Boston was selected on Thursday as the American candidate city that will bid to host the 2024 Olympics, taking the first strides in a gruelling marathon to bring the Summer Games back to the United States.
Boston, which has never hosted an Olympics, was unveiled as the surprise pick over two-time host Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington following the United States Olympic Committee`s(USOC) board meeting at the Denver International Airport.
“We`re excited about our plans to submit a bid for the 2024 Games and feel we have an incredibly strong partner in Boston that will work with us to present a compelling bid,” USOC Chairman Larry Probst said in a statement.
The decision followed more than one round of voting before the Boston bid eventually received the unanimous endorsement of the USOC`s board of directors.
The United States has not hosted a Summer Games since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
As home to the world`s most famous marathon, Bostonians are well-acquainted with tests of endurance and are about to enter a punishing race with all manner of hurdles and twists and turns in a bid to land the sporting world`s biggest prize.
Boston will be up against Rome and Germany, which has announced that it will bid through Berlin or Hamburg. A string of potential hosts, including Istanbul, Paris, Doha and a city from Africa, are also considering bids.
Cities have until September to officially put in a bid with a decision on the 2024 host to be made in mid-2017.
“It is an exceptional honor for Boston to be chosen as the U.S. representative in the running for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. “Our goal is to host Olympic and Paralympic Games that are innovative, walkable and hospitable to all.”
With the IOC having recently overhauled the bidding process to make it more cost-effective, a compact Boston bid that would take advantage of many existing facilities proved attractive.