Former IOC member says Toronto should target 2028 Summer Olympics: report

As a potential bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics gains support in Toronto, former International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Paul Henderson said the city should bid on the 2028 one instead, according to a published report.

Henderson — who also headed Toronto’s bid in 1996 — told the Toronto Sun the city would have a better chance at winning the 2028 bid.

He said the IOC pattern for awarding the games is to cycle from Europe to the Americas, and then to another part of the world.

He points out that because the 2020 games were awarded to Tokyo, he believes the 2024 Summer Games will go back to Europe and then back to the Americas in 2028.

Henderson, along with Bob Richardson — former CEO of Toronto’s failed bid in 2008 — were approached by Ernst & Young in preparation of an Olympic bid report that will be given to the Toronto’s economic development committee.

Coun. Michael Thompson told 680News that report will be presented to council in January 2014.

“The direction from council was simply to look at the possibilities of Toronto making a bid for the Olympics, and the report itself has all of the generalities in terms of looking at the pros and cons,” Thompson said.

If Toronto is going to bid on the 2024 games, city officials have to let the IOC know by the fall of 2014. The formal bidding process begins in 2015.

There are also several American cities that are considering a bid for 2024, including Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington.

Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the games in 2016.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today