OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. and#8212; The U.S. Olympic Committee will not seek to host the 2022 Winter Games, various media outlets reported Tuesday afternoon, and instead will look at hosting either the 2024 Summer or 2026 Winter Olympics.

According to the Associated Press, the USOC board on Tuesday decided to form a committee that would look into 2024 and 2026, in part because going for the 2022 Games would put the federation on a fast timeline.

A bid for the 2022 games would be due in the fall of 2013. Reno/Tahoe was among the top U.S. cities/regions expressing interest in pursuing the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The following statement was released Tuesday afternoon on behalf of Andy Wirth, chair of the Lake Tahoe Winter Olympic Committee Board of Directors and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts:

"Over the past few months, a talented and inspired group of Nevadans and Californians have come together to explore the possibility of hosting the Winter Olympics in Lake Tahoe in 2022.

"We have always understood that our efforts were contingent upon the USOC's determination about whether or not to pursue a bid.

"In light of the decision announced today by the leadership of the USOC, we respect our nation's Olympic Committee and their decisions, without reservation.

"The Lake Tahoe region is one of America's greatest natural gems, and we believe that its place as a Winter sports destination remains unparalleled. While the USOC has chosen not to pursue the 2022 Winter Olympics, I believe, as does our board of directors, that we have laid the groundwork for a return of the Olympic Flame to this region and to our very own Olympic Valley in the future."