Boston’s Out Of The Olympics: What It Means For New Bedford
Boston is out of the running for the 2024 Olympics.
Boston pulled its bid from the pool of applicants on Monday afternoon, after a teleconference with the U.S. Olympic Committee.
USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said the federation wants to stay in the race, with Los Angeles being the likely choice for the official US bid which is due in 7 weeks.
The news came as another devastating economic blow for New Bedford, who just last week lost a $650 million waterfront casino proposal due to the developers financial challenges. Had it been decided that Boston would host the Olympics in 2024, then New Bedford would have been the city to host all of the sailing events starting in 2020.
“Sailing is one of those sports where it’s all about knowing the area,” Mary Ellen DeFrias, a member of Jon Mitchell's 2024 Committee, told South Coast Today. Pre-qualifying events in the years leading up to the Olympics races are always held in the waters of the venue.
Mayor John Mitchell found a silver lining in light of all of this disappointing news.
Mitchell told South Coast Today that “New Bedford’s national exposure as a premier sailing destination has already resulted in a significant increase in recreational boating in our harbor, so while we would have loved to host Olympic sailing, we’ve already realized tangible benefits."
Contributor: Mariah Terry