Hungary’s government announced on Wednesday (February 22) it would withdraw Budapest’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, citing a lack of political and national unity behind the application that it blamed on the opposition.
Wednesday’s decision was made at a meeting between Tarlos, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the chairman of the Hungarian Olympic committee.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would await official notification from the national Olympic committee of the country, the only authority which can officially withdraw a bid.
The Hungarian government’s decision, however, is a further blow to the Olympic bid process with Boston, Hamburg and Rome having pulled out of a race that has now been left with just two cities.
The IOC voted in a string of reforms, named Agenda 2020, two years ago in the hope of making the Games more affordable and attractive for potential host cities.
But President Thomas Bach will be faced with awkward questions as countries increasingly struggle to afford even to bid for the games.
The IOC will decide which of Paris or LA will receive the games in September at a conference in the Peruvian capital of Lima.
Paris has hosted the games twice before, in 1900 and 1924, while LA is also a double-host, in 1932 and more recently in 1984.
(Reuters)
