The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed legislation to create an 11-member committee to push forward an initiative to host the 2024 Olympic Games in Boston, the state capital.
Theodore Speliotis, a democratic member of the house, said the commission will investigate all aspects of hosting the Olympics, including costs, infrastructure, transportation and security. It will also discuss ways in which universities and colleges in and around Boston would benefit from the games.
Boston is one of around 10 cities that are thought to be under consideration by the United States Olympic Committee for a possible bid to host the 2024 games, after it issued invitations for expressions of interest to 35 US cities.
It is also believed to be one of the favourites to make a shortlist of up to three US cities to host the games.
Scott Blackmun, the USOC’s chief executive, said in June that the organisation was aiming to whittle down the list of potential US candidates for the 2024 Olympic Games to a shortlist of two or three by December. Then the USOC aims to decide next year whether to go ahead with a bid.
San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington DC are among the favourites to make the shortlist.
Other cities that have expressed interest in bidding to host the 2024 games include: Paris in France; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Doha in Qatar; Milan or Rome in Italy; Berlin or Hamburg in Germany; Toronto in Canada; Melbourne in Australia; Baku in Azerbaijan; and a South African city.
The IOC is due to select the host city in a vote in 2017.
