Los Angeles hails IOC's decision to award Olympic Games 2-in-1

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (center), Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti (left) and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo gesture during the press conference after the voting at the IOC extraordinary session in Lausanne, Switzerland July 11, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Mayor, LA 2024 Bid Committee and local press hailed Tuesday as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to simultaneously award the 2024 and 2028 games, paving the way for the Olympics to return to Paris and Los Angeles, both are trying head to head to land an Olympian deal.

"This is a proud day for Los Angeles and for the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in America," a statement of Los Angeles's bid committee, LA 2024 said. "We're thrilled with the IOC's decision today, which is a major step forward in making LA's Olympic dream a reality."

The statement released Tuesday praised Los Angeles and its competitor for 2024 Olympic Paris as two of the world's greatest cities with outstanding but different proposals.

"We look forward to working with the IOC and Paris in the weeks ahead to turn this golden opportunity into a golden future together," the statement said.

In a rare move, the IOC unanimously voted Tuesday to announce the bid winner of the 2024 and 2028 Olympic games at the same time.

According to the report of ABC, IOC officials would enter into negotiations with bid leaders from LA and Paris to determine which city will host the games in 2024 and which city must wait until 2028.

Assuming an agreement was reached, the full committee would gather in Lima, Peru in September to officially award both games, the report said, adding that if neither city was willing to wait, the IOC would award only the 2024 games in September, but the it was unlikely given that bid leaders from both cities were open to the idea, especially Los Angeles.

"LA 2024 has never been only about LA or 2024," bid Chairman Casey Wasserman said in June. "Even when the issue of a dual award for the 2024 and 2028 Games was initially raised, we didn't say it's 'LA first' or it's 'now or never' for LA."

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is in Switzerland to forge the arrangement tweeted Tuesday: "The IOC has decided to award both the 2024 and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games when it announces the host cities in September."

His tweets copied the admiring words of LA 2024's statement, praising IOC's decision and local residents' supports.

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