Rome speed up plans for 2024 Olympic bid but still lack Government support

By Nick Butler

April 22 - Rome's preparations to bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics have taken the next step with plans to install both a Bid Committee and an operating budget, although the Italian Government are still yet to endorse the campaign.

The plans were revealed by Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) President Giovanni Malago after a meeting with Italian Secretary of State for Sports Graziano Delrio.

Malago insisted a Rome bid would be "strong" and capable of holding its own with tough international competition, with the operating budget potentially up to €30 million (£25 million/$41 million).

It was also revealed the potential Committee would have two predominant missions of conducting an intensive lobbying campaign as well as gaining private funding.

But at a time when Italy is still facing vast financial problems, to the extent that the Rome City Council was forced to rely on a Government bailout to avoid bankruptcy earlier this year, it remains doubtful whether bidding for another Games would be in the country's best interests.

Speaking in the aftermath of this bailout last month, a CONI official optimistically told insidethegames that recent financial events would be "absolutely no problem" with regards to the bid, as a good relationship with city and national authorities was stressed.

But the fact Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is yet to voice any opinion on whether the bid should go ahead suggests the Government are yet to make up their mind.

The prospects of Rome bidding for 2024 depends largely on the choice of Matteo Renzi, pictured alongside a leader who has presided over a successful Games, British Prime Minister David Cameron ©Getty Images

Renzi was elected as Italy's youngest ever Prime Minister exactly two months ago to replace Enrico Letta.

Although known to be a keen sports fan and participant, Renzi has given no direct indication either way as he instead focuses on more immediate concerns including the reform of many of Italy's largest state-owned companies.

Furthermore, it is expected that among the many areas of public funding facing cuts is the sports sector, something that CONI President Malago has strongly opposed on the grounds that Italian sport "has already experienced significant cuts in recent years".

Those that support the bid in 2024, such as Malago, believe a new Olympic model, based on investing in existing sports facilities and constructing temporary structures, will be a means to help regenerate both Rome and the country as a whole.

But the importance of gaining Government support in Olympic races has been underlined in recent weeks by a race for the 2022 Winter Games in which Stockholm withdrew after failing to gain such support in January, and the Norwegian Government is also yet to back Oslo's bid.

Italy also withdrew from the race for the Games in 2020 when another of Renzi's predecessors as Prime Minister, Mario Monti, refused to grant financial and political guarantees at the height of the Eurozone financial crisis.

Rome pulled out of the race for 2020 ultimately won by Tokyo last year ©AFP/Getty Images

The global economic situation has also already affected the 2024 race, with Mexico City, St Petersburg, Kazan and Toronto among potential contenders to have withdrawn for different finance-related reasons.

Among those still considering bids are Paris, Berlin and up to six cities across the United States.

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