The U.S. Olympic Committee has begun the process of preparing a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. If chosen, it will be the first time a U.S. city has hosted the Summer Games since 1996.
35 mayors representing cities around the U.S. received letters from the Olympic Committee which is looking to gauge interest from potential host cities.
“Our objective in this process is to identify a partner city that can work with us to present a compelling bid to the IOC and that has the right alignment of political, business and community leadership,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said (Boston Herald).
The USOC is moving forward carefully after two failed bids to host the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. However, the USOC emphasizes that the letter sent out does not guarantee that the United States will make a formal bid to host the Games.
The USOC has its eye set on the Summer Games, which are larger and often viewed as more prestigious than the Winter Games. The Olympic movement has gained steam in the past decade and the competition to host is tough.
The list includes our very own Boston, as well as the following 34 cities: Phoenix; San Jose, Calif.; Los Angeles; Sacramento; San Diego; San Francisco; Denver; Washington; Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Miami; Atlanta; Chicago; Indianapolis; Baltimore; Detroit; Minneapolis; St. Louis; Las Vegas; New York; Rochester; Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Tulsa, Okla.; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Memphis; Nashville and Davidson County; Austin, Tex.; Dallas; Houston; San Antonio; and Seattle.
The USOC must decide on one of the following cities and move forward with a proposal in 2017.
The USOC decided to abstain from bidding for the 2020 Olympics. Three candidates—Istanbul, Madrid, and Tokyo—are the finalists. Speculators believe that Istanbul has an excellent chance at being the first Muslim city to host the Olympics. The vote will take place on September 7th, 2013.