Rybak asks Meet Mpls to look into a 2024 Summer Olympics bid
Categories: R.T. Rybak, Sports
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"We ought to be a logical place for Super Bowls, Conventions, even Olympics," Rybak told KSTP's Jay Kolls. "We have world-class facilities, and we ought to use them."
"The Mayor admits it's a long shot," Kolls qualified, but then got into some of what could make it work. First, Rybak has tasked the CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Melvin Tennant, with looking into it.
"As we get closer to it we'll start hosting training events, we'll start making contact with all of the folks in Colorado Springs where a lot of those officials are," Tennant told KSTP. "It's a great goal for us to have."
Bids are due in 2015, which means that a decision on whether or not to go for the games will have to come soon.
Even the bidding process poses a steep financial burden, Rybak acknowledged. In 2009, Chicago spent an estimated $100 million just to make the shortlist for 2016, but lost out to Rio de Janiero.
The Summer games haven't been hosted on U.S. soil since they came to Atlanta in 1996. London snagged the most recent 2012 games, Rio's up next in 2016, and either Istanbul, Tokyo or Madrid will follow in 2020.
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