With my hometown of Los Angeles stepping forward as the U.S bid city for the 2024 Summer Olympics, after Boston withdrew due to low levels of support, I ask the Straight Dope:
Which of these five applicant cities would you like to see host the Summer Olympics in 2024?
Rio will host next year in 2016, and Tokyo beat out Istanbul and Madrid to host the 2020 Games.
Of these five which do you think has the strongest case, and what is your reason for voting for that particular city?
Also feel free to discuss which city is the weakest candidate amongst the five.
I will not vote for now, I want to see how people vote. While LA is my city, and I have never witnessed the Olympics in person(I was born after 1984 Summer Olympics), I am a little hesitant to see the United States host another Games fairly soon. By 2024, it will 28 years since the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. I know the Winter Games are different, but counting that then it would be only 22 years since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Thing is, I am not a nationalist and am able to be objective and fair, which makes things hard sometimes. I would like the idea of countries and cities that have never hosted the Games get a chance to do so.
Budapest has never hosted, and it will be the first European city east of Germany to the Summer Games,(excluding the now defunct Soviet Union) and Russia only hosted the Winter Games as an independent nation and this discussion is only focused Summer Games.
Germany has not hosted for a long time, it would be 52 years since the 1972 Munich Games in 2024. And the first to be hosted in Hamburg. Rome last hosted in 1960 and by 2024 Paris would last have hosted a century earlier in 1924.
I would have a difficult time considering, so I won’t vote now. Coming back to L.A, we already have the infrastructure and we are arguably the most financially fit to host the Games.
I don’t pretend to know who has the best case or best chance of getting to host the games. With that being said, I kind of hope it’s Hamburg. I don’t trust L.A. or Rome to put on a decent show and Hamburg is the city that personally intrigues the most, albeit in a completely inexperienced, WAG way. I’ve never set foot on continental Europe before but the Olympics might get me there.
As it is my hometown, I wholeheartedly support Los Angeles getting them for the third time. The city hosting has been very good for the Games in the past. I attended some events in the 1984 Games. I might get a chance to attend Olympics in two consecutive sites (Tokyo in 2020)!
It has been so long since Paris had it and I suspect that they could well “do a London” with it.
Rome would provide wonderful backdrops but the infrastructure is slightly shakier.
Budapest next then Hamburg
LA last, a third time just seems such a wasted opportunity and all of the other potential venues hold more allure for me as a potential tourist.
I support this argument. I also will say Budapest.
Any of the European countries will have the infrastructure and culture to make it an entertaining games. It being almost a decade away is a weird thing that I’d rather not have to think about, because of how old I will be by then.
Ultimately I voted for Budapest, it has never hosted and I am attracted to new things. Los Angeles has hosted just a generation ago. It has a great track record of hosting the Olympics, first in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression and in 1984 when many cities had been scared away from hosting after Montreal incurred huge amounts of debt that it only paid off years later.
But I don’t want to see a city host a third time, heck Paris last hosted in 1924, so they are more deserving of the third try than LA.
I can’t believe Rome has gotten no love. It only hosted once in 1960, and by 2024 it would have been 64 years.
But Budapest is the most interesting choice, Hungary has never hosted unlike all those countries listed. A decision by the IOC will be made in Summer 2017. Going by this poll, Rome would be first to get the axe, then Hamburg and Paris, with Budapest and Los Angeles facing off.
I’m holding my nose and picking LA That’s only because there would be a chance of some East coast primetime live coverage, not just that pre-digested BS we usually get because of time differences.
I enjoyed watching the historic buildings I was familiar with in the background of outdoor events like the marathon or the bicycle races during the London games. So for that reason, I’d like to see it held in Paris.
