GamesBids.com presents the seventh annual Top Ten list of Olympic Bid Stories for 2014. These stories impacted the course of Olympic bids, or the Olympic bid process, and formed interesting plot lines for the year. We’ll run them down from 10th to 1st during the holiday season.
#5 – Rome Bids For 2024; May Include Vatican
GamesBids.com Top Ten 2014 #5
In December, Rome became the first city to enter the 2024 Olympic bid race.
You may remember that Rome was an applicant for the 2020 Olympic Games but pulled out of the race when Italy’s President refused to financially underwrite the bid amid the nation’s economic crisis.
The city had put together an impressive bid which should give it an advantage in the 2024 race even though unemployment and economic woes still exist in Italy today.
Speculation quickly spread that Pope Francis is willing to host events at the Vatican and they may include archery or badminton.
The Pope himself even commented on the bid announcement. He reportedly said:
“Best wishes also for Rome’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games!”
“I won’t be around.”
The IOC has yet to open the bid process – the invitation phase begins January 15 and applications are to be submitted September 15, 2015. A host city will be elected in 2017 in Lima, Peru.
Watch GamesBids.com or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for Top Bid Stories #4 to #1.
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A senior producer and award-winning journalist covering Olympic bid business as founder of GamesBids.com as well as providing freelance support for print and Web publications around the world. Robert Livingstone is a member of the Olympic Journalists Association and the International Society of Olympic Historians.
