Los Angeles has reached an agreement with international Olympic leaders that makes it the probably choice to host the 2028 Summer Games.
City Council President Herb Wesson’s office confirmed the deal Monday, and through a spokesperson says the pact is expected to be reviewed by the council this week.
The agreement followed an earlier vote earlier by the International Olympic Committee to award the 2024 and 2028 Games.
If the agreement holds, Los Angeles will become a three-time Olympic city, having hosted them twice before, in 1932 and 1984.
L.A. and Paris were the last two on the field after this year's pretty crazy process of bidding for the games. After the expensive debacle in Sochi, its become apparent that no one wants a repeat of that example. Cities just don't to carry the costs of hosting an event that has become synonymous with out of control overruns.
Normally each country nominates one city for consideration. LA, interestingly was not the first contender for the US this cycle.
Boston withdrew two years ago as public support collapsed over concerns about wasted tax dollars.
With Boston out, LA entered the race.
But Boston wasn't the only city to get cold feet. The same was true in Europe where three cities pulled out.
The withdrawals were pretty embarrassing for IOC President Thomas Bach, the architect of the heavily scrutinized Agenda 2020 reforms. Bach's revamps were designed to make hosting more streamlined and less expensive after the lavish 2014 Sochi Games.
There was a lack of confidence in those promises and the first withdrawal came from his homeland of Germany.
With Hamburg out, Rome and Budapest soon followed as support for bids vanished with both local officials and their populations.
Los Angeles was the only city left to host the 2028 Games.
Paris ass the only city left to host the 2024 Games.
The process mirrored the outcome of the 2022 Winter Games which saw Beijing defeat Almaty, the IOC was left with only two candidates again.
Bach realized that both France and the U.S. could be deterred from going through another contest for 2028 if they lost.
The dual award of the games relieves the IOC of having to test the global interest in hosting the Summer Olympics until the 2032 Games are up for grabs.