Boston Rally For 2024 Summer Olympics Bid

10/7 Update: Gov. Deval Patrick was expected to attend the event, but was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. We have updated the post headline, but kept the text as is.

Our original post:

BOSTON — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Gov. Deval Patrick are hoping to build some enthusiasm around Boston's bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics by honoring more than 30 Olympians and Paralympians with local ties.

Walsh and Patrick will host an event Monday evening at Blazing Paddles bar in Fenway to honor the Olympians — including figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, who won a bronze medal in 1992 and a silver medal in 1994.

"Boston is known across the world for its sports prowess and this impressive group of Massachusetts-bred Olympians is a testament to our sporting spirit," Walsh said in a statement. "I look forward to joining Governor Patrick to meet these incredibly accomplished and inspiring athletes and hear their thoughts on Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Games. My hope is that regardless of the outcome, the Boston 2024 effort will promote a better long-term relationship with our local Olympic heroes."

The event marks the first time both Walsh and Patrick will attend a public event together in support of the 2024 Olympics bid. They will be joined by members of the Boston 2024 Partnership, a nonprofit organization working to bring the Summer Games to Boston.

Not everyone wants to bring the Olympics to Boston. Opponents say the cost of hosting the Games is too high and those funds should be spent elsewhere. Others think Boston would be better suited to host the Winter Olympics.

The U.S. has not hosted the Summer Olympics since the Atlanta Games in 2006; Boston has never hosted. Here's a look at what it will take for Boston to host the 2024 Games:

What other U.S. cities is Boston up against?

Boston is one of four cities on the United States Olympic Committee's (USOC) short list of potential host cities — the other cities are Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The four cities were selected in June after a 16-month selection process. Once the short list was set, the USOC began engaging in further discussions with the potential host cities.

What is the selection process?

The selection of a host city takes place about seven years before the Olympic Games. For Boston to get the 2024 Olympics, a few things need to happen first: The USOC must decide if they will submit a bid for a U.S. city to host the Games, and then select Boston as that city. In December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will hold a session to lay out a plan for the future of the Olympics. The USOC will decide on its bid after that meeting.

When will the host city for the 2024 Olympics be determined?

The IOC deadline for 2024 bid submissions will likely be in 2015. Once a bid is submitted to the IOC, there is a two-year-long international application and assessment process, meaning the host city will likely be determined in 2017.