Continuing to ponder the subject of my entry this morning, after coming across this open letter from IOC chief Tomas Bach to president Hollande and the people of France, I’d now be willing to put good money on Paris winning it’s bid for the 2024 games. While the letter itself does not mention 2024 directly, it’s very appearance leads me to think Paris must now be a favourite. Especially after the grave (for Paris) disappointment of 2005, the likelihood of the IOC snubbing the french capital again now seems very, very remote. As I once wrote here, I’d dearly like to see a Parisienne Olympics.

Yet there are still two years before the decision is made, and such things are very, very political: America is desperate to hold the 2024 games too, and seems to have felt just as snubbed by the decision in 2005. Things are therefore more complex and more interesting. Let’s not forget, too, that the US has also come under terrorist attack. While part of me suspects Paris is now a shoe in, the battle for the 2024 olympics has some way to go. Whoever the IOC go with, given what happened in 2005 a proud nation stands to be rejected for a second time. I know it does not really matter to most people in the UK, but given it’s political dimension, I find it oddly fascinating.