The US is to bid for the 2024 Olympics, seeking to host the Summer Games for the first time since 1996, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) said on Tuesday.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Washington are under consideration as sites and the USOC said it expects to make a final decision next month.
“We’re so lucky to have four great cities ... they all have compelling strengths,” USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun said during a press conference. “We need to have a discussion of the pros and cons of each individual city.”
USOC chairman Larry Probst said the next step in the process would be to assemble the USOC board of directors again next month.
“Hopefully, in the early part of next year we will reach a final decision about the city that we will take to move forward as our candidate city,” Probst said. “This is going to be a really, really difficult decision, and that’s why we want to take our time and make sure that we get to the best possible decision.”
Los Angeles is considered the front-runner among the four US finalists, having hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. Boston, San Francisco and Washington would be first-time hosts.
Asked if there was one factor that could make the difference in deciding on the successful candidate city, Probst replied: “It’s a combination of things.”
“It’s leadership, it’s the support in the local community, both politically, from the business community and educational institutions ... obviously the venue plan is important,” he said.
The US, which is the third country after Germany and Italy to officially launch a bidding process, has not held the Summer Games since 1996, when Atlanta was the host. The Winter Games were in Salt Lake City in 2002.
Istanbul, Doha, Baku, Budapest, Paris and an African city are among others who could bid.
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