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KUALA LUMPUR. — The International Olympic Committee said yesterday it was “confident” the US could find a “strong candidate” to host the 2024 Games, despite Boston pulling out of the contest shortly before a mid-September nomination deadline. “We are confident that the US will make the right choice and that they can still put forward a strong candidate by 15 September,” the IOC said in a statement from Kuala Lumpur, where it is currently meeting.

Boston announced on Monday it was no longer seeking to host the 2024 Games due to lack of public support, and the US Olympic Committee (USOC) now has August to find a possible replacement, with Los Angeles having shown interest.

“USOC have made it clear that they would still very much like to see a US city host the Olympic Games 2024,” the IOC statement continued.

“We are still in the invitation phase and this is exactly what this phase is for, to allow NOCs (national Olympic committees) and cities to explore a possible bid.”

The United States has not hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta 1996, or the Winter Olympics since Salt Lake City 2002.

There are currently four other cities seeking to host the 2024 Olympics: Budapest, Hamburg, Paris and Rome. A final decision is set to be made in 2017, in Lima. — AFP.