Estanguet, a canoe champion, praised the Olympics as an inclusive event that should bring positive change to the world. Paris hosted the Games in 1900 -- the second city after Athens -- and again in 1924, but lost all three of its most recent bids. "We've been waiting to host the Olympics for 100 years and finally they're coming home," Hidalgo said. The Paris team's enthusiasm for their near-certain victory was a rare bright spot for the IOC as criminal probes in Brazil and France have cast a shadow over the organisation. "We will watch closely but now, here, we are concentrating on the future," Bach told reporters upon arriving in Lima on Thursday.

Source: The Star September 10, 2017 22:07 UTC