US could name 2024 Olympic Games bid city Thursday

The US Olympic Committee this week could choose an American city to bid for the 2024 Games at a board of directors' meeting.

Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington are all in the running.

The USOC board will meet on Thursday at Denver International Airport, with discussion of a bid city on the agenda, the USOC said Monday.

The United States has won the most medals at the last five Summer Games, but hasn't hosted a Summer Olympics since the 1996 Atlanta Games.

"This is going to be a really, really difficult decision," USOC chairman Larry Probst said on December 16 after all four candidate cities made their final presentations to the board.

Los Angeles is the only city among the four finalists to have hosted an Olympics -- in 1932 and 1984.

San Francisco had hoped to get the nod in 2012 and 2016, but New York and Chicago were put forward by the USOC and lost out to London and Rio de Janeiro.

The US can expect tough competition for the 2024 Games.

Italy has announced it will spearhead what is expected to be a multi-city bid.

Germany has said that Berlin or Hamburg will be put forward for the 2024 or 2028 Summer Games.

Paris is also widely expected to enter the race for 2024, which would mark the 100-year anniversary of the last Summer Games in Paris.

Durban in South Africa could press to become the first African host of the Games and Istanbul is also considering a new bid.

The International Olympic Committee's invitation phase for bids begins on January 15, with formal applications due by September 15.

A final list of candidate cities will be chosen by the IOC in May 2016, leaving about 14 months of campaigning before a final vote.