IOC President regrets U.S. doesn’t bid for 2020 Olympics

PanARMENIAN.Net - IOC President Jacques Rogge regrets that the United States did not bid for the 2020 Olympics and said Friday, August 26, he hopes they will seek the right to organize the games in the future.

The two sides have had a dispute over revenue-sharing from the games for years and the U.S. Olympic Committee announced earlier this month it would not bid for the 2020 Games.

"We would have loved to have a bid for 2020 emanating from the United States," Rogge said. "We respect and understand the position of USOC and we hope that there will be good bids in the future."

Because of the USOC decision there will be at least a 20-year gap between Olympics on American soil. The last time the event was staged in the United States was the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

The IOC executive board was to meet later Friday on whether to allow Qatar to bid for the games with an autumn time bracket, when the summer heat over the Arabian peninsula has somewhat subsided. Qatar has already won the right to organize the soccer World Cup even though it will be held in summer there, the Associated Press reported.

The IOC has set a Sept. 1 deadline for countries to submit a city's name for consideration. South Africa also announced this month that it will not bid for the 2020 Games.

The IOC will award the 2020 Games in 2013. So far, Rome, Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul, Turkey, have said they will bid.