Parisians visit L.A. for some early Olympic gamesmanship

The Olympic rules of conduct are clear: Cities bidding for the Games “must refrain from any act or comment likely to tarnish the image of a rival city.”

So the LA 2024 bid committee issued only a brief statement upon learning that its main competition for the 2024 Summer Games was quietly conducting a reconnaissance mission in town this week.

Leaders of the rival Paris bid gathered photographs and videotape of the Coliseum and other sites that form the core of the L.A. proposal before abruptly cutting their trip short.

“While surprising, we have no objection to Paris 2024 leaders wanting to tour our venues because they are not secrets,” LA 2024 spokesman Jeff Millman said.

The two-year competition to host in 2024 has so far been laborious and often dull, but Paris’ unexpected visit showed it can also contain moments of intrigue and friction.

“Obviously, lots of money is being spent on this,” said Robert Livingstone, who chronicles the host competition for GamesBids.com. “There is always tension.”

As the presumed front-runners in a race that includes Rome and Budapest, L.A. and Paris have estimated bid budgets well in excess of $50 million.

The French contingent spent several hours in and around USC on Wednesday, a university spokeswoman said. The tour included Galen Center and a future student housing complex that could be used as a media village if L.A. wins the Games.

On Thursday, the group was scheduled to walk through UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion but canceled at the last moment.

Paris 2024 could not be reached for comment.

“I can pretty much guarantee that spying has happened in the past with people going in low-key,” Livingstone said. “To be honest, I’ve never heard of a group sending their top people.”

International Olympic Committee rules do not prohibit information-gathering trips, nor do they require the visiting city to provide advance notice.

The Paris bid committee arranged its tours last week through the French consulate in Los Angeles, the USC spokeswoman said. The group included chief executive Etienne Thobois and three high-level executives.

LA 2024 officials learned of their arrival from staff at USC and UCLA.

If there is unspoken acrimony between the candidates, it would be nothing new. During the host competition for the 2012 Summer Games, bid leaders in Paris and London traded barbs.

After London was selected, the mayor of Paris — operating outside the jurisdiction of IOC rules — made accusations of unspecified cheating.

“I’m not saying they came close to crossing the line, they crossed the line completely,” Bertrand Delanoe was quoted as saying.

The current bidding cycle is nearly halfway to a September 2017 vote in which IOC members will make their choice. At this stage, candidates are focusing on funding proposals.

LA 2024 has put forth an initial budget that, with private partnerships, could exceed $6 billion. Bid leaders believe they can cover those costs and generate a surplus through sale of broadcast rights, corporate sponsorships and tickets.

Their venue plan relies heavily on existing sites that include Staples Center and the Rose Bowl. In another cost-cutting measure, UCLA has been chosen as the potential site for the athletes village.

LA 2024 officials are betting that IOC voters will value economy over the shiny, new facilities that other candidates might build.

Informed that Paris 2024 leaders had taken extensive photos at the Coliseum, Millman said the 93-year-old stadium would look significantly different in eight years.

“With USC’s $270-million renovation of the Coliseum, it will be ready to provide the ideal experience for athletes, fans, media and all Olympic stakeholders,” he said.

david.wharton@latimes.com

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