Survey shows only 20 percent support Paris' bid for Olympics

Paris residents have not shown interest in their city hosting the 2024 Olympics

Paris, Nov 11 (IANS) The French Olympic Committee may be bracing up to bid for the 2024 Olympics, but it seems the public is not that interested in hosting the Games as only 20 percent out of 50,000 people have supported the campaign in a survey. With the largest circulation in France, Le Figaro - a French daily - posted a question to its readers Saturday, asking them whether the capital city should submit an application to host the 2024 Games and the online survey on its website, lefigaro.fr, received 52,745 votes through the weekend, with just 20 percent voting "OUI (Yes)", reports Xinhua.

The survey came after Paris' possible bid for the 2024 Games was widely discussed, even argued in France the day before.

French President Francois Hollande said Thursday evening that he's "in favour of the city if Paris decides to put in a bid for the Games", while Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo responded Friday morning by asking the president to respect the agenda, which says Paris will announce the decision on bidding or not in January.

Paris is yet to host the world's biggest sporting extravaganza since 1924 and the earlier edition held here was in 1900 when Olympic Games came as part of the World Expo.

They made unsuccessful bids for the 1992, 2008 and 2012 editions.