Washington's pitch for 2024 Olympics

Washington has used social media to make a fresh pitch to host the Olympic Games, this time in 2024.

Washington is actively looking into making a fresh pitch to host the Olympic Games, this time in 2024, says the head of DC2024, which has officially launched online.

If all the pieces fall in place, it will go before the US Olympic Committee (USOC) in September 2015 in hopes of becoming the US candidate.

"Quite honestly, we're the only major capital in the world that hasn't hosted an Olympic Games yet," DC2024 president Bob Sweeney said on Tuesday.

Washington was among 35 cities to receive letters from the USOC in February inviting them to consider making an Olympic pitch.

Washington had previously teamed up with nearby Baltimore, Maryland in a bid to become the US candidate for 2012 - an honour that ultimately went to New York, which went on to lose the games to London.

DC2024 used social media to kick off its campaign - recruiting its first 1000 followers on Facebook in a few hours and sending out a flurry of Twitter messages throughout the day.

While Washington would be the focal point of the 2024 games, Sweeney said events would also take place at locations in Maryland and Virginia within easy reach of the US capital.

The fact that the greater Washington area already has so many major league sports venues - as well as hotel rooms and three major airports - is a cost-effective plus, he said.

"We have more venues in a 60-mile (100km) radius than any other city in the country, and that will bode well for our bid - it won't cost as much because we won't be building as much."

Washington would still have to build accommodation for 10,000 athletes and 15,000 media personnel, as indicated by the USOC, he said.

The International Olympic Committee will pick the 2024 host city in 2017.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world