U.S. Studies New Olympic Bid; Amsterdam Nixed; Tokyo Wins Feds Backing

U.S. Studies New Bid

A group of about a dozen U.S. Olympic Committee board members and staff hold the latest in a series of meetings to study the possibility of a new bid for the Games..

The group has met in person twice and by teleconference once since being formed in August, upwards of 20 hours so far.

USOC chair Larry Probst is directing the group and is downplaying expectations from this latest meeting. Speaking to Around the Rings last month, Probst said it is possible the group may not be ready with specific recommendations this week.

He indicated that the group may need to continue to meet in 2013 to reach conclusions, such as whether to bid for 2024 or 2026 Games.

The U.S. failed with bids from New York City in 2012 and Chicago in 2016. There was no bid for 2020 and the USOC board has ruled out a bid for the 2022 Winter Games.

While at least three cities have professed interest in a winter bid (Reno/Tahoe, Denver and Salt Lake City), there is no such field of contenders so far for the Summer Games.

Members of the USOC panel include IOC members Anita DeFrantz and Angela Ruggiero; USA Hockey chief exec Dave Ogrean; Mike Plant, executive with the Atlanta Braves MLB team; Susanne Lyons, former chief marketing officer for Visa USA and USOC CEO Scott Blackmun, chief legal officer Rana Dershowitz, bid city relations chief Chris Sullivan and comms director Patrick Sandusky.

The working group reports to the full USOC board Thursday when the board holds its regular quarterly meeting. Probst and Blackmun are supposed to hold a media briefing after the board meeting in Redwood City, California.

No Dutch Bid for 2028

Dutch IOC member the Prince of Orange says Amsterdam will not bid for the 2028 Olympics.

Speaking Tuesday at a ceremony for the country’s Olympians and Paralympians, he said the decision came from "political choices."

A speech of his posted on the royal family website says the new government coalition "explicitly" informed the cabinet "in a time of crisis and cuts, there is little support in society for financial risks."

He added there is "still somewhere in the long 21st century in the Olympics" for the Netherlands, including a 2018 Youth Olympic Games bid from Rotterdam.

"Wanting to organize the Games is currently not on the agenda. But the ideas, and the purpose that lay behind the Olympic Plan 2028 is still alive!"

Feds Back Tokyo

All Olympic and Paralympic sport federations signed off on Tokyo’s bid for the 2020 Olympics.

"I would like to personally thank all International Federations for their cooperation," said 2020 bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda. "Our plan is the result of Tokyo 2020’s will to place the needs of sport and athletes firmly in the center of the Games. The approvals from all International Federations for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games prove Tokyo’s outstanding capacity."

Campaigning for 2020, which also includes rival candidates Istanbul and Madrid, marks the first time all 28 Olympic and eight Paralympic federations must approve the bids.

Written and reported by Ed Hula and Ed Hula III.