Los Angeles and Paris were completing their bid presentations for International Olympic Committee (IOC) members yesterday while at the same time tackling the question in earnest whether to aim for the Games in 2024 or 2028.
Tuesday's historic IOC vote paved the way for a rare double allocation of the two Games, and the two bidders will sit down with the IOC to reach a tripartite agreement ahead of the deciding vote on the hosts on September 13 at the IOC Session in Lima.
In the unlikely event of no agreement the 2024 host only would be elected from the two. But IOC president Thomas Bach expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached by August.
The two mayors, LA's Eric Garcetti and Anne Hidalgo of Paris, remained vague at a news conference Tuesday but it is believed that behind-the-scenes talks have already started.
There is an impression that LA could be more flexible than Paris when it comes to waiting four additional years until 2028, and Garcetti recently talked about IOC funds for youth programs.
IOC president Thomas Bach last month ruled out financial favors when he said: "I don't think you need to reward somebody if you give somebody a present."
But the IOC will want an agreement to complete the double allocation, and Wednesday's Los Angeles Times said the Californians "could ask for money to remain in operation an extra four years or could seek a larger slice of Olympic revenues."
Paris meanwhile is determined to get 2024 because that would be 100 years after its last hosting of the Games, and because they say a plot of land selected for the athletes' village can not remain undeveloped for another four years.
Le Figaro paper yesterday welcomed "the return of the (Olympic) flame" but said the hard work was only starting now, such as keeping the public on their side and assuring them that costs will not explode as at previous Games or other upcoming editions such as Tokyo 2020.
"It is important to run it past the residents," Hidalgo said.
Garcetti also said "we take nothing for granted", and the IOC will also set up a new evaluation commission for 2028 to examine both cities yet again, mainly in the risk management area.
New guarantees will be necessary but both cities should be perfectly capable of hosting either Games, after being praised by the 2024 evaluation commission in its report published last week and by Bach for making extensive use of temporary and existing venues.
LA and Paris presented their bids ahead of the IOC vote on Tuesday, and Bach speaking of "a stunning morning" and "mindblowing" presentation which represented "Olympism at its best."
Bach was the only one not to use the phrase "historic" after the vote but did mention on several occasions how important it was to have both cities on board amid "new political realities."
With cities withdrawing bids or longer interested in the expensive Games the IOC also agreed to revise its bid process for the 2026 Winter Games, and now has some additional years to do the same for future summer Games in order to make them more attractive again.
"This is a golden opportunity for today but also of great importance for the future because ensuring stability for the Olympics for 11 years is something extraordinary in our world," he said.
