LA aims for 2024 Games, but keeps 2028 in mind

US Olympic Committee officials are working on the possibility of Los Angeles being offered the 2028 Olympics while focusing on their 2024 bid, USOC chief executive officer Scott Blackmun said Tuesday. Speaking after the USOC's board of directors meeting at Durham, North Carolina, Blackmun admitted his group has had to address the possibility the International Olympic Committee (IOC) might change its bid plans to give 2024 finalists Paris and Los Angeles the next two Summer Games, one taking 2024 and the other 2028. "I'd be lying to you if I told you we weren't thinking about it at all," Blackmun said when asked if the USOC had planned ahead for the possibility. "We're trying to have all the answers in place." But Blackmun also said: "We're still focused on 2024." What the USOC has had to do is prepare for the possibility of hosting in 2028, which means ensuring the same venues and support groups that have made the 2024 bid highly regarded by the IOC would be available later. "We did not discuss changes to the bid process generally," Blackmun said. "There are going to be a lot of questions with the dual bid if they do go forward. "Until we know what the rules of engagement are, I don't want to speculate on how the USOC is going to react." The IOC is set to meet July 11-12 in Switzerland to consider electing the 2024 and 2028 Olympic hosts this year. Blackmun said the USOC was pleased with the idea. "It makes it more likely that Paris and Los Angeles are both going to be able to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games," he said. The problem might be getting groups that have backed a 2024 bid to agree on a 2028 deal. "There are a lot of stakeholders," Blackmun said. "When you change the rules of engagement you have to make sure you have the approval of those stakeholders. "I don't think we're close enough to that now to make a comment on it." Blackmun said that his biggest concern in any situation will be giving US athletes the best chance at top Olympic performances. "It's definitely more complicated than if we were looking at a different approach but that's not necessarily a bad thing," he said. With some major US sponsors pulling out, Blackmun was asked about backing for the next few years, something he was not worried about, especially noting the chance that Los Angeles could soon be confirmed as a future Olympics host. "I'm confident those unfilled categories will get filled and we'll have good partners going forward," he said. Regarding a WADA limited suspension of the US anti-doping lab in Los Angeles issued during the USOC meeting, Blackmun backed whatever moves WADA felt were needed to keep athlete confidence in the anti-doping program. "We're completely in favor of strict compliance with the (WADA) code," Blackmun said. "To the extent any lab is not in compliance, we support the direction WADA has taken." The USOC also received a presentation on the US delegation for next February's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. "It's going well," he said. "We've got a lot of excitement on the team."