UK Sport’s chief executive Liz Nicholl has said there is no reason why London should not make another bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic summer games.
The London Evening Standard reports that UK Sport, the government agency responsible for investing in Olympic and Paralympic sport, has an “ambitious plan” to bring the games back to the capital as early as 2036.
London has hosted the modern summer Olympics a record three times – 1908, 1948 and 2012. According to the Standard The Mayor of London’s office “would get behind any potential bid” while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it would not be too early for London to host again after 2012.
Nicholl told the Standard: “We’ve got some great facilities and it would be great to see it done again. It’s early days but there’s no reason why we can’t bid.
“I would say if you look at where the Games have been held over recent cycles and if you were looking at where a European location would best next fit, it would be great if it [London hosting the Olympics] was 2032, but I would have thought 2036 is more likely.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added: “If there was the possibility of a London bid in that period of time, it would be a very exciting prospect that we’d be behind.”
‘People in London would relish it’
An official bid would have to be vetted and nominated by the British Olympic Association, Games Bids reports, and the 2036 host city is scheduled to be chosen in 2029.
The IOC says that London hosting the games as recently as 2012 would not go against a potential bid for 2036.
An IOC spokesperson said: “There is no reason why London can’t bid. There was Los Angeles in 1984 and again in 2028, then Beijing for 2008 and again for the Winter Olympics 2022.
“We’re always pleased when cities bid for the Games and particularly London, with its great legacy. I’m sure people in London would relish it.”
