California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa threw their support behind city's effort to host the 2016 Olympic games.

The governor and mayor held a rally at the L.A. Coliseum on Friday, site of the 1934 and 1984 Olymics. In a released statement, the governor said the California would welcome the world if chosen.

"Los Angeles has all the facilities the Olympic Games need. It also has incredible tradition and a Gold Medal record when it comes to hosting these great summer Games.

Angeles and Chicago are the two cities competing to be the U.S. Olympic Committee's candidate for the games. The L.A. committee in charge of the bid will submit its bid on January 22, with a decision by the USOC expected in April.

A pair of local colleges will be used to host athletes and the media. The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) will have the Olympic Village, while the University of Southern California (USC), would serve as the "Media/Family Village, the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games (SCCOG) said in a statement.

In November, San Francisco pulled out of the running for the Olympics when the 49ers football team said they would not build a new stadium in the city. Among the potential competing cities from around are Madrid, New Delhi, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Tokyo.

Los Angeles California