The possibility of Boston being a finalist to host the 2024 Summer Olympics has generated plenty of controversy. Yet there’s still a chance the city’s bid won’t even make it that far.
Angela Ruggiero, a former gold medalist on the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team and current member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, told the Boston City Council in a meeting Monday it’s no sure thing the USOC sticks with Boston as its bid for the 2024 Games.
“Right now the USOC is going through a similar vetting process to make sure Boston is the right city,” Ruggiero said, via The Boston Globe. “So there’s no guarantee Boston will be the city in September.”
Boston’s bid has faced a rocky journey since January, facing heat from public opposition groups and outspoken critics. A Wall Street Journal report published in late March suggested the USOC could abandon Boston as its bid if local support didn’t improve.
On Monday, Ruggiero — a Harvard graduate and former member of the CWHL’s Boston Blades — intimated public support could be the difference between Boston’s bid living and dying.
“Right now we need the strong support of Boston,” she added. “The USOC is hand-in-hand, we’re partnering. But we want Boston to succeed so we’re doing everything possible.
“This city has to come together if you’re going to be successful. We need the public to come together, and we need elected officials to come together.”
The USOC in January selected Boston as its host city over San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., but has until Sept. 15 to submit its final bid to the International Olympic Committee.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@TheBostonGlobe
