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Villaraigosa Wants To Bring 2024 Olympics To LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles officials have announced a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games.

Last month, Scott Blackmun, the executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, sent out letters to the mayors of 35 American cities and asked if they'd be interested in being the nation's candidate to host the Games.

"Based on expected International Olympic Committee deadlines, we have two-plus years to decide whether we want to submit a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games," wrote Blackmun. "We would like to begin having discussions with interested cities about possible bid themes as well as the infrastructure, financial resources and other assets that are required to host the Games."

In a letter sent out Monday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told Blackmun that Los Angeles is ready to reach for the rings.

"We are proud of our city's sports heritage. And we stand ready to work with you to bring the Olympics Games back to the United States," the mayor wrote.

The Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games also attached a letter of support for the bid, which included signatures from actor Tom Hanks, AEG CEO Tim Leiweke, and Olympians Janet Evans and Magic Johnson, among others.

"The private sector also has expressed its strong support for a bid ...with signatures from a cross-section of sport, business and community leaders," Villaraigosa said.

If selected, Los Angeles would become the first U.S. city to host the Games three times.

The city previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984.

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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