USOC CEO Scott Blackmun told The Associated Press that the United States Olympic Committee is talking to ten cities about a possible bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
He said, “we’re in discussion with about 10 cities actively now. The process is really working the way it was supposed to”.
Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Tulsa have admitted their interest in a 2024 bid, but Blackmun reportedly declined to identify other cities considered as potential candidates. He said they preferred to keep it confidential for the time being, adding he believes the current list of 10 cities is unlikely to be increased.
“We don’t want to submit a bid we don’t think we can win. We have to assess our chances. We want this bid to be a national bid, an American bid, not just a city bid. We want to make sure we have been as inclusive as possible”.
He added that a joint bid could work in some geographical areas, such as the Bay Area and the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose as a “natural” possibility.
As for the feasibility of a U.S.-Mexican bid such as San Diego and Tijuana, Blackmun said, “that would have its challenges. We haven’t looked at it carefully. We just learned about it”.
The USOC is expected to decide on whether or not to bid by the end of 2014.
