London mayor reveals plan for Olympic and Paralympic return
PA Sport Staff
London mayor Sadiq Khan says his office are “working on a plan” to bring the Olympics and Paralympics back to the city.
The earliest London could bid for a Games would be 2036, with Paris (2024), Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032) staging the next three editions.
“We’re working on a plan to bring the Olympics back to London, and I’ll tell you why,” Khan told Sky Sports at an event marking the 10th anniversary of London 2012.
“We’ve seen over the last few days the consequences of climate change in relation to the heatwaves, in relation to the grass fires that have destroyed 41 properties in London.
“What we need is to make sure future Games are green and what we’re doing is working on a plan to have the greenest Games ever.
“The great thing about London is you don’t expend carbon on building new stadiums, new places to do cycling, new places to do swimming, because we’ve got all the kit. And so watch this space.”
The winning bid for the 2036 host city is expected to be announced within the next four years.
London 2012 showed our capital at its best.
Today I joined Olympians & Paralympians to celebrate London's sporting legacy.
We announced £17m collaborative sports funding that will create new opportunities for young Londoners to thrive. pic.twitter.com/4ZTZPQtYFB— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 22, 2022
If a London bid were launched and to be successful, the city would become the first to stage four Olympic Games after previous editions in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
Khan said: “We’ve got time. There’s no pressure from the IOC (International Olympic Committee), the key thing is to make sure we’ve got all the building blocks in place.
“We’d break a record by the way, the first city to have four Games, which is exciting. Wouldn’t that be great?
“It’s early days yet, but the ambition is there. The great thing to remember is the power of sport. It’s above party politics, it’s above north versus south, it’s not about colour of skin.
“We’ve got to engender that Olympic spirit in relation to that recovery after the pandemic.”
