Friday, September 23, 2016

New mayor kills off Rome's bid for 2024 Olympics...

Rome's new mayor, Virginia Raggi, pulled the plug on the city's bid to host the 2024 Olympics, saying staging the summer games would bury the Italian capital under mountains of debt and tonnes of cement.

The decision represents a blow to the International Olympic Committee, which has already seen Boston and Hamburg abandon their 2024 bids, and is struggling to convince potential host cities that it is worth putting on the sporting extravaganza.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had championed Rome's challenge, but he needed the backing of the city council to press ahead. Raggi's decision means only Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest are left in the running to stage the 2024 games.

"It would be irresponsible for us to support this candidacy," said Raggi, whose anti-establishment 5-Star Movement took power for the first time in Rome after a landslide victory in local elections in June.

"We have nothing against the Olympics and sport ... but we don't want sport to be an excuse for more rivers of cement in the city. We won't allow that." Full story...

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