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NEW YORK (AP) — The CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee says the decision on which U.S. city will bid for the 2024 Olympics will be down to two to three potential hosts by June.
Scott Blackmun, speaking to a group of Associated Press Sports Editors on Friday, said that the process — which has included informal talks with dozens of cities — will be down to no more than three by a USOC board meeting in June. The USOC must pick one bid by the end of the year.
Unlike previous U.S. bid processes, this one has been handled mostly privately by USOC officials talking with politicians and business leaders. The USOC does not plan to announce how the list of cities has been whittled down.
Bids from New York and Chicago failed in recent years.
"I don't think the previous two domestic bid processes worked effectively," Blackmun said. "We made enemies. ... We don't want to have losers in the process."
Blackmun said the private process would be less expensive, pointing out that some cities had spent up to $10 million to win the right to bid. He said the new process would hold costs below $1 million for most cities.
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