Those who have either expressed reservations or outright opposition when contacted by insidethegames include three vice-presidents and other members of the Executive Board.

Rumours have grown over recent months that IOC President Thomas Bach is in favour of such a plan in order to avoid disappointing either Los Angeles or Paris.

The American and French cities are the two frontrunners in a 2024 race.

Balázs Furjes, bid chairman of third candidate Budapest, today admitted that they are close to conceding defeat, opening the door for Bach to award the 2024 Olympics to Paris and 2028 to Los Angeles at the IOC Session due to take place in Lima on September 13. 

Bach has repeatedly claimed the IOC are considering reforming the process to avoid a situation where there are "too many losers".

He has resisted opportunities to categorically rule out both events being awarded this year.

But there appears a distinct lack of enthusiasm from IOC colleagues, including those usually seen as Bach's close allies.

A joint decision would mean the IOC members effectively lose their power to vote for host cities for the next two cycles.

Of the three IOC vice-presidents to respond, Australia's John Coates told insidethegames he "hasn't worked out how it would be done".

Another vice-president, Turkey's Uğur Erdener, said that, in his opinion, "it is not feasible at this time".

Erdener, also President of World Archery, added that "first, it does not seem available according to the present rules and regulations, secondly, some potential applicant cities for 2028 lose their rights and it will be another problem".

China's Yu Zaiqing, a third vice-president, appeared slightly more reserved but said that it "would need to be discussed at an IOC Session" because the Olympic Charter would require changing.

Many others warned it would be a risk to award the 2028 Olympics 11 years beforehand and would also be unfair on other cities considering launching a bid.

Coates' own Australia is among possible contenders, along with the likes of Azerbaijan, Qatar and Russia.

"To do something I think you would have to let the first vote take its course," Coates, currently attending the Asian Winter Games here, told insidethegames.

"You couldn’t say ‘whoever comes second is going to get something else’ until after the event. 

"You know, three cities are bidding on the basis that there is one prize only. 

"It could put a different spin and impact on the way they [members] vote.

"I am thinking aloud here, I haven’t thought it through legally.

"I think it would have to get accepted at an Olympic Session."

Taiwan's International Boxing Federation President and IOC Executive Board member C K Wu said that it would not be possible to have the 2028 Games vote more than 10 years before the event could take place. 

"Also, who are [the] candidate cities for 2028?" he told insidethegames.

"Where is [the] evaluation visit and report? 

"So my answer to your question is [that it is] impossible to prepare 2028 bidding in such [a] short time, therefore to decide two Games this year is not feasible."

He was backed by Norway's Gerhard Heiberg.

"I am sceptical to award the Games of 2024 and 2028 at the same time in September this year," he told insidethegames.

"There may be cities preparing for applying for the Games in 2028, and, suddenly, they could find that it is not possible, without any pre-warning. 

"If we should award the Games for two different years, we should have told that from the beginning, not towards the end of the race.

"There will always be losers unhappy about that, but losing is part of the competition, and it has always been like that! 

"Every city applying for the Games knows the risk."

Rule 33.2 of the Olympic Charter states: "Save in exceptional circumstances, such election takes place seven years before the celebration of the Olympic Games".

There have been two bidders for the Olympics in the past.

For the 1980 Games only Moscow and Los Angeles bid and the event was awarded to the Soviet capital.

Then for the 1988 Olympics the bid was a contest between Seoul and Nagoya, the South Korean capital comfortably beating its Japanese rival.

There were also only two bidders for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which were awarded to Beijing after they narrowly defeated Almaty by four votes. 

Both Paris and Los Angeles have repeatedly claimed they are only focusing on bidding for 2024.

There is, however, a historical precedent for awarding both Olympics at the same time. 

A similar situation happened almost a century ago for the 1924 and 1928 Olympics Games, when Paris and Los Angeles were also involved.

In 1921 Amsterdam dropped their bid for 1924, awarded to the French capital, on the condition they were awarded 1928.

The Americans protested at the decision because they wanted to put Los Angeles forward.

The Californian city was eventually awarded the 1932 Olympics. 

The IOC member who appeared most enthusiastic was Canada's Richard Pound, the longest serving member but who has repeatedly clashed with Bach in the past.

"Given the need to reassess our process for attracting and retaining candidate cities, I would have no objection to a one-off decision regarding 2024 and 2028, especially if we get agreement between the two cities as to who goes first, etc," Pound told insidethegames.

"There is some risk, of course, when you have a deal that extends for 11 years, so there would have to be some contractual language to be worked out to make sure that the 2028 city remains committed. 

"The two countries likely to be involved are relatively stable, which will help."

A more nuanced analysis was given by St Lucia's Richard Peterkin.

"There are pros and cons," he told insidethegames.

In addition to views also expressed by others, risks highlighted included that Budapest remains in the race and fears that the sports programme would be effectively locked until 2028.

On the pro side, Peterkin believes it "reduces the uncertainty of getting good bids in 2021 as a result of all of the issues affecting bids now - gigantism, increasing costs, doping, corruption, fears of cost overruns, terrorism, and a waning appetite by the public that could be reflected in future referendums. 

"If the two cities are Paris and LA, both strong bids, it could do wonders for the reputation and popularity of the IOC and the Games, and generate greater confidence for the bidding and staging for future Games," he added.

"It will allow the IOC to have less losing bids, giving them more time to deal with the issues that are affecting the [Olympic] Movement now - doping, corruption, elitism, popularity of the sports on the programme, illegal betting, security and other risks."

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós has said he will meet on Wednesday (February 22) with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to review the city's bid after a campaign group claimed they had the necessary number of signatures to force a referendum.