DENVER (AP) – When the leaders of the U.S. Olympic Committee meet Thursday, they’ll be deciding on more than a city to put in the running to host the 2024 Summer Games. They’ll be picking a partner that will help shape their future.
Leaders from Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington made presentations last month and will not be present while the 15 USOC board members debate the pros and cons of each offering at their meeting inside the terminal at Denver International Airport.
The board is expected to make a decision at this meeting, and when it’s over, the USOC’s mission will become a broader one. Yes, the No. 1 focus is giving athletes resources to get to the medal stand. But an Olympic bid is also a chance to evaluate the USOC’s work in shoring up international relations, and that may quickly overshadow everything else.
The decision the USOC members are making is about more than weather, cool new venues and a catchy slogan. It’s about showing international leaders they understand the International Olympic Committee’s vision, including the new direction IOC president Thomas Bach pointed toward in his batch of reforms called “Agenda 2020,” which is supposed to make the Olympics a more sleek, flexible and, in the best-case scenario, less-expensive endeavor.
“It’s an extraordinary partnership,” said Robert Fasulo, an international sports consultant who served as chief of international relations for the USOC. “The USOC has to be confident they have the right people, who are sharing their vision and the IOC’s vision, and sharing their goals and understand the importance of this.”