The decision, to be announced later on Wednesday, effectively sinks Rome’s bid and narrows the field of Olympics bidders to Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest.
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Raggi, who has been beset by resignations, infighting and scandals in her first few months as mayor, is due to give a news conference about the Olympics bid at 1330 GMT.
Rome’s mayor Virginia Raggi will withdraw the city’s backing for a bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games in the Italian capital, a city hall official said on Wednesday.
The Rome bid is not officially over quite yet and CONI could still in theory turn to the national government, which backs the bid, but the city looks all but out the running.
In light of the data we have, these Olympics are not sustainable.
The report, published in July, concluded that “for a city and nation to decide to stage the Olympic Games is to take on one of the most costly and financially most risky types of mega-project that exists, something that many cities and nations have learned to their peril”.
It could mark Rome’s second withdrawal in four years after then-premier Mario Monti stopped the city’s plans to bid for the 2020 Games in 2012 because of financial conditions. Add in all the flopping male genitals NBC viewers were exposed to over the fortnight-plus and I can see why Rome is reluctant to bring the Olympics back to the ancient city.
The announcement was a blow to the International Olympic Committee, which is struggling to convince cities of the economic benefits of hosting the Games.
It would be “irresponsible” to try to secure the Games when Rome had so many other problems to address, she said. She stressed the debts that previous Olympic host cities have incurred and the unfinished infrastructure already dotting Rome from previous sporting bids. “We will continue [with the bid] until I hear a formal no”.
A budget of €24 million ($27 million) has already been allotted – much of it spent – to the bid committee, even though candidacy head Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has no salary.
“We don’t have to organize the Olympics and Agenda 2020 has completely changed everything”.
The bid had been slated to be centered around Rome’s historic monuments: a cycling sprint alongside the Roman Forum, beach volleyball at the Circus Maximus and the marathon passing through St. Peter’s Square and finishing under the Arch of Constantine.
Its very upsetting, Rome bid vice president Luca Pancalli said.
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Based in the UK, Larry is passionate about all things news and technology related.
