Paris enters race for 2024 Olympics (lead)

Paris became the fourth city to confirm its bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games after an official announcement here on Tuesday.Rome, Boston and Hamburg have already declared their candidacies to stage the 2024 Games while Budapest is also expected to enter the race, reports Xinhua.The French capital, which last hosted the Olympics in 1924, narrowly missed out to london in 2012, following failed bids for the 2008 and 1992 editions, respectively, to Barcelona and Beijing. Bernard lapasset, the head of world rugby, has been appointed to lead the campaign."Paris is delighted to officially confirm its bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games - an important first milestone as our host city campaign journey commences," he said in an official statement.

"We believe that this bid and our goal to host the 2024 Games will excite, unite and enthuse the people of Paris, our entire nation and lovers of Olympic and Paralympic sport all over the world."Denis Masseglia, president of the French national Olympic committee (CNOSF), confirmed the bid would be planned in line with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) 2020 Olympic agenda which aims to deliver more flexible and less costly Games."In line with the IOC's agenda 2020 strategy, Paris 2024 promises a feasible and flexible Games concept that will be an authentic reflection of the diverse and dynamic cultural, social, environmental and sporting traditions of our local communities, the city and the French people," said Masseglia.

The IOC will decide on the shortlist of the candidate cities in 2016 before selecting the host city in summer 2017.