New Bedford to pursue 2024 Olympic sailing events

Published on February 25th, 2015

New Bedford, MA (February 25, 2015) – New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said Wednesday that the city will pursue being a venue for Olympic sailing events if Boston wins the 2024 Summer Games. Calling New Bedford the “ultimate city by the sea,” Mitchell said at a news conference that wind conditions in Buzzards Bay are ideal for sailing.

“New Bedford may well be the best place in America to host a sailing event for the Olympics. With the urban center on Buzzards Bay, New Bedford is on the doorstep of one of the most reliable sailing environments on the planet,” Mitchell said. He added that the city has already approached the Boston 2024 Organizing Committee about the possibility of being the sailing venue.

“The sailing’s fantastic here. That is the primary reason to come here. That and the existence of infrastructure to support the games. This is a city, not some small hamlet that needs to be built up. It’s already built up. And it’s a great viewing area, among other primary reasons,” Mitchell said.

Boston was selected as the U.S. bid city by the U.S. Olympic Committee. The IOC will award the games in 2017.