of Hungary, which owns the most Olympic medals of nations that have never hosted an Olympics. It has bid for the Olympics several times and was last a finalist in 1960. Budapest will host the next World Aquatics Championships in 2017.
Hamburg
Germany’s second-largest city by population beat out the largest, Berlin, in a domestic competition to determine its 2024 bidder. Hamburg is the lone first-time bidder in this field of five. It also faces a public vote Nov. 29 that will play a role in if the bid moves forward.
Los Angeles
The U.S.’ only two-time Summer Olympic host was a finalist for the nation’s bid along with Boston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Boston was announced as the bid in January and backed out in July. The U.S. Olympic Committee quickly turned to Los Angeles, and the bid was announced Sept. 1. Los Angeles hopes to join London as the only three-time Olympic hosts. The U.S., which last hosted the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games, is in the midst of its longest stretch between hosting Olympics since the 28-year gap between Los Angeles 1932 and the Squaw Valley 1960 Winter Games.
MORE: Los Angeles 2024 bid venue renderings
Paris
The French capital looks to host its third Olympics, on the 100-year anniversary of its last Games in 1924. It was last a finalist in 2008 (third to Beijing) and 2012 (second to London). The Eiffel Tower area was being eyed as a venue.
Rome
The Italian capital’s bid for the 2020 Olympics was dropped due to a lack of government support. Rome also came in second place to Athens in the 2024 host voting. It hosted the Olympics in 1960. Historic sites in the city could be used for the Olympics, such as the Colosseum.
MORE: Toronto opts not to bid for 2024, but 2026 is possible
