The initiative has been launched by a group of business leaders and sports officials in the Dallas-Forth Worth region.

"We wanted to do whatever we could do to put Dallas at the forefront for 2020 bid or whenever the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) decides to bid again," Matt Wood told the Dallas Morning News.

Wood, a lawyer, was also involved in Dallas' unsuccessful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

They were overlooked for the US nomination, which went instead to New York City, who were eventually beaten by London.

Tulsa have already announced that they want to host the 2020 Olympics while Denver and Reno-Tahoe have both been lobbying for a potential bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

But, following Chicago's humiliating defeat last October in the race to host the 2016 Olympics, the USOC have shelved plans for any future bids.

"At this point, the USOC is not considering entering a bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to make any comments about potential cities given this status," USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky told the Dallas Morning News.

But Wood is refusing to be put off by the USOC's reluctance to bid.

"We think it's a real honour for any city to viably bid," he told the Dallas Morning News.

"It's a tall order for 2020, but we think the process is such now that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) likes to see cities come again and again.

"We want to be a city that's coming again and again."

Among the venues that Dallas plans to use if they are successful are the American Airlines Center and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

They have also set up a new website, www.Dallas2020games.org, to publicise their bid.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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