A year and a half ago, Los Angeles won another shot at Olympic glory when Boston pulled its selection as the U.S. bid city. Shortly after that, L.A. was one of five international finalists in the running to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. As of today, that number has dropped to only two.
Budapest will withdraw its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, according to the Associated Press. That leaves only L.A. and Paris left in the running for the Summer Games.
In the face of a referendum campaign and political party shifts, the AP reports that Budapest's bid is essentially dead. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos and the Hungarian Olympic Committee have already agreed to withdraw from the host city race; all that's left is for the Budapest City Assembly to officially vote on the matter.
The final host city vote, now between only L.A. and Paris, is set to occur in September. That leaves nearly seven months for both cities to either bolster or bungle their bids. A swirl of International Olympic Committee rumors have hinted that September's vote could choose the host cities of both the 2024 and 2028 Games—that said, L.A. insists it would turn down a 2028 consolation prize.
Pre-election rumors suggested that a Donald Trump presidency could spell the end for L.A.'s Olympic bid. It's not entirely clear yet if or how President Trump and his court-stricken travel ban will actually affect L.A.'s chances—though, for what it's worth, The Independent cites two athletes who believe it'll sink L.A.'s shot.
L.A.'s Downtown-centric, cost-effective plan would stress the city's preparedness—97 percent of the proposed Olympic venues already exist. The latest version of the bid plan reinsures the public that the Games would be privately funded, that no existing communities or businesses would be displaced and that, theoretically, they would act as a catalyst for green spaces and healthy living.
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