The U.S. isn’t going to bid for the 2020 Olympics because of a money dispute with the U.S. Olympic Committee, which pretty much guarantees a 20 year gap of it being in the States:
Locked in a dispute over millions of dollars, the U.S. Olympic Committee pulled the plug Monday on a bid for the 2020 Summer Games before the International Olympic Committee could say no to the Americans, as it has the last two times. The two sides have been at odds over a revenue-sharing agreement for years.
By not submitting a bid, the USOC assures at least a 20-year gap between Olympics on American soil for only the fourth time.
Chicago, New York and Dallas were among the cities interested in the 2020 games, but any bid was contingent upon a new deal with the IOC.
So how do our competitors here at home feel about not being able to compete on home soil?
“I think it’s one of the smartest things they could do right now,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, one of the country’s most important, and successful, Olympic sports. “It’s very important they get this revenue-sharing deal done the right way. Having an Olympic bid hanging over your head is going to change the way you think about one of the most important business decisions you’re going to make for the USOC in the foreseeable future.”
While it’s a bummer we’ll have to wait so long until the games are here at home, it’s not like we can’t compete in the meantime. We’ll still be playing, so not all is lost.
The next chance we have will be 2022, granted we can come to a deal. Oh and that the world doesn’t end in 2012. LOLz!
[Image via AP Images.]