The USA Is To Enter The Running To Host The 2024 Olympics

Source: thewillnigeria.com

The United States Olympic committee has announced that the country will bid to host the Games in 2024.

The States are hoping to host the Summer Games for the first time since Atlanta staged the event in 1996, although Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002.

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Washington are under consideration as sites and, having voted to go forward with a bid, the USOC said it expects to make a final decision on a candidate city in January.

Los Angeles, Washington, Boston and San Francisco made their final presentations to the USOC board of directors on Tuesday and all four cities have said it would cost between $4 billion and $5 billion to host the Olympics, not including infrastructure improvements.

Los Angeles is considered the favourite among the four U.S. finalists, having previously hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics, while Boston, San Francisco and Washington would all be first-time hosts.

USOC Chief Executive Scott Blackmun said during a news conference: “We're so lucky to have four great cities, they all have compelling strengths. We need to have a discussion of the pros and cons of each individual city.”

Asked if there was one key factor that could make the difference in deciding on the candidate city, USOC Chairman Larry Probst said: “It's a combination of things.

“It's leadership, it's the support in the local community and, obviously, the venue plan is important.

“We want to pick the city that we believe has the best possible chance to prevail in international competition.”

The United States has become the third country after Germany and Italy to officially launch the bidding process.

Cities have until September next year to put in a bid and a decision on the 2024 host will be made in mid-2017.

Other cities who are seen as potential bidders are Istanbul, Doha, Baku, Budapest and Paris, and it has also been suggested that an African city might put in a bid.

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