U.S. Olympic City Bid Announced This Afternoon

This is the day of decision for the United States Olympic Committee on whether San Francisco or New York City

will go forward to bid for the Summer Olympic Games in 2012. The decision is to be announced about 4 p.m. at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The one U.S. city will then go against other international bidders including Toronto, Rome, Paris, Moscow and Rio de Janeiro to host the Summer Olympics.

The U.S. candidate for the games ten years away is being deciding by the USOC´s 123-member board. Each city is getting one hour to make final presentations to national Olympic committee today.

San Francisco organizers are touting the natural beauty of Northern California, mild weather favored by athletes at the Summer Games, and that 80 percent of Olympic venues are already in place. There have been news reports many of the board members feel an emotional obligation to vote for New York in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks last year.

New York is focusing on the city´s cultural diversity and its “Olympic X,” a cross-shaped pattern of commuter trains and ferries that organizers say will keep athletes from having to travel on the city´s roadways.