IOC Officials Set to Visit Los Angeles

The International Olympic Committee's group evaluating cities bidding to host the 2014 Olympic Games will formally visit Los Angeles in April.

The IOC 2024 Evaluation Commission's visit to L.A. on April 23-25 will be the first of three stops by the group that will play a leading role in determining whether L.A., Paris or Budapest hosts the 2024 Games. The evaluation commission will visit Budapest May 10-12, followed by Paris on May 14-16.

Following the three visits, the evaluation commission will publish a report in June on the three cities that will cover both documents the bid cities have submitted to the IOC and the on-site analysis.

"The commission's findings will be published in the IOC Evaluation Commission Report, which will clearly highlight the opportunities and challenges of each candidature," the IOC said. The report, which will be made public, will be provided to all IOC members, and will act as a crucial aid to the IOC members when electing the Host City."

The IOC will host a briefing on the 2024 candidate cities for IOC members and Summer Olympic international sports federation officials July 11-12 at the IOC's Lausanne headquarters.

The IOC will elect the 2024 host city on Sept. 13, 2017 in Lima, Peru.

The 14-member evaluation commission, headed by four-time Olympic silver medalist sprinter Frank Fredericks of Namibia, will place particular emphasis on compliance with the IOC's Agenda 2020 reforms both during the on-site visits and in evaluating submitted documents. Fredericks previously chaired the IOC's Athletes' Commission and also served on the evaluation commissions for the 2012 and 2020 Games.

"Olympic Agenda 2020, with regard to the organization of the Olympic Games, puts a special focus on sustainability and the athletes' experience," IOC president Thomas Bach said earlier this year. "This is where Frank Fredericks, as a four-time Olympic silver medalist in sprint and former Chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission, has great expertise."

Fredericks, a three-time NCAA champion at BYU, is no stranger to the U.S. Three members of the commission participated in the 1984 Olympic Games in L.A. Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel, a graduate of Iowa State, won the 400-meter hurdles in 1984. Brazil's Bernard Rajzman earned a silver medal in volleyball in L.A., and Tsunekazu Takeda was a coach for Japan's equestrian team at the 1984 Games.

Two other members of the commission were educated in the U.S. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic 200-meter backstroke champion, attended Auburn. Switzerland's Patrick Baumann, secretary general of FIBA, has an MBA from the University of Chicago.



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