LA 2024 leaders hope to gather tips on Olympic bid at SportAccord convention this week - Los Angeles Times
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LA 2024 leaders hope to gather tips on Olympic bid at SportAccord convention this week

Janet Evans speaks at the USOC Olympic media summit at the Beverly Hilton on March 8.

Janet Evans speaks at the USOC Olympic media summit at the Beverly Hilton on March 8.

(Todd Warshaw / Getty Images for the USOC)
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Olympic regulations limit how and how much LA 2024 leaders can pitch their Summer Games bid at the SportAccord convention in Switzerland this week.

But the private bid committee arrived in Lausanne on Monday to do more than shake hands and state their case. They plan to listen.

SportAccord attracts an array of officials from around the globe, including International Olympic Committee members and -- just as important -- executives from the international federations that govern each sport.

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“L.A. is a city that knows what it takes to deliver world-class events but the [international federations] know better than anyone what it takes to deliver elite competitions in their sports,” said Casey Wasserman, the LA 2024 chairman. “We are eager to take advantage of every chance we get to learn from them.”

LA 2024 submitted its initial venue plans to the IOC earlier this year but has plenty of time to rework the proposal in advance of a host selection in 2017.

Wasserman leads a contingent that includes Chief Executive Gene Sykes and former Olympic swimmer Janet Evans, a vice chair who has been essential to the bid so far.

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FULL COVERAGE: L.A. 2024 Olympic bid >>

“We are fully committed to collaborating with athletes and [international federations] as much as possible to understand what their needs are, what has worked well for them in the past and what could be improved for the future,” Evans said.

U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Scott Blackmun and spokesman Patrick Sandusky are accompanying LA 2024 leaders this week.

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