CHICAGO — While not as crushing a blow as when the city lost its 2016 Summer Olympics bid, Chicago has been slighted again for the chance to host a popular sports tournament with the announcement that Austin will host the 2014 X Games.
In April, ESPN announced that Chicago was among the finalists to host the first North American X Games held outside of the Los Angeles area in more than 10 years.
Chicago joined Detroit; Charlotte, North Carolina; and the Texas capital as contenders to host the games, which will tour various cities.
Austin's 1,600-acre Circuit of The Americas venue, which began hosting events in 2012, beat out Chicago's United Center to house X Games sports such as skateboarding, BMX and motocross.
Beyond North America, the popular event also comes to Spain, France, Germany and Brazil.
And the games have the potential to be a moneymaker for host cities. A study paid for by the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission determined that 2010's X Games impacted L.A.'s economy by about $50 million in benefits.
In April, X Games officials said cities would submit "Olympic-style" proposals to bid for the spot.
In 2009, Chicago lost its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics to Brazil's Rio de Janeiro. While some were skeptical of how much that massive event would benefit the city, others had high hopes for how the Olympics could have impacted the local economy.
The X Games are scheduled to take place in Austin from May 15 to May 18, 2014.
This article has been corrected to reflect that the Circuit of The Americas has 1,600 acres, not a 1,600 capacity.
