Odds that Budapest will host Olympics grow slimmer in race against L.A., Paris

The chances of Budapest, Hungary, remaining in a competition against Los Angeles and Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics appear to grow dimmer by the day.

The third candidate in the host city race has encountered sizable public resistance from a Hungarian political group that collected some 266,000 signatures to force a referendum on the issue.

Already considered an underdog, Budapest has suspended its campaign and could withdraw as early as this week.

“This ship has sailed, it seems,” bid committee leader Balazs Furjes told Inforadio. “Unity has gone up in the air, and lacking that, we stand no chance against Paris or Los Angeles.”

This bidding cycle has already seen Rome; Hamburg, Germany; and Boston withdraw over concerns about the costs associated with staging the mega-sporting event.

Budapest came under a cloud of uncertainty when the Momentum Mozgalom youth group began gathering signatures.

Hungarian political officials have said they will meet later this week to discuss the bid’s future.

The competition for 2024 has now entered its crucial, final stage as candidates travel the world to pitch their case directly to International Olympic Committee members.

In coming months, the IOC will send evaluation teams to each city. A vote to select the host is scheduled for September.

With so many cities reticent to take on the mammoth task of staging the Games, there has been talk that IOC members might seek to name two winners at the next vote, awarding 2024 to one city and 2028 to another.

So far, bid leaders from L.A. and Paris have said they remain focused only on 2024.

david.wharton@latimes.com

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