The agreement will bring the Olympics back to Southern California for a third time, after Los Angeles hosted in 1984 and 1932. It also opens the door for the 2024 Games to be held in Paris.

"It has been certainly a roller coaster," L.A. bid chairman Casey Wasserman told The Times, adding that IOC officials "showed a real willingness to be thoughtful and creative."

Monday's announcement ended a tumultuous summer for the rival bid cities and Olympic leaders.

The competition between L.A. and Paris, which began as a simple race for 2024, grew more complex when the IOC — with two eager candidates in hand — decided to name two winners.

L.A. was expected to go second if only because it was willing to consider the option. It knew that the race with Paris would be close and that the U.S. had fallen short in several recent attempts to win the Summer Games. Paris, by contrast, had pushed back against waiting another four years.