The U.S. Olympic Committee will soon receive a report about five potential host cities for the 2016 Games that could determine how many of those cities go forward in the bid process.
USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said a four-person technical team is reviewing information presented to the federation by leaders from Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago.
The team’s report, not yet complete but expected in the next 10 days, will determine the next major step the USOC takes in the bid process. Some cities could be eliminated from consideration, all five could remain on the list or the USOC – in an unlikely scenario – could decide not to bid for the games.
“At this point, all five cities are very much still under consideration,” Seibel said Monday night. “No decision has been made about narrowing the field or even the larger question of whether we proceed with a bid.”
Led by chairman Peter Ueberroth, the USOC is taking a larger role in determining whether any U.S. city will bid for the 2016 Games. It is common in most countries for cities and their Olympic federations to work closely together. Many feel the failed bid by New York for the 2012 Games came in part because there wasn’t good coordination between the city and the USOC. New York is not under consideration for 2016.
The USOC will decide by the end of this year whether to bid and would have its city selected by the end of next March. The IOC will pick the city in 2009.