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The United States will bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games in either Los Angeles or Chicago, officials announced today.
United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chairman Peter Ueberroth said he began evaluating 18 months ago "whether or not a US bid for the 2016 Games could be competitive internationally".
"Based on our analysis, we believe the time is right for a US city to bid, and we fully intend to proceed with a unified, national effort to bring the Games back to America in 2016," he said in a statement.
Ueberroth said Los Angeles and Chicago would make their pitches to host the Games over the next three months and the USOC would announce on April 14 which city it would put forward.
The United States has not hosted the Summer Games since Atlanta in 1996. Salt Lake City held the Winter Games in 2002.
Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Games followed by London in 2012.
- REUTERS
