REDWOOD CITY, California - The United States will bid for the 2024 Olympics, seeking to host the Summer Games for the first time since 1996, the country's Olympic committee said on Tuesday.

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Washington are under consideration as sites and the United States Olympic Committee said it expects to make a final decision in January.

Los Angeles is considered the front-runner among the four US finalists, having hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. Boston, San Francisco and Washington would be first-time hosts.

The United States, which is the third country after Germany and Italy to officially launch a bidding process, has not held the Summer Games since 1996 when Atlanta was the host. The Winter Games were in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Istanbul, Doha, Baku, Budapest, Paris and an African city are among others who could potentially bid. Cities have until next September to officially put in a bid with a decision on the 2024 host to be made in mid-2017.