(ATR) The four cities bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics hosted events in celebration of Olympic Day on June 23, commemorating the foundation of the International Olympic Committee.
In Los Angeles, the LA84 Foundation brought together more than 500 youth at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, centerpiece of the 1984 Olympics in the city and a proposed venue for the 2024 bid, to learn about eight Olympic and Paralympic sports. Participants rotated through stations for archery, badminton, fencing, football, gymnastics, rowing, rugby, volleyball and Paralympic sitting volleyball.
"As a city with a ready-made connection to youth culture, Olympic Day is a unique opportunity to get a taste of what it means to inspire the next generation around the positive and powerful values of sport and Olympism," said LA 2024 vice-chair Janet Evans.
The event began with the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron followed by speeches from LA 2024 bid chairman Casey Wasserman, Evans and LA84 chief executive officer Renata Simril.
Across the pond in Europe, the Paris bid team met with key stakeholders to discuss the bid’s progress and the development of the phase two candidature file. The meeting was held in central Paris where Pierre de Coubertin founded the IOC in 1894.
Later in the evening, bid leader Tony Estanguet and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will attend an event at the Marville Sports Complex where hundreds of school children will be taking part in various sports activities.
"Our promise is to harness this enthusiasm for Olympic sport in Paris and France and help the Olympic Movement to create a new generation of fans globally – offering the best possible showcase for Olympic events and the perfect environment for the spirit of Olympism to grow and prosper," said Estanguet.
The Olympic Day festivities in Paris conclude with the lighting of the Eiffel Tower to display #OlympicDay messages.
The Budapest bid team celebrated Olympic Day on the evening of June 22, foregoing the standard 5,000 meter fun run for one just 2,024 meters long in honor of the 2024 Olympic bid. The race began as the Hungarian national football team drew 3-3 with Portugal to advance past its group stage at Euro 2016.
"The atmosphere in the city right now is absolutely electric following Hungary’s performance at the Euros," said bid leader Balazs Furjes. "Everyone is in such high spirits and we think that was evident in the crowds tonight, running to show their support for our Olympic Bid."
The Hungarian bid team also helped coordinate several Olympic Day sports activities for youth in Budapest, Debrecen and Győr.
The Rome 2024 delegation is dealing with bad news this Olympic Day. Following Rome's election of Mayor Virginia Raggi last Sunday, Raggi has already announced her opposition to the Roman bid. The bid team is likely now trying to find ways to keep their Olympic hopes alive.
The IOC will select the host city of the 2024 Games at the 2017 IOC Session in Lima, Peru.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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