USOC Expected To Study Options For Future Games Bid

The U.S. Olympic Committee this week is expected to take the first step toward determining when and what Olympics it will bid for in the future, according to Tripp Mickle in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. USOC CEO Scott Blackmun is expected to propose that the organization's board create a committee to evaluate the organization's options for bidding, sources familiar with the proposal said. The USOC's new revenue-sharing agreement with the IOC, which it reached last month, paves the way for a bid, but the organization still has to determine what Olympics it would want to host. The next two Olympics it can bid for are the 2022 Winter Games and the 2024 Summer Games. Bids likely would have to be submitted for those games in '13 and '15, respectively. The pros of a Summer Olympics are that the USOC would stand to bring in more revenue and host an event with wider appeal to Americans. The cons are that it will face more competition and have to convince an elite U.S. city to pay for a bid. The pros of a Winter Olympics is that there is considered to be less competition for the Games and there are cities already lined up expressing interest, including Salt Lake City, Denver and Reno-Lake Tahoe on the Nevada-California border. The cons are that the Games would generate less money and not have as broad an appeal. A final decision will not be determined until after the board's bid exploration committee has reviewed the organization's options (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/25 issue).

TRY AND TRY AGAIN: REUTERS' Regan Doherty reported that Qatar will bid to host the 2024 summer Olympics despite missing out on bids for the 2016 and 2020 Games. Qatar Olympic Committee General Secretary Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said, "We have tried it twice, and we will continue. It's not something we will give up -- it's part of our vision to make Qatar a centre for sport." Qatar had proposed holding the 2020 Olympics in October to avoid the Gulf Arab state's searing summer heat (REUTERS, 6/24).