It did not take long for the U.S. Olympic Committee to contact Los Angeles about stepping in as a replacement bidder for the 2024 Summer Games.
On Tuesday — the day after Boston dropped its troubled bid — USOC officials called Mayor Eric Garcetti's office, said a person close to the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
People in and around the Olympic movement consider Los Angeles, which hosted the Games in 1932 and 1984, a front-runner to take over as the designated American candidate.
"It's a safe bet," said historian David Wallechinsky, who has written extensively about the International Olympic Committee.