| Competition type | Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Number and Year | XIII / 1944 |
| Host city | London, Great Britain (Venues) |
| Competition dates | — |
The Games of the XIIIth Olympiad were to have been held in 1944, but did not take place because of World War II. The Games had been awarded to London, England, which won the IOC nomination over Rome, Italy; Detroit, Michigan, USA; and Lausanne, Switzerland at the 39th IOC Session in London on 9 June 1939. As World War II ground on through 1943, it was obvious that the Games could not be held, especially in London, which had been bombed repeatedly by German planes, and was now being attacked by V1 and V2 rockets. The exact date on which it was decided to cancel the 1944 Olympics (and Winter Olympics) has never been published.
Bid voting at the 39th IOC Session in London on 9 June 1939. No exact date has ever been published for London relinquishing the 1944 Olympic Games but the war in Europe obviously made it impossible to hold such an event, especially in London.
| Round 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| London | Great Britain | 20 |
| Roma | Italy | 11 |
| Detroit, Michigan | United States | 2 |
| Lausanne | Switzerland | 1 |
At an earlier stage, Budapest (Hungary), Helsinki (Finland) and Montréal (Canada) had also shown interest.