Paris and Los Angeles have been confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the host cities for the next two Summer Olympic Games, following Tokyo 2020.
Announced at the IOC Session in Lima, Peru, the committee’s president Thomas Bach ratified the decision in front of a packed conference hall.
The confirmation of Paris and Los Angeles as hosts will bring them level with London, as the only cities to have hosted three Summer Olympic Games.
Paris first hosted the Games in 1900, before they returned to France just 24 years later – meaning 2024 will mark 100 years since they were last held in the French capital.
Whereas Los Angeles hosted the sporting spectacle as recently as 1984, with their first time coming 52 years previous in 1932.
Team GB has a history of success in the cities, too, with their lowest finish in the medal table over their four previous Games being 11th, and their highest being third at the 1900 games.
Famed for the Champs-Elysees, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and countless other monuments, landmarks, galleries and historic locations – Paris also has a rich sporting heritage.
In 1900 the Games first game to the French capital, with Team GB racking up 15 gold medals, six silver and nine bronze to finish with a total of 30.
That was enough for third in the table as Great Britain won the one and only, so far, Olympic gold medal in cricket.
We also triumphed in men’s water polo, three different sailing classes, the men’s and mixed doubles tennis – as well as the men’s and women’s singles – and men’s football.
Four athletics gold medals were added and two in the swimming pool as only France and the United States won more medals.
Just 24 years later Team GB finished fourth in the medal table with nine gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze, to give a total of 34.
Athletics once again was a strong point, with three victories coming in the Stade de Colombes as both boxing and rowing each contributed two gold medals – the remaining golds came from shooting and swimming.
Athletes will descend on the Golden State for the second time in 34 years when the Games return to Los Angeles in 11 years’ time.
Last time the Games visited Hollywood they were treated to William Suitor flying around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Opening Ceremony, fuelled by a jetpack on his back.
More than half a century earlier it had been a slightly different story at the 1932 Games – but the venue was still the same, with the Memorial Coliseum hosting the athletics.
Team GB finished eighth in the medal table with four gold, seven silver and five bronze to their name.
Tommy Hampson and Tommy Green won the two athletics gold medals, in the 800m and the 50km walk, respectively, while the other golds both came on the rowing lake in the men’s coxless pair and coxless four.
When the Games returned to California in 1984, Lord Sebastian Coe, Daley Thompson and Tessa Sanderson were the stars of the show for Great Britain.
Coe backed up his 1500m win from four years earlier in Moscow, as did decathlete Daley Thompson, with Sanderson adding the Olympic title her 1978 Commonwealth gold in the javelin.
Malcolm Cooper and the men’s coxed four added the other gold medals for Team GB as the finished with five gold, 11 silver and 21 bronze – enough for 11th in the overall medal table.
Sportsbeat 2017