After losing a shot at hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles may be back in the game.
Boston was officially dropped Monday by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the American nominee for the international games, leaving Los Angeles as a possible pick and spurring intrigue across the city.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was visibly excited by the turn of events, calling out to a City Hall reporter Monday morning, “Did you hear the news?”
The abandonment of Boston marks the latest curve ball in the U.S. attempt to land the games and comes just two months before a nominee must be presented to the international committee.
Facing resistance from Boston residents and concerns over the cost, U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun and Boston 2024 Partnership Chairman Steve Pagliuca released a joint statement Monday announcing the city was being withdrawn as a nominee.
“The USOC would very much like to see an American city host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024,” the statement added. “We will immediately begin to explore whether we can do so on a basis consistent with our guiding principles, to which we remain firmly committed.”
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., competed against Boston to be the U.S. nominee for the Summer Olympics, which haven’t been held on American soil since Atlanta hosted the games in 1996.
The selection of Boston drew concerns, including the formation of an opposition group of residents. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker also told reporters this winter that a “ton of work” remained in preparation for the bid.
Garcetti said in a statement Monday his office hasn’t had recent conversations with the U.S. Olympic committee.
News of Boston’s withdrawal prompted Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino to take to Twitter and gleefully announce Monday: “#Boston flakes on #Olympics! #Los Angeles is always ready!”
With its existing infrastructure, including Carson’s Stub Hub Center, USC’s Galen Center and Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, Los Angeles was viewed by some as an ideal host city.
Barry Sanders, who chairs the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, said the Olympic Committee may decide not to bid for 2024, a route they opted to take for the 2020 games.
Los Angeles benefited from a revenue surplus when the city hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1932, Sanders said.
“This is a great Olympic city,” Sanders said. “We have all the facilities and we have the perfect environment for the Olympics.”
Other international cities expected to compete for the 2024 Summer Olympic games include Hamburg, Rome and Paris.
