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NEW YORK: The host city for the 2024 Paralympics will be selected without the Paralympic leadership having a say in whether Los Angeles or Paris is chosen.
It is the consequence of the International Paralympic Committee electing a new president in early September — and the winner not immediately and automatically replacing outgoing leader Philip Craven as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member.
In an agreement that was extended last year, the city selected by the IOC to host the Olympics is also obliged to stage the Paralympics shortly afterward. A decision will be made next week on whether the 2028 host is also selected at the September meeting in Peru, with the IOC keen to avoid making a loser of either Paris or LA given the strength of the bids.
The IOC confirmed to The Associated Press “there will be no representative from the IPC voting in Lima” on Sept. 13.
Four candidates are in the running to replace Craven as IPC president at a vote on Sept. 8 in Abu Dhabi: Patrick Jarvis, Andrew Parsons, John Petersson and Haidi Zhang.
“Sir Phil Craven will no longer be an IOC member once his mandate within the IPC ends,” the IOC said. “It does not mean however that his successor will automatically become an IOC member. His potential candidature will have to be proposed to the IOC members election commission which is charged with preparing profiles and proposing candidates in order to achieve a diverse and balanced membership of the IOC.
“The commission submits a report to the IOC executive board which is the competent body to propose a candidature to the session. The session alone is competent to elect any IOC member.”
The IPC has been pushing to retain its vote, with Craven telling the AP that “something has to be worked out.”
Parsons, the IPC vice president vying for the top job, called it “unfortunate.”
“It is purely a timing issue,” the Brazilian added. “This is understood and cannot be avoided.”
The Paris and LA bids declined to comment on the Paralympic leadership not participating in the vote. Both cities will present their projects to IOC members next Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland. The full IOC membership, still including Craven, will then decide whether to ratify the board’s request to award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Games at the September meeting.