An American bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics would come from Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington if the US Olympic Committee decides to put a city in the running.
A USOC process that began 16 months ago by sending letters to leaders in 35 cities is now at four finalists after Dallas and San Diego were scratched from the list of possible bidders.
Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. Boston, San Francisco and Washington would be first-time hosts.
"Boston, LA, San Francisco and Washington have each given us reason to believe they can deliver a compelling and successful bid, and we look forward to continuing to explore the possibilities as we consider 2024," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said.
But there's an arduous and expensive process facing any potential bid city before the International Olympic Committee awards the Games in 2017.
Over the next six months, the USOC will decide whether it even wants to try to host the Olympics. The last two US candidates both suffered humiliating fourth-place finishes: New York for the 2012 Olympics and Chicago for the 2016 Games that went to Rio de Janeiro
Unlike the public, and sometimes embarrassing, domestic bid process for the 2016 Games, the USOC kept a tight lid on the group of cities under consideration in order to have more candid conversations and save money.
Still, some cities didn't make the cut. San Diego was always a long shot because of its smaller size. Dallas got in the game early but weather issues and some lingering bad memories of America's last foray into a Southern city — Atlanta — put roadblocks in front of that bid.
"Dallas had a great bid and matching leadership, along with a well-established sporting community," USOC chairman Larry Probst said. "We have no doubt about the ability of Dallas to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and look forward to working with them in the future to enhance the international awareness of the city."
If the USOC goes ahead with the bid, the US city chosen would find itself in a competitive fight. Paris, Rome, Doha and Istanbul are among those that could enter the race. The IOC has also long stated a desire to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.
Some inside the USOC feel the time is right for a bid, now that the federation has made progress in shoring up some of its international relationships, which were frayed in 2009 when Chicago finished last in the voting for the 2016 Games.
Here's a look at what each city has to offer:
BOSTON: A city with a distinct blend of American history and a longstanding appreciation for sports. Earns "international" points as host of arguably the world's greatest marathon. But there's no Olympic stadium, some very tough traffic and not a ton of room to construct all the villages, stadiums and arenas needed for an endeavor this large.
LOS ANGELES: At this point, it's the most committed of the four candidates and most of the facilities are already built -- a selling point as the IOC tries to tamp down costs. Some still believe the 1984 Games here saved the Olympic movement. But this would be a third visit to Southern California and the traffic and logistics of the LA area are far from sexy.
SAN FRANCISCO: This city suffered a huge embarrassment during the domestic process for the 2016 Games when a stadium deal for the 49ers fell through the day before a key presentation in front of the USOC. In 2024, there will be a (relatively) new stadium in Santa Clara, which will host Super Bowl 50, so that shouldn't be a problem. Imagine the beach volleyball and sailing venues. And golf, too? But room is tight and the cost of doing business is high in the city.
WASHINGTON: Certainly, the nation's capital knows how to put on a big show. It claims to have the most venues within a 40-mile range in America and could keep costs down because most of those venues are built. It would look at building a stadium on the site of old RFK Stadium for track and ceremonies. Despite its grandeur, a pitch as one of the world's great capital cities might fall a bit flat against Paris or Rome if they get in the mix.
The USOC is waiting to see what sort of changes the IOC might make in the bidding process when it meets later this year. New IOC president Thomas Bach is asking the committee to build a new roadmap for the Olympics, and the way the IOC handles bids is expected to be on that agenda.
