Sizing up D.C.’s competition as the Olympics decision nears

The United States Olympic Committee timetable for deciding which of four American cities to proffer as host of the 2024 Summer Games is entering a critical phase.

The USOC is planning a visit to Washington, but the date has not been finalized, Russ Ramsey, chairman of Washington 2024, the nonprofit organizing the bid, told me recently for a profile I wrote for this Friday’s print edition of the Washington Business Journal. He expects the USOC to make its decision early next year. The winning city will go on to face international competition, which could include Paris, Berlin, and Casablanca, Morocco, among other contenders.

“Our primary goal for the next 60 days is to meet with the many different stakeholders and constituencies who would be impacted by a Washington Olympics and ensure our bid reflects their interests and concerns,” Ramsey said of his work for Washington 2024. “I spend the majority of my time having these conversations and engaging with the region’s business, political, and philanthropic communities.”

But how about the other three cities in trying to win the favor of the USOC: Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles?

The Boston 2024 Partnership has begun making its case to the public, sister publication Boston Business Journal reports, offering a long list of details about where the group would prefer to build venues and where certain activities would take place during the Games.

There are also some preliminary estimates as to how much the Games would cost Boston: $4.5 billion for the events, plus another $5 billion in public infrastructure investments. Supporters say most of those projects need to happen regardless of whether the Olympics come to Beantown.

Washington 2024 hasn’t revealed details of its plans for the Games, either in terms of facilities or finances, though there has been speculation about building the main Olympic venue on the RFK Stadium site in Southwest. A Washington Business Journal online poll found 57 percent support hosting the event here. More than 600 people responsed.

San Francisco, currently focused on winning its third World Series in five years, is considered a long shot to be picked by the USOC, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The hub of the tech world hasn’t even launched a website dedicated to its Olympic bid, which one of the organizers said is “really preliminary” and “just exploratory.”

Los Angeles is preparing to host the Special Olympics World Games next summer. The event is expected to draw some 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches from 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators.

But the Journal and others note that Los Angeles already has hosted the Summer Olympics, in 1932 and 1984. Popular opinion suggests that a third time is more unlikely than charming.

That could ultimately tip the scale in favor of D.C.

In the meantime, check back Thursday and Friday for more from my sit-down with Ramsey.

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