The word loser was hardly the most enticing advert for a city to potentially accept hosting the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as suggestions started surfacing of the potential double awarding of a Games. Fortunately, Bach has in recent months coined a phrase to impressively change the perception of the 2028 host being "the loser".

"Win-win-win".

Having coined the phrase at the IOC Executive Board meeting in June, Bach has almost robotically repeated it ever since. Officials from both Paris 2024, the now Los Angeles 2028 and IOC members have copied Bach’s mantra in a zombie-like way leading up to and following the announcement that Los Angeles had reached an agreement to stage the latter Games.

While all sides are clearly claiming victory in this "win-win-win", there certainly is an element of "spin-spin-spin".

Fundamentally two of the three parties have ended up agreeing to something they never set out to do at the start of the bidding process.

Paris can ultimately be declared the winners of the race they all started, which was to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is hard to argue with the idea that the French capital have played a blinder. 

While they were essentially criticised by their rivals in Los Angeles for delivering the IOC an "ultimatum" when stating they were only interested in 2024, Paris got what they were after.

It was interesting to hear a radio bulletin of the news last week which claimed "Los Angeles had given in to Paris". While Los Angeles will undoubtedly dispute that, the bulletin did seem to reflect the opinion of the mainstream media, who are detached from the day to day machinations in the Olympic Movement.

Los Angeles arguably found themselves outmanoeuvred when the goalposts began to change. While Paris maintained they needed the 2024 Games due to the construction of their Athletes’ Village, their rivals never seemed to have a clear counter to the claim. From being focused on the race for the 2024 Olympics, Los Angeles have pulled off an impressive about turn in recent months.

Only in March, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told insidethegames "We are competing for 2024, full stop. I would love to visit my friends in Paris in 2028. We have never contemplated anything else." 

Bid chairman Casey Wasserman also claimed the IOC should award Los Angeles the 2024 Games if they believe in Agenda 2020.

Wasserman was viewed by many to have conceded 2024 to Paris when he stated in June that their bid had never been "only about LA or 2024". The 180 degree turn was completed when Garcetti claimed hosting 2028 was "preferable" to 2024 last week when the deal was ultimately confirmed.

While Paris may have won the battle for 2024, Los Angeles could suggest they have won the war. They have succeeded where several other American bids have failed in bringing the Games back to the United States. One opinion expressed this week was that the deal they had achieved with the IOC was the "best in Olympic history".

Much has been made of the IOC have agreeing to Eric Garcetti’s request – dare I say it ultimatum – to help fund youth sport in the city, despite Thomas Bach having previously suggested this would not be the case.

The IOC have agreed to make a $1.8 billion (£1.4 billion/€1.5 billion) contribution, which has the potential to exceed $2 billion (£1.5 billion/€1.7 billion) when taking into account the estimated value of existing sponsor agreements to be renewed and potential new marketing deals. The city would be exempt from other payments and will retain the option of selling domestic sponsorship in categories not covered by the IOC.

Given the surplus generated by the Los Angeles 1984, an agreement to keep all surplus profit that they make could also be a considered an impressive coup.

In the words of American President Donald Trump, they have appeared to have made a "good deal".

Los Angeles were prepared to compromise and have ended up as the runners-up in the initial race. After three withdrawals from the race, the IOC probably had to reach a compromise.

When the process began, the race was billed as the first major test of the Agenda 2020 reforms which were hoped to reinvigorate the bid process. It seems clear that the departures of Hamburg, Rome and Budapest ultimately forced the panic button to be pressed.

While the double award has been spun to be seen as a triumph for the IOC and its President in locking down two excellent host cities, it certainly needs to be remembered in this context. Certainly, Bach has masterminded the altering of the rules with political nous, but he has had to make the best of a bad situation.

The bidding race for the 2024 Olympics deflated like a balloon since the start of the process, with the air having been sucked out as three candidates fell by the wayside and the double awarding of the Games became an inevitability.

It therefore seemed fitting that the announcement took place in Los Angeles when the majority of the world were asleep, with a lack of IOC presence and a press release placed on the organisation’s website. There was no pageantry and worldwide attention that the awarding of an Olympic Games receives at a Session tends to receive.

Rather than the grand unveiling of the host via an envelope opening, beamed across the world, it almost feels as though the news was delivered like a save the date invitation for a wedding. "We would be delighted if you join us in Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. Thanks."

The IOC members are arguably the biggest losers of the “win-win-win”, as they have had they influence on proceedings reduced. Or cut out entirely at worst.

It seemed like a mere footnote on the announcement this week that "extensive discussions" between the IOC and Los Angeles had taken place at SportAccord Convention in Aarhus. While it does not come as a surprise, as we have all been following the merry jaunt towards the double award for months now, it seemed an odd thing to admit. 

Particularly as the double award, in theory, needed the approval of the IOC membership. It seems a sign of their declining influence that seemingly a deal could start to be thrashed out, before they have had a chance to formal approve of the process.

In this sense, it feels the double award is a victory for Bach as well, with his power seemingly having increased, while also locking down to host nations to allow time for the bidding process to be recalibrated.

The next sticking point for the IOC could well prove the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic race, where the starting field looks likely to be a thin one.