After a "troubled 2022 race marred by the withdrawal of several candidates," the IOC is bracing for a possible "overwhelming wave" of interest in bidding for the 2024 Olympics, according to Stephen Wilson of the AP. The IOC on Thursday launched a new "invitation phase" to work with potential 2024 contenders ahead of the Sept. 15 deadline for formal submission of bids. So far, Rome and Boston are the only declared candidates, "and Germany has said it will submit a bid either from Berlin or Hamburg." IOC Exec Dir Christophe Dubi said, "I hope we are going to have many interested cities coming in our
direction. Whether it's going to be six, seven, 10, or 25 that will be
interested, it's very hard to say at this point." In addition to Rome, Boston and the German city, "several other potential contenders are weighing 2024 bids." They include Paris; a city or region in South Africa; Budapest, Hungary; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan. The host city will be selected in '17 (AP, 1/15). REUTERS' Karolos Grohmann reported the IOC voted for an "overhaul of the bid process
in December" after four of the six candidate cities for the 2022 winter
Olympics dropped out in mid-race -- "concerned over costs or lack of
public support." Only Beijing and Kazakhstan's Almaty
have been left in the 2022 race and "neither city is a major winter
sports powerhouse," leaving the IOC to attempt to "polish up" its prime
product and make it "more lucrative and attractive to cities." Dubi said the IOC would offer information on the "mystique of organising the Games, the Games industry around organising the Olympics ... help the cities understand what the real dimensions are, what has worked in the past, some of the traps to avoid" (REUTERS, 1/15).
