Olympic leaders vent about Rome’s withdrawal from 2024 bidding

Olympic leaders have continued to voice their displeasure with the political climate that forced Rome to suspend its bid for the 2024 Summer Games.

The International Olympic Committee reiterated its concerns in a letter to the Italian Olympic Committee that was made public on Monday.

“Based on the information we have received over the last few days, it has been clearly demonstrated that the City Council’s decision was politically motivated for reasons beyond the Olympic project,” IOC President Thomas Bach wrote.

Rome 2024, a private bid committee, stepped back from the race amid opposition from Mayor Virginia Raggi and a negative council vote. As is often the case with Olympic bids, there were concerns about potential cost overruns.

The campaign had previously received support at the national and regional levels.

“There is no doubt that this project would have left a positive and sustainable legacy for the City of Rome and the Lazio Region,” Bach wrote.

With Hamburg withdrawing late last year, only Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest remain in contention for 2024.

The narrowing field represents a setback for the IOC, which had hoped to draw more candidates with a series of reforms aimed at lowering the expense of bidding and hosting.

david.wharton@latimes.com

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