The U.S. Olympic Committee and Boston Olympic boosters on Monday announced that city is pulling its bid to host the 2024 Olympics, potentially opening the door for Los Angeles.
The USOC had selected Boston – over Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. – to bid for the games in January. But in a statement Monday, USOC Chief Executive Scott Blackmun said not enough Bostonians supported the bid.
“We have not been able to get a majority of the citizens of Boston to support hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said. “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.”
Still, Blackmun said he hopes an American city can host the games. Just before the USOC announcement, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti indicated L.A. could step in to fill the void.
Though Garcetti said he has not spoken with Olympic Committee officials, he said he still believes Los Angeles is “the ideal Olympic city” and supports the USOC’s goal of hosting the games in the United States.
“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,” Garcetti said.
Los Angeles is currently hosting the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, which started over the weekend and wrap up Aug. 2. If the event goes well, it could boost L.A.’s appeal as a potential Olympics host city.