Boston pulls out of race to host 2024 Olympics and Paralympics

American city Boston and the US Olympic Committee (USOC) have ended their bid to host the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, citing a lack of public support.

Many residents of the Massachusetts city feared funds would be used to pay for any overspend incurred in hosting the Games.

The host city contract includes a guarantee that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would not be held responsible for any cost overruns - effectively passing the burden on to Boston and Massachusetts.

In a statement, USOC chief Scott Blackmun said: "We have not been able to get a majority of the citizens of Boston to support hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"The USOC does not think that the level of support enjoyed by Boston's bid would allow it to prevail over great bids from Paris, Rome, Hamburg, Budapest or Toronto.

"Boston 2024 has expressed confidence that, with more time, they could generate the public support necessary to win the bid and deliver a great Games.

"They also recognise, however, that we are out of time if the USOC is going to be able to consider a bid from another city. As a result, we have reached a mutual agreement to withdraw Boston's bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Boston edged out US cities including Los Angeles, Washington and San Francisco when the USOC in January decided it was the right city to push for hosting rights.

Boston 2024 partnership chairman Steve Pagliuca added: ""We continue to believe that hosting the Games would have brought transformational benefits to Boston... we think public support would grow in Boston and across the Commonwealth.

"As we reflected on the timing and the status of our bid in this international competition, we have jointly come to the conclusion that the extensive efforts required in Boston at this stage of the bid process would detract from the US'
ability to compete against strong interest from cities like Rome, Paris, Budapest and Hamburg.

"For this reason, we have jointly decided to withdraw Boston's bid in order to give the Olympic movement in the United States the best chance to bring the Games back to our country in 2024."

The decision means another American city will have the opportunity to bid for the Games, with Blackmun adding that USOC will explore the possibility of entering a different location in September's bid to the IOC.

He added: "The USOC would very much like to see an American city host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

"We will immediately begin to explore whether we can do so on a basis consistent with our guiding principles, to which we remain firmly committed.

"We understand the reality of the timeline that is before us. We will brief the media on our progress towards a decision later in August, and we will not have any public statements on the subject of a possible bid until then."

Pagliuca said: "Boston 2024 Partnership will offer our support and the extensive knowledge we have gained... to any American city that may choose to participate in the 2024 bidding process going forward."