Trump to meet IOC chief at White House

What you need to know:

  • President Donald Trump, who has backed Los Angeles for the 2024 Olympics, will have a White House meeting Thursday with the International Olympic Committee chief, a US official told AFP.
  • In a telephone interview at the end of 2016 — following his election but prior to his inauguration — Trump gave IOC president Thomas Bach a "very loud and clear" endorsement for the California city to host the Games.
  • "I would love to see the Olympics go to Los Angeles. I think that it would be terrific," Trump also said.

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump, who has backed Los Angeles for the 2024 Olympics, will have a White House meeting Thursday with the International Olympic Committee chief, a US official told AFP.

In a telephone interview at the end of 2016 — following his election but prior to his inauguration — Trump gave IOC president Thomas Bach a "very loud and clear" endorsement for the California city to host the Games.

"I would love to see the Olympics go to Los Angeles. I think that it would be terrific," Trump also said.

Los Angeles — which put on the Summer Games in 1932 and 1984 — is in the running against Paris to host the 2024 event.

The United States last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia. It has failed twice recently to win a hosting bid — for the 2012 Games in New York, and the 2016 event in Chicago.

The IOC is slated to vote in July on whether to award hosting rights to both cities for the 2024 and 2028 Games.

If double voting is formally authorized the committee will hold a vote at the 130th IOC session scheduled for September 13 in Lima.