1. Detroit
Attempts: 1944, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972
Olympic Connection: You can’t blame Detroit for giving up its pursuit to host the Games after concluding second in the voting in 1964, 1968, and 1972. Detroit has shaped many Olympic champions, as well as sprinter Eddie Tolan, who in 1932 became the first African American to earn two gold medals.
2. Budapest
Attempts: 1916, 1920, 1936, 1944, 1960
Olympic Connection: Thanks in part to the plentiful geothermal waters of Hungary’s capital; citizens of Budapest – pet named the “City of Baths” – are recognized for their aquatic athleticism. The men’s Olympic water polo team dominates the opposition with nine world titles, and in London the team will shoot for its fourth successive gold medal.…..
3. Istanbul
Attempts: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2020
Olympic Connection: Every July since 1989, Istanbul has hosted the Bosphorus Cross-Continental 4-mile swimming and kayaking races, which is oversee by the International Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committee of Turkey. An adopted Istanbulite, Ramazan Sahin – who won Turkey’s only gold medal in Beijing, for battery wrestling – will return to defend his title in London…….
4. Philadelphia
Attempts: 1920, 1948, 1952, 1956, 2016
Olympic Connection: One of five U.S. finalists for the 2016 Games (Chicago won the U.S. bid and the Games ultimately went to Rio de Janeiro), the City of Brotherly Love is the birthplace of NBA star Kobe Bryant, who helped bring home gold in 2008 and will once again play guard for the men’s basketball team in 2012……..
5. Madrid
Attempts: 1972, 2012, 2016, 2020
Olympic Connection: Madrid is a finalist for the 2020 Summer Games and hopes to step out of the shadow of Barcelona’s Olympic rings (the Catalonian city hosted the Summer Games in 1992)…….
6. Buenos Aires
Attempts: 1956, 1968, 2004
Olympic Connection: Buenos Aires may have by no means hosted the Olympics, but Argentine José Benjamín Zubiaur, an educator and supporter of physical education, was one of the 15 members that made up the first International Olympic Committee in 1894…….
7. Brussels
Attempts: 1916, 1960, 1964
Olympic Connection: Brussels is the home of the Borlée track clan, a specialized athletics relations and part of Belgium's national squad. They include Belgium's 4x400m relay coach, Jacques; his identical-twin sons Kevin and Jonathan……..
8. The Caribbean islands
Attempts: 1920, 2008, 2012
Olympic Connection: The Caribbean islands have yet to host the Olympics – but they’ve tried. Havana, one of the Caribbean’s largest and most isolated cities, has bid and lost three times. Despite the nation’s vibrant culture, beauty, and climate, Cuba’s financial instability weighs a heavy toll on its ability to fund the Olympic Games.
9. Lausanne, Switzerland
Attempts: 1944, 1948, 1960
Olympic Connection: One reason Lausanne has been passed over as a host city is that it has served as the headquarters for the International Olympic Committee since 1915, gaining the title of “Olympic Capital” in 1994. While the Olympic Museum is closed for a major renovation until the end of 2013…..
10. Minneapolis
Attempts: 1948, 1952, 1956
Olympic Connection: Out of the 11 Minnesotan athletes representing Team USA at the London 2012 Olympics, seven of them call Minneapolis home, most notably Kevin Love, power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team and their leading scorer for the 2011-2012 season…