ROAD TO 2024: Evaluation Commission Visits Rescheduled

The International Olympic Committee’s evaluation commission visits to 2024 Olympic candidates Los Angeles and Paris have been rescheduled due to changes to the bidding race.

The evaluation commission were due to visit LA in late April, headed up by IAAF official Frankie Fredericks.

However, due to Fredericks stepping down from the commission due to corruption allegations and Budapest’s withdrawal from bidding to host the 2024 Games, the dates for the visits have officially been changed.

A team of 14 members, lead now by SportAccord President Patrick Baumann, will now head to Los Angeles from May 10-12, before going on to inspect Paris from May 14-16.

Baumann, who also acts as the secretary general of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), said this week he was “excited” to start his new role.

Fredericks was accused by French police of receiving a payment made to influence the selection of Rio as host of the 2016 Games back in 2009.

The Namibian former sprinter denies any wrongdoing but said that stepping down from his role as commission chair was in the best interests of the bidding process.

The IOC confirmed that the change of dates was to simplify the inspection process, making it easier to have them “back-to-back”.

Following the visits and subsequent reports, technical presentations will be made by the two bid committees to the IOC in Lausanne in July.

The host of the 2024 Games will then be chosen at the 130^th IOC session in Lima, Peru in September.

 

Christian Radnedge