Boston Selected as US Bid to Host 2024 Olympics: Latest Details and Reaction

If the Summer Olympics are to return to the United States in 2024, it'll happen in Boston. The Massachusetts city was named as the United States Olympic Committee's selection to enter a bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, besting Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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Boston Mayor Martin Walsh Speaks, IOC president Thomas Bach likes Boston's Chances

Friday, Jan. 9

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh added his thoughts, per Chris Cassidy of the Boston Herald:

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“After people in Boston have the opportunity to understand every aspect of the Olympic conversation, they will fully be excited about it,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh said at a press conference with the U.S. Olympic Committee in South Boston today, adding the group has no plans for a referendum.

Asked how the city would gauge public support for hosting the Games, Walsh said: “The root of the question is, ‘Are we just going to ram it down people’s throats?’ Absolutely not. We’re going to out and talk to the people of Boston. I’d be willing to bet if you took a poll today, the majority of Bostonians are excited about this bid.”

We are not going to be using taxpayers’ money to be building venues in the city of Boston or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Walsh.

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Bach also shared his thoughts, per the Associated Press (via ESPN):

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"The Boston bid will be a strong one," Bach said Friday, perhaps unwittingly referencing the "Boston Strong" motto symbolizing the city's recovery from the 2013 marathon bombing. "Bostonians are well known for their enthusiasm for sport and the city has a great heritage in sport, science and education."

"The bid also has the great potential to build on the strength of the athletes from the U.S. Olympic Team," Bach said. "U.S. athletes have a worldwide reputation and will be a huge asset for the bid."

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Boston wins US bid for 2024 Olympics

Thursday, Jan. 8

In a press release announcing the decision, the USOC said choosing Boston was "unanimous." USOC CEO Scott Blackmun also issued a statement indicating the committee felt Boston had the strongest of the four resumes:

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Today’s decision begins the next phase in our 2024 bid campaign, and we couldn’t be more excited about the partnership we’ve established with the leadership team in Boston. This bid uniquely combines an exciting, athlete-focused concept for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games with Boston’s existing long-term vision. We look forward to working with Mayor [Martin] Walsh and the Boston 2024 team to fully engage with the local community and identify ways we can make the bid even better.

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Boston has never hosted the Olympics. Los Angeles, which was home to the Games in 1932 and 1984, was the only finalist with previous experience showcasing the event. 

Rome is the only other city that has announced its intention. However, Paris, Istanbul and Berlin or Hamburg, Germany, are also expected to enter a bid, according to Nancy Armour of USA Today. 

The United States in recent years has been aggressive but unsuccessful in bidding on major sporting events. New York City tried and failed to land the 2012 Summer Games, while attempts to bring the World Cup stateside in 2022 fell when Qatar won the bid.

By 2024, it will have been more than two decades since the United States' last hosting duties. The U.S. has lost out on Olympic bidding since Salt Lake City carried the 2002 Winter Olympics. Atlanta 1996 was the country's most recent Summer Games. The U.S. has held eight Olympic Games overall, three more than any other country.

“The United States has something unique to offer the athletes of the world and the Olympic and Paralympic movements as a whole,” IOC member Angela Ruggiero said. “I couldn’t be more excited to share Boston’s athlete-focused vision for the Games with my IOC colleagues.”

So why Boston? John Powers of The Boston Globe, who spoke with Boston 2024 Partnership president Dan O’Connell, explains:

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What makes Boston’s scheme distinct from that of the other three competing cities is its use of numerous college venues, especially those along the Charles River and the harbor campus at UMass-Boston, which would be the site of the Olympic village.

“The key element to our bid is the university involvement,” said O’Connell. “It’s not just the existing facilities that might be upgraded, it’s the control of land. You don’t want to be acquiring private parcels.”

Harvard Stadium, for example, would be used for field hockey, and the former Beacon Park railyard owned by the university could be a site for a temporary aquatics complex that would be close to the planned West transit station. Boston University’s Agganis Arena could host indoor sports like badminton and team handball, while MIT’s grassy Killian Court between the Dome and Memorial Drive could accommodate the archery competition.

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Another reason Boston has been selected is the city's plan to use the facilities once the games end, as Armour points out:

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Boston also is proposing a "modular" Olympic Stadium. Instead of building a massive stadium that gets little use after the games end, as is typical in many Olympic cities, Boston organizers have said theirs can be repurposed, either reduced in size or dismantled and used at a different site.

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A formal bid is due to the IOC by Sept. 15, at which point the governing body will begin paring down potential cities. The winning bid will not be announced until a September 2017 IOC meeting in Peru.

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