CANDIDATURE files from Paris, Rome, Los Angeles and Budapest to host the 2024 Olympic Games were all delivered on schedule, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed Wednesday.

    The new Candidature Process encourages the cities to present projects, which match their sports, economic, social and environmental long-term regional planning needs.

    IOC President Thomas Bach, confirming the four candidates, was clearly impressed with a first look at the bids and said he was looking forward to a fascinating competition.

    “Los Angeles, Rome, Budapest and Paris are all submitting projects fully in line with Olympic Agenda 2020,” he said.

    The candidate files under the new procedure are delivered in three phases and the IOC will confirm (or not) the cities passing their criteria at that stage.

    Wednesday’s first installment deals with global vision, Games concept and strategy. These will now be studied by IOC working groups who will deliver reports by June.

    Phase two propositions dealing with governance, legal matters and venue funding are due by Oct. 7. The final dossiers on Games delivery, experience and venue legacy are not due until Feb. 3, 2017.

    Los Angeles bid chiefs decided not to hold a launch ceremony and instead kicked off their campaign by unveiling an official logo of an angel basking in rays of Californian sunshine, as the city bids to stage the Olympics for a third time after 1932 and 1984.

    The logo is accompanied by an official slogan, urging people to “Follow the Sun” by supporting the Los Angeles bid.

    Existing venues such as the Staples Center, the LA Coliseum, the Rose Bowl and university stadiums will be used, with athletes to be housed on the UCLA campus.

    Hungarian capital city Budapest has announced a modest budget of 2.4 billion euros (US$2.7 billion) to build their entire infrastructure.

    Rome bid president Luca Di Montezemolo presided over a ceremony, which was broadcast on state-owned television RAI.

    With the Colosseum as their emblem and the city’s major tourist attractions as venues, the Italian capital will build on its strengths and existing infrastructure.

    Paris bid committee president Bernard Lapasset confirmed a budget of 3.2 billion euros for infrastructure, with existing stadiums, arenas and internationally recognized landmarks all on the bill. (SD-Agencies)