Paris' bid leader says IOC convinced of merits of awarding 2024 Olympics to France

PARIS (Reuters) - The co-chair for Paris' 2024 Olympics bid on Monday said the team working on the French capital's candidacy had convinced the International Olympic Committee of the merits of awarding the Games to Paris. In a statement welcoming Los Angeles' offer on Monday to bid for the 2028 Olympics instead, the Paris 2024 committee called LA's move "a key step in the process of awarding the Olympics". Despite Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo saying talks would continue until the official decision in Lima in September, bid co-chair Tony Estanguet went a step further, saying all the efforts made on Paris' bid "allowed us to convince the IOC of the merits of awarding the organization of the 2024 Olympics to Paris". (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alison Williams)