Representatives from Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. have been in Colorado, at the headquarters of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), for a "bid city briefing" that mapped out the next phase of the process.

"I'd like to thank each city's civic and political leadership for the commitment they have shown to our process thus far," said USOC chairman Larry Probst.

"Our discussions this week have created a foundation for something that could be truly unique.

"There is a great deal of work left to do before we can make a decision, but I'm more optimistic than ever that a US bid for the 2024 Games can be successful."

A United States bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be the first since Chicago's failure in the 2016 race, when it came fourth of four contenders.

New York also fell short in its 2012 bid, and a 2024 Games in the US would be the first in 28 years, since Atlanta 1996.

The four 2024 candidates were announced last month after a 16-month process that saw around 35 cities whittled down.

USOC executives have already visited each of the four cities for "further collaborative discussions regarding the technical elements required to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games".

It has said those discussions will "continue in the weeks and months ahead".

The United States has not hosted a Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games since Atlanta 1996 ©Getty Images



A decision of whether to bid for the 2024 Games will be made early next year, after the Olympic Agenda 2020 meeting in Monaco in December, which is intended to shape the future of the Movement.

If it chooses to press ahead with a bid, USOC will then select its favoured city from the four.

"This week marks another important milestone as we evaluate whether the time is right to bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun.

"We've tried to create a thoughtful and deliberate process and I think everyone involved believes we're getting closer to a decision.

"Each city has necessarily evaluated how hosting a Games in its community fits into the long-term plans for that city, but equally exciting to me is the universal commitment to making a positive contribution to worldwide sport and the Olympic and Paralympic movements.

"That's something I truly believe a Games hosted in the US can do and I'm excited about the potential."

Among those at this week's briefing was Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and his Los Angeles counterpart Eric Garcetti.

Washington D.C. 2024 chairman Russ Ramsey was also at the meeting, with San Francisco represented by, among others, San Francisco Giants chief executive Larry Baer.

A decision on the host of the 2024 Games will be made at the International Olympic Committee Session in 2017.

Los Angeles is the only one of the four US cities in the race to have hosted the Games before, in 1932 and 1984.

A US bid could come up against strong European opposition, with the French capital Paris exploring a possible bid.

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