Following months of debate over whether the city could sustain the world’s largest sporting event, Boston has officially pulled its bid to host the 2024 Olympics. Will D.C. try again for the Games?

United States Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun and Boston 2024 Partnership Chairman Steve Pagliuca jointly released statements today acknowledging their groups had failed to garner the public support necessary to seal the deal—a deal that, according to Washington Business Journal, would have generated about $4.8 billion in revenue and $4.6 billion in costs, in addition to thousands of new apartments, construction jobs, and operations jobs for the international contest.

“We have not been able to get a majority of the citizens of Boston to support hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Blackmun said. “We are out of time if the USOC is going to be able to consider a bid from another city.”

The District lost the bid to host the 2024 Olympics in January, when the USOC chose Boston. At the time, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said the loss “was disappointing… It would have been a catalyst for housing and economic activity.” And just several days into her term, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said that despite the outcome, she was “proud of how the District and the region presented.”

Contacted this afternoon by Loose Lips columnist Will Sommer, Bowser’s Chief of Staff John Falcicchio tells City Paper, “We were surprised that Boston’s bid deflated. It is too early to say what is next but we remain proud of the bid put forth by DC 2024.” DC 2024, an exploratory committee chaired by Russ Ramsey and Ted Leonsis, launched in summer 2013. The group could not be immediately reached for comment.

In addition to Boston and D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles were announced as finalists for the bid last summer. The USOC’s bid to the International Olympic Committee is due in September.

The last time the U.S. hosted the Summer Olympics was in 1996, in Atlanta.

Update, July 28: Ramsey release the following statement:

“Our Nation’s Capital is a thriving, diverse, world-class region and the Washington 2024 team remains proud of the effort we put forth on behalf of our residents last fall. Today’s disappointing announcement by the U.S. Olympic Committee reinforces the need to have a clear process in place that successfully matches a community’s long-term goals to those opportunities created by hosting an Olympic Games.  We also remain committed to supporting America’s athletes, and as part of that mission, working with the USOC to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the United States.”

Image from TeamUSA.org