Baltimore Among Cities Asked About Interest In 2024 Olympics
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore hosting the Olympics in just over a decade? It's a possibility. Baltimore may make a bid for the 2024 Games.
Gigi Barnett takes a closer look at our chances.
Baltimore is the hometown of the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps. But could the city host the 2024 Summer Games? It's a question the U.S. Olympic Committee wants answered and this week, it asked city leaders if they're interested.
Some residents already are.
"Given how much the city can be excited about an event, I think it's an awesome idea," said Lily Leach.
Baltimore is among 35 of the nation's top cities the U.S. Olympic Committee reached out to this week. The request comes at a time when the city is still in the sports spotlight after the Ravens' Super Bowl win. Add in a baseball team that made the playoffs last season, and Terry Hasseltine -- the director of the state's office of sports marketing -- says Baltimore is poised to at least consider the idea of bringing the games to Charm City.
"Every time we have success on the field of play, we raise the bar higher and higher," Hasseltine said. "We have the assets and the tools necessary to be a player in this game."
Atlanta was the last U.S. city to host the Summer Games back in 2006. Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Games back in 2002.
But before a city is even selected to put in a bid, there are years of prep work to do first.
"Baltimore and the state of Maryland have tremendous assets in place, the tell-tale sign," said Hasseltine. "It's exciting to be included in the list of 35."
If Baltimore is selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to move forward, international bidding for the 2024 Summer Games will start in 2017.
