San Fran, L.A., Chicago in hunt for USOC's 2016 Summer Games bid

By Published On: July 27th, 2006Comments Off on San Fran, L.A., Chicago in hunt for USOC's 2016 Summer Games bid

San Fran, L.A., Chicago in hunt for USOC’s 2016 Summer Games bid{mosimage}The U.S. Olympic Committee eliminated Houston and Philadelphia as candidate cities for the 2016 Olympics on Wednesday, leaving San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago in the running for what many consider to be the United States’ best shot in years at landing a Summer Games.

The USOC won’t decide until later this year whether it will bid for the 2016 Games. If it does, it will pick a city by the end of next March. The International Olympic Committee will pick the winning site in 2009.

“All five cities that have participated in this process are capable of one day hosting the Olympic Games,” said Peter Ueberroth, the USOC chairman and the architect of the profit-making 1984 Games in Los Angeles. “From the outset, we have said this process is about identifying the one U.S. city that has the best chance of being competitive in the international race. If we do not believe a U.S. city can be competitive, we will not bid.”

The USOC appointed a four-person committee to evaluate information provided by the cities last month, including ideas for an Olympic stadium, an Olympic village and the amount of local and regional government support they would expect to receive.

The committee also reviewed international polling on whether the time is right for a U.S. city to host the Olympics and which city might have the best chance to win the bid. Many people think 2016 is the best chance for the United States to land a Summer Olympics in the near future. It is thought the IOC would like to put Games in Africa and South America, two continents that have never hosted the Olympics, in 2020 and 2024.

Other cities that have expressed interest in hosting the 2016 Games include Rome and Milan in Italy; Madrid, Spain; Hamburg, Germany; and the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Fukuoka.

Among the factors that will weigh into any bid is the amount of revenue the 2016 Olympics can be expected to produce — and how much will go to the host country. A big chunk of that revenue comes from TV rights, and the U.S. Olympic TV rights are sold only through 2012.

Houston Mayor Bill White had touted his city’s leadership and financial resources, including several Fortune 500 companies. Philadelphia had pointed to its storied past in U.S. history.

Philadelphia Mayor John Street expressed disappointment. “We thank the citizens of Philadelphia and the region for standing behind this project and for thinking and dreaming big,” Street said. “While we are disappointed to hear of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision, we’re honored to have made it to the second round.”

Of the remaining candidates, Los Angeles is citing its diversity as a strong point and the availability of 38 Olympic-quality venues since it has hosted two Summer Games. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has also suggested the events will be easier to get to than in 1984.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said his Olympics would provide a stunning setting for the Games, with marathoners crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, cyclists pedaling through the Presidio and sailors navigating his city’s scenic bay.

Chicago, meanwhile, promised support from corporations, compact events framed by Lake Michigan’s shoreline, mass transit and, like Los Angeles, ethnic diversity.

Ueberroth said all three cities offered promising details.

“However, having said that, as we move forward we will provide each of the cities with specific and, in some cases, significant recommendations to enhance and improve their plans to prepare them for the critical phase of international competition that might lie ahead,” he said.

— The Associated Press

Share This Article

About the Author: Pete Rugh