Vegas Odds Makers: Los Angeles, Boston Have Better Shot Than San Francisco To Host 2024 Olympics
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The United States hasn't hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996. San Francisco could be in the running for the games that will take place 10 years from now, but odds makers said other U.S. cities have a better shot at hosting the Olympics.
Next year, the U.S. Olympic Committee will select between San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, DC as the representative for the 2024 bid.
According to online gambling website Bovada, San Francisco has 4:1 odds at being the U.S. Olympic Committee's selection. Los Angeles has the best odds at 1:1, while Boston has 2:1 odds. Bovada said Washington, DC has 7:1 odds.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist C.W. Nevius told KPIX 5 the lack of a centerpiece stadium hurts the Bay Area's chances.
"The centerpiece of the Summer Olympics is the Olympic stadium. The opening ceremony, the closing ceremony, track and field, which is the signature event of the Olympic Games, has to be held in this stadium. Right now we don't have one," Nevius said.
The plan is to build a $350 million pop up stadium on vacant land in Brisbane, to be torn down when the games are done. "That's going to be pretty tough to sell," Nevius said.
A factor that could help is in the leadership of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Larry Probst, the executive chairman of Redwood City-based Electronic Arts, is chairman of the USOC's board of directors.
The International Olympic Committee will decide the host of the 2024 summer games in 2017.