Never To Early To Make A Prediction

I recently discussed the potential bids cities that have made it to the short list for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. I decided today to take a look at the potential places planning feasibility studies and trying to determine how likely it is that they will attempt to bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

While it is still early, some reports are starting to emerge that the United States may have a good shot at receiving these Games. In addition, the International Olympic Committee is reportedly looking to put these Summer Games in regions of the world that no Olympic Games have been held before, such as South America or Africa.

Keep in mind that these cities are not likely to make formal bids until late 2007 or early 2008, and the official announcement by the IOC will not be made until October 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Here are the cities (or just countries if no specific city has yet been named) looking into have the 2016 Summer Games. (List is courtesy of www.gamesbids.com.)

Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Chile
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hamburg, Germany
Houston, Texas, USA
India
Fukuoka, Japan
Kenya
Los Angeles, California, USA
Madrid, Spain
Milan, Italy
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Moscow, Russia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Portugal
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rome, Italy
St. Petersburg, Russia
San Francisco, California, USA
San Diego, California, USA & Tijuana, Mexico (joint bid)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Tokyo, Japan

Other cities that were thought to possibly make a bid for the 2016 games but have since cancelled their bids are:

Brussels, Belgium (due to financial concerns)
Busan, South Korea (will attempt a bid for the 2020 Summer Games)
Cape Town, South Africa (will attempt a bid for the 2020 Summer Games)
Copenhagen, Denmark (will attempt a bid for the 2020 Summer Games)
Flanders, Belgium (believed to be too small a city)
Prague, Czech Republic (will attempt a bid for the 2020 Summer Games)
Sapporo, Japan (due to financial concerns)
St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (will attempt a bid for the 2020 Summer Games)

Notice that many countries have possible bid cities. Before making their formal bids to the IOC, countries will weigh the best location they have to offer and push that through as their formal entry.

The 2012 Games will be held in London, England. I think that this will strike a blow to many of the European countries making a bid. I think, unless a country makes the most spectacular bid, that the IOC will choose another continent for the 2016 Games.

I think that many would say that it is too early to make a prediction about who are the best candidates to get the nod, but I’m silly enough to try. I think your leading contenders for the bid are the eventual U.S. bid city (quite possibly Los Angeles or Baltimore if they join forces with Washington D.C.), Rio de Janeiro (which would place it in South America for the first time), or Dubai (depending on the political climate of the area).