[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.kvue.com/home/Austin-join...192094341.html

Austin invited to join 2024 Olympics bid

by ASHLEY GOUDEAU / KVUE News and photojournalist DOUG NAUGLE
Bio | Email | Follow: @AshleyG_KVUE
kvue.com

Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:42 PM
Updated today at 6:42 PM

AUSTIN -- It is the event, that for 29 days, seems to bring the world together. When political and religious differences are forgotten and the human spirit is celebrated. And in 2024, it could be held in Austin.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is sending letters to 35 cities to gauge interest in hosting the games.

"Being able to have that here, in my home, that'd be awesome," said Austin resident Jeromy Lopez De Castilla.

Local business owner and community leader Paul Carrozza agreed.

"I think it's about time," Carrozza said. "Austin would be the greatest host in, I think, the history of the Olympics because you think about the town, people love to come here. I think we're the right size market now to host it, especially with the Austin-San Antonio corridor."

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http://www.statesman.com/news/sports...-olympi/nWTxX/

Posted: 6:49 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013
Austin willing to consider bidding for 2024 Olympics

By John Maher
American-Statesman Staff

“Our objective in this process is to identify a partner city that can work with us to present a compelling bid to the IOC and that has the right alignment of political, business and community leadership,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun stated in the letter.

If it sounds like Blackmun is trolling for a city, that might be the case. The last two U.S. cities to carry the U.S. Summer Olympic hopes, Chicago and New York, took a beating.

By some estimates, Chicago spent about $100 million on a one-and-done bid to host the 2016 Olympics, getting knocked out in the first round of the process; the Games were eventually awarded to Rio de Janeiro. Still, it appears some Austin leaders are willing to at least consider bidding.

“It’s an intriguing possibility,” said City Council Member Kathie Tovo. “I would certainly support some of the exploratory research.”