New York: Boston’s troubled bid for the 2024 Olympics ended on Monday amid financial fears and local opposition, leaving the US Olympic Committee to seek a replacement candidate by mid-September.
Boston’s bid was in trouble almost as soon as the USOC chose the New England city in January ahead of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington.
It died for good shortly after Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said he wouldn’t commit taxpayers to financing any cost overruns for the quadrennial spectacle.
Vocal groups of Boston residents opposed to the games had argued that taxpayers could well end up footing the bill, and US Olympic Committee chief executive Scott Blackmun said resistance was too great to overcome before the September 15 deadline for submitting a bid city to the International Olympic Committee.
“We have not been able to get a majority of the citizens of Boston to support hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, therefore, the USOC does not think that the level of support enjoyed by Boston’s bid would allow it to prevail over great bids from Paris, Rome, Hamburg, Budapest or Toronto,” Blackmun said in a statement.
“Boston 2024 has expressed confidence that, with more time, they could generate the public support necessary to win the bid and deliver a great Games. They also recognise, however, that we are out of time if the USOC is going to be able to consider a bid from another city.
“As a result, we have reached a mutual agreement to withdraw Boston’s bid,” Blackmun said. The failure of Boston’s bid leaves the USOC in the humbling position of having to pull together a short-notice plan to offer against their global rivals.
The United States has not hosted the Summer Games since 1996 in Atlanta and has not hosted the Winter Olympics since 2002 at Salt Lake City.“The USOC would very much like to see an American city host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024,” Blackmun said, adding that officials “understand the reality of the timeline that is before us.”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was quick to say Southern California city was still interested, although his office has not spoken to members of USOC.
“I continue to believe that Los Angeles is the ideal Olympic city,” Garcetti said. “I would be happy to engage in discussions with the USOC about how to present the strongest and most fiscally responsible bid on behalf of our city and nation.”
It was not immediately clear if Washington or San Francisco would be interested in reviving their bids, and Blackmun said the USOC wouldn’t comment on a potential new candidate before next month.AFP
