L.A. Really Didn’t Do Its Celebrating Until ’84

Unlike Atlanta, where there was a wild popular celebration Tuesday when the International Olympic Committee announced it was awarding the 1996 Games to the city, there was no celebration to speak of in Los Angeles when the 1984 Games were awarded.

In fact, the actual day, week, month or year when Los Angeles got the Games was somewhat in doubt.

Was it when the IOC approved Los Angeles’ bid on Oct. 9, 1978? Or was it four days later, when the City Council said OK, by only one vote more than required?

Or was it the next year, March 1, 1979, when after a host of further difficulties between Los Angeles promoters, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the IOC, the final contract was signed?

The formal designation of Los Angeles--the only bidder for 1984--was originally supposed to happen May 18, 1978, with a vote of the IOC membership at its session in Athens. Just as with Atlanta in Tokyo on Tuesday, a large delegation of Los Angeles officials and private boosters, led by the mayor, were on hand for the vote.

But when Lord Killanin, then president of the IOC, announced the decision at the foot of a spiral staircase in the Caravel Hotel, it was a surprise. Killanin said the IOC decided to “provisionally” award the Games, contingent on the city government’s signing a contract by July 31 of that year, agreeing to accept “complete financial responsibility” for them.

There ensued five months of frequently bitter wrangling between the parties, with Los Angeles officials insisting that the city government be absolved from any liability for the Games, and IOC leaders saying they had to accept liability, or they would call for new bids.

Finally, Los Angeles won out, and financial responsibility was vested solely in the hands of a private committee, without a call on city funds. The turning point came 13 days before the IOC’s July 31 deadline, when Mayor Tom Bradley said he would recommend to the City Council that it withdraw the city’s bid for the Games.

Within 24 hours, the IOC, which actually had no other bidders in the wings, blinked. Killanin called for further negotiations and the IOC’s deadline was extended.

Even after the IOC yielded, however, there was substantial opposition in the city to the Games. Many feared a deficit, traffic gridlock and terrorist incidents.

None of these problems actually arose in 1984, and the Games, under the direction of Peter Ueberroth and Paul Ziffren, ended up making a profit of $222.7 million.