olympic statue

U.S. Olympic Committee gauging interest of hosting games in Seattle in 2024

BY KIRO Radio Staff  on February 20, 2013 @ 10:03 am (Updated: 10:09 am - 2/20/13 )

The U.S. Olympic Committee is looking for cities interested in bidding for the 2024 Summer Games. Seattle was one of 35 cities that received letters Tuesday to gauge interest in a potential bid to bring the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. for the first time since 1996.

"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 in the letter.

KING 5 reports Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said it's too early for them to comment on whether Seattle will be making a bid.

The letters were sent to mayors of the country's 25 largest cities, including New York, Chicago and former Olympic host cities Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis, and 10 others.

The USOC has also said it would consider whether to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, although the bigger and more prestigious Summer Games would seem to be the preference.

The U.S. hasn't hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996; Salt Lake City was the last American city to stage the Winter Games in 2002.

Los Angeles, Dallas and Tulsa, Okla., are among the cities that have expressed interest in hosting the 2024 Games. New York, Chicago and San Francisco have either bid or expressed interest in bidding in the past and could also get in the mix.

New York finished fourth in the international bidding for the 2012 Olympics, which went to London. Chicago suffered a stinging first-round exit in the vote for the 2016 Games, which were awarded to Rio de Janeiro.

Chicago's defeat was blamed partly on the revenue-sharing feud between the USOC and IOC. The two sides have since resolved the dispute and signed a new agreement that clears the way for a U.S. bid. USOC leaders have also worked hard to improve the committee's standing in the international Olympic community.

"Now more than ever, we need to use the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to encourage our youth to be active and engaged in sport," Blackmun wrote.

Other cities around the world that have expressed interest in bidding for the 2024 Games include Paris; Rome; Doha, Dubai; and Durban, South Africa. The IOC vote on the 2024 Games will be in 2017.

The USOC is skipping the bidding for the 2020 Olympics. The three candidates for those games are Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo, with the IOC to vote Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The USOC said Tuesday it has 2 1/2 years to decide whether to submit a 2024 bid and would do so in an "economically efficient way."

The USOC letter sought to remind the mayors of the huge undertaking involved in hosting the Olympics. Blackmun noted that the operating costs would be in excess of $3 billion, a figure that does not include venue construction and infrastructure costs.

The city would also require 45,000 hotel rooms, an Olympic village for 16,500 athletes and officials, an international airport and a workforce of up to 200,000, the letter said.

"The games have had a transformative impact on a number of host cities, including Barcelona, Beijing and London," Blackmun said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KIRO Radio Staff, Staff report
Straight from the newsdesk.
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Comments (7)


  • Add A Comment

  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    How about NO!
    February 20, 2013 9:30 am
    Corruption in the IOC

    Corruption in City and State Government

    =

    More money bilked out of the taxpayers. Give it to someone else.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • EskieMom wrote...
    How about this
    February 20, 2013 9:37 am
    Put a government in place with people who know how to manage money. By 2024 the tunnel will be in place and traffic should be improved. Seattle and Washington need something spectacular like the World's Fair to reinvigorate the majority of good people who live here, and diminish all the CAVE people (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) who ruin our reputation.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Tyrone DeVille wrote...
    EskieMom wrote...
    February 20, 2013 11:08 am
    Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Princess, but the reputation of Seattle/King County has been ruined for along time! We are tired of having our tax dollars used to support the lives of the non-working and useless, such as yourself!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    CAVE people?
    February 20, 2013 11:08 am
    Are you telling me traffic will be better in Seattle in 2024? What have you been smoking? Perhaps if the millions of visitors for the games ride their bikes into town, perhaps. Please be real- the city and state government is so dysfunctional that hosting the games here would be an utter disaster for traffic, taxes, and yes, even in terms of the ability to 'reinvigorate' the area. btw, CAVE people lost a long time ago- and that is exactly why Seattle has become the cesspool you see today.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    What about the Rain?
    February 20, 2013 9:45 am
    Won't the Olympics be kinda peeved if half their events get rained out in the summer? lol
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Saltchucker wrote...
    No thanks.
    February 20, 2013 10:44 am
    I worked a vendor booth at the so-called "village" at the Goodwill Games. What a flop. The city will invest far more than it gains.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Tyrone DeVille wrote...
    Of Course Mayor McClown!
    February 20, 2013 11:09 am
    will have to appoint a Committee, made up of friends and relatives on the dole, to study this!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }