Sources inside the French National Olympic Committee have made it clear that they want to bring the Summer Olympic Games back to Paris and are committed to a 2012 bid. Failing a 2012 victory, they’ve indicated that they will bid again for 2016 and will prioritize the Summer Games over an Olympic Winter Games possibility.
Both French Cities Annecy and Grenoble have expressed strong interest in bidding for the 2014 Winter Games and France has agreed to submit a bid for those Games, but the committee has asked the two cities to remain quiet while the 2012 campaign is underway. Annecy has already begun a strong marketing campaign locally and on the Internet and there is no indication that these efforts will be scaled back. It is highly likely that a Paris 2012 victory would cancel a French 2014 bid.
This news comes on the heals of a British report that Paris would likely win the 2012 Olympic bid and that London shouldn’t bother entering the strongly contended race that will include Moscow, New York, a German and Spanish City and several others.
Paris last bid for the 2008 Games that were awarded to Beijing, and previously bid for the 1992 Games that were held in Barcelona. Paris twice hosted the Summer Games in 1900 and 1924 and France last hosted the Winter Games in Albertville in 1992 and previously in Grenoble in 1968.
