USOC to bid for 2024 Olympics from among four finalists

The United States Olympic Committee said Tuesday that it will bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics from among four finalists that made hour-long presentations at a USOC board meeting in Redwood City, Calif.

A decision is expected in early to mid January.

Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington are the U.S. contenders, and the one ultimately selected will face competition from a strong international field including Rome, which Italy announced as its entry this week. The International Olympic Committee will select the winning bid in 2017.

"It's a four-way tie," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in answer to a question about whether there was a front runner for the U.S. bid.

"We want to pick the city that we believe has the best possible chance to prevail in an international competition," USOC chairman Larry Probst added.

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Germany has announced intentions to bid for Berlin or Hamburg — or jointly, as the IOC recently voted to allow shared bids by cities, or even countries, to hold down costs. Other bids could come from France (for Paris), Australia (for Melbourne) and South Africa, among others. The USOC officials said it is unlikely that the U.S. would put forward a multi-city bid.

The IOC recently instituted new rules to reduce the costs of bidding and building for the Games after four of six candidate cities for the 2022 Winter Games dropped out because of organizational and building costs, more than $50 billion in the case of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Games.

"What the IOC is trying to do is make this process more cost effective, more efficient and they want to see bids that harmonize the long-term plans of the city with the Olympic Games," Probst said. "And that is perceived as a very positive thing by all the cities that we are considering."

The U.S. failed in its last two bids for the Summer Games. Chicago lost in the first round of voting among four finalists for the 2016 Games that will be held in Rio. New York lost in the second round among five finalists for the 2012 Games that were held in London. The U.S. has not hosted a Summer Games since Atlanta in 1996 and has not hosted a Winter Games since Salt Lake City in 2002.

"We want to think about this as America's bid, not just that particular city," Probst said. "And hopefully we can energize the country and get the country to engage with the Olympic movement."