The United States Olympic Committee has elected Boston to be its entry in a global competition to host the 2024 Olympic Games. The historical city beat bids from San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and two-time Olympic host Los Angeles.
After a meeting at Denver International Airport, the USOC recently announced that it would back Boston’s Olympic bid, making the city a part of a two-year competition that could include some of the most significant cities in the world: Paris, Rome, Hambukrg or Berlin, Budapest, and Istanbul. A winner to host the Games will be chosen in 2017.
According to, Scott Blackmun, USOC chief executive, the decision was “gut-wrenching” for the panel; Boston came out on top mostly as a result of the business people and elected officials who drove the effort.
Initially unsure of the bid, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, has since become a staunch supporter, and called the USOC’s decision a remarkable honor for Boston.
“This selection is in recognition of our city’s talent, diversity, and global leadership,” Walsh said in a statement. “Our goal is to host an Olympic and Paralympic Games that are innovative, walkable, and hospitable to all.”
City, state, and Olympic officials held a press conference in the city on Friday, January 9th where they outlined the next steps in the process. The organizing group must strategize the details of bare-bones Olympic venue and transportation plans, gather public support, and convince skeptics across Boston that they can effectively pull off the world’s most prestigious international sports celebration — without relying on taxpayers’ money.
The White House offered praise, saying: “The city has taught all of us what it means to be Boston Strong.
“The president and first lady couldn’t be prouder of this accomplishment,” the White House said in a statement. “We hope to welcome athletes from around the globe to compete in Boston in 2024.”
However, not everyone’s congratulating the old, harbor city. The local opposition group, No Boston Olympics, said Massachusetts should be aiming its focus on improving the state’s economy, housing, and education.
“An Olympics accomplishes none of these things,” the group said in a statement after the decision was announced. “In fact, it threatens to divert resources and attention away from these challenges — all for a chance to host an event that economists say does not leave local economies better off.”
