LA Committee Lobbies For 2024 Olympics In Qatar
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The committee seeking to bring the 2024 Olympics to Los Angeles made its first official candidate city presentation Tuesday to the International Olympic Committee.
Mayor Eric Garcetti and six-time Olympic track gold medalist Allyson Felix led LA 2024's delegation at the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Doha, Qatar.
"We believe our campaign isn't just about the Games in our city in 2024," Garcetti said. "We believe this bid is about ensuring that the Games are sustainable and relevant in every year beyond 2024 as well. This bid isn't only about L.A.'s future -- it's about our collective future. We are planning a great Games in Los Angeles -- make no mistake -- but we're also laying the ground work along with you for future Games."
The delegation also included LA 2024 Vice Chair Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, Chairman Casey Wasserman, U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Larry Probst and International Olympic Committee member and hockey gold medalist Angela Ruggiero.
The primary focus of the team was observing the sessions and meeting with leaders from the 205 national Olympic committees.
LA 2024's other official presentations to IOC members will be made in July 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The final presentation will be made in September 2017 in Lima, Peru, when the host city for the 2024 Olympics will be selected.
LA 2024 has pledged to create a transformative Olympic Games utilizing the city's ideal climate, its culture of creativity and innovation, and its youthful energy to reimagine a Games that delivers the ultimate personalized experience for the athletes.
The committee has also pledged that its plan for hosting the Olympics would build national pride, reignite America's passion for the Games, significantly increase youth participation in sports across the nation and show how a host city can deliver sustainable benefits to its communities.
"Please don't doubt us," Garcetti added. "America's diversity is our greatest strength. Diversity is not easy. Diversity is a leap of faith that embraces all faiths. And that's why I believe L.A. is a perfect choice for the 2024 Games, because the face of our city reflects the face of the Olympic Movement itself."
Paris and Budapest are also seeking to host the 2024 Games.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)