2024 Olympics: “The popular support is essential for a successful Olympic bid” – Le Monde

Le Monde | 07/28/2015 at 12h05 • Updated 07/28/2015 at 24:52 | By Anthony Hernandez

The city of Boston gave up Monday in its bid to host the Olympic Games summer of 2024, for lack of public support. The Olympic Committee of the United States (USOC) now gives until August to find a possible replacement, Los Angeles have shown interest. “We are confident that the United States will make the right choice and they will have a high Apply by September 15″ , the deadline for applications, reacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose executive committee met last Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur for Friday designation of the host city of the Winter Olympics in 2022.

Read also: 2024 Olympics: Boston renounce his candidacy for lack of popular support

To date, four cities are candidates for the 2024 Olympics: Budapest, Hamburg, Paris and Rome. The election of the host city will take place in the summer of 2017 in Lima. Guy Drut, a former Olympic champion in the 110m hurdles in 1976 and French IOC member, returns to the question of popular support necessary for a successful Olympic bid.

Withdrawal from Boston Is it good news for the Paris bid?

It is too early to tell. What is certain is that mayonnaise has not taken in Boston. As the mayor refused to sign the guarantee document, a requirement to apply, the US Olympic Committee decided to withdraw the nomination. The Americans have until September 15 to decide on the candidacy of another city. This should be, in all likelihood, Los Angeles. On September 16, so we know which candidates face in Paris.

The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, rejected a consultation Parisians 2016 without specifying the form of the consultation . What do you think?

I’ve always said that in my opinion it was better that the consultation take place before the announcement of an application after. If Parisians refuse in 2016, what will we do? We have spent money for nothing.

Paris can he learn from Boston failure?

It is common knowledge that popular support is essential, a prerequisite even a successful bid. It has to be well received by the city, the region and the country that claims to host the Olympics. Otherwise, it is not even worth going there.

The IOC he looks carefully this popular support?

The IOC made surveys. I was one of two evaluation committees and was responsible for giving the figures of the popular consultation. I can tell you that the members of the candidate cities delegations had the terror meter. Generally, 80-90% of respondents support the candidates. Below 75%, it starts to cause problems.

Nominations they take sufficient account of the opponents to the Olympics?

There is always people, political parties that are against the organization of the Olympics. We know the existence of a antiolympique lobby, which is not very large but can be virulent. It is also important to meet and discuss with them.