(ATR) The Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Olympics is traveling the country to get input from Olympians about ways to improve the bid.
In the midst of the U.S. OlympicSwimming trials taking place in Omaha, Nebraska, the L.A. team led by vice-chair of the bid and swimming gold medalist Janet Evans gathered more than 80 Olympians and Paralympians in the latest in a series of town hall meetings.
"When L.A. was chosen by the USOC the one thing that Casey Wasserman and Mayor Garcetti said to me is that we really need athletes to be the central focus of this bid," Evans said.
The town hall on Friday was held bright and early at the Old MattressFactory USA Swimming House and attendees were welcomed with breakfast before suggesting new ideas to the bid team.
"We tell the Olympians and Paralympians that no idea is a crazy idea, every idea can find traction in our bid and Games plans," Evans tells Around the Rings.
Evans says it's exciting to be the first bid city to engage retired athletes in such an extensive manner.
"The retired athletes want to be active [in the bid], they want their voices to be heard and seeing that look when they understand that we really are engaging the athletes and putting them at the forefront of our bid is our greatest overall takeaway," she tells ATR.
Evans says she would have loved to participate in one of these forums ahead of one of her three Olympics.
"I certainly wish I could’ve given input into the Games I competed in," she says. "Most athletes want their voices to be heard and I think athletes are clearly the greatest people to tell us what can happen at a Games and how we can further advance the movement."
LA 24 will host its next town hall meeting on July 8 at the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Los Angeles is competing with Budapest, Paris and Rome to host the 2024 Summer Games. The IOC will select the host at the September 2017 IOC Session in Lima, Peru.
Budapest 2024 Chairman Applauds Plans to Expand Airport
The chairman for the Budapest 2024 bid is calling a Budapest Airport expansion plan "a very important step forward for Budapest and for Hungary."
Ferenc Liszt International Airport will be adding a new HUF50bn ($178 million) passenger terminal that will feature a significant increase in check-in desks, more parking spaces and state of the art security facilities.
The expansion plan will also include a direct rail link to Budapest with effective links to other cities around the country. A hotel for transit passengers will also be built.
The Budapest 2024 Bid Chairman, Balázs Fürjes applauded the move by Budapest Airport, calling it "a leap forward too for the Budapest 2024 Bid."
He added in a statement "The new terminal and rail link to Budapest will be completed in time for the 2024 Games. This demonstrates our collective readiness to create a great spectator experience in Budapest at Games Time".
Rome Would Welcome Cricket to Olympic Program
The Rome 2024 bid team tells Around the Rings it would be open to the idea of cricket joining the Olympic program for the 2024 Summer Games.
"Roma 2024 would welcome new sports, such as cricket, in the Olympicprogram also in consideration of the increasing number of people thatare actively playing it in Italy," a Rome 2024 spokesperson says.
The statement by Rome follows comments made by Italian Cricket chiefSimone Gambino at the International Cricket Council annual conference inEdinburgh on Friday.
Gambino told ESPN Cricinfo "If Rome hoststhe Olympics, cricket will be included," Gambino said. "We have had afirm commitment from the organizing committee."
Although Rome 2024 confirms it would welcome the new sport, it says including cricket is a decision that is not up to them.
"We are however fully aware that such a decision belongs to theInternational Olympic Committee and therefore our planning isexclusively based on the indications received from the IOC in Lausanne."
Paris 2024 Delegation Visits Rowing and Canoeing Venue
A high-level delegation from the Paris 2024 bid paid a visit to the site selected to host the rowing and canoeing.
Francs Jeux reports that French secretary of state for sports Thierry Braillard, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and Paris 2024 co-chair Tony Estanguet were among those who traveled on Thursday to the leisure island of Vaires-Torcy, located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Paris.
The venue, known as the Water Sports Centre, is currently undergoing a major renovation due to be completed in 2018 that will see a white water center featuring a 250 meter obstacle course and the upgrade of the 2,200 meter long rowing lake and supporting facilities. A media center and athlete housing are also being added.
The site would also include a stadium for the rowing and canoeing events.
Written by Kevin Nutley and Gerard Farek
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