USOC Officially Name Los Angeles as Candidate City to Host 2024 Olympics

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has officially chosen Los Angeles as its candidate city for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said the city would stage Games that are both ‘spectacular’ and ‘profitable’ after receiving unanimous approval by the city council.

“It is an honor for any city to host the Olympic Games, and Los Angeles is uniquely prepared for this task,” said Garcettit.

“With the unanimous support of our City Council, we are ready to serve and strengthen the Olympic Movement and build a new Olympic legacy.”

“This is a quest that Los Angeles was made for. This city is the world’s greatest stage.”

USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun thanked L.A. for coming forward with a proposal to become the country’s host city after Boston withdrew from the running in July.

“I want to thank Los Angeles for standing up, once again, as America’s bid city,” said Blackmun.

“L.A. has the proven experience in hosting the Games, and knows how to deliver world-class events for athletes and an extraordinary experience for fans.

“Coupled with the city’s culture of creativity and innovation, we are confident L.A. can deliver an outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.”

L.A. joins Rome, Paris, Hamburg and Budapest as the candidate cities to host the 2024 Olympics, with the decision to be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2017.

“The focus needs to be on convincing the 55 or so IOC members that Los Angeles is the best city to host the Olympics. That process starts immediately,” USOC Chairman Larry Probst told reporters in a conference call.

L.A. has already outlined the financial costs, with $4.1 billion to be spent on staging the Games. The proposal also contained projections for revenue, with an estimated $4.8bn from ticket sales, broadcast rights and corporate sponsorships generating a $161m surplus.

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