Rome, 16 December 2015 – the three European 2024 Olympic candidate cities have rivalled each other for the stage in the run-up to Christmas, Budapest, Paris and Rome having, whether by circumstance or design, drawn the attention of the sports media.

Budapest saw many top sports leaders to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the creation of the Hungarian National Olympic Committee, including a tour of the HQ, a grand gala and an extraordinary general assembly, with the Budapest 2024 team in attendance throughout.

The French capital’s bidders instead dispatched one of their most important representatives, the young and handsome Tony Estanguet to the 14th edition of the Etoiles du Sport de La Plagne, a key rendezvous of French sport that allows 20 world-class champions to share their experiences with as many young hopefuls. The aim of the event is to charge existing champions, young hopefuls and the public at large with enthusiasm for the ” I Dream of the Games” operation, set up in September and unique in its voluntary approach to funding, a first of its kind for an Olympic and Paralympic bid.

Last but not least, Rome 2024 staged two days in the name of unity, youth and heritage. The focus was the launch of the official Rome 2024 logo on 14 December, in the presence of no less than 2’000 school children and students, as well as many representatives of Italian Olympic and Paralympic sport at the unveiling of the stylised Coliseum in the Italian national colours made to recall an athletics track, which will accompany the Italian capital’s candidature through to September 2017. The following day saw the remittance of the CONI Gold Collars of Honour to Italy’s champions, an event that again brought together all of Italy’s sports personalities in the presence of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

This without of course forgetting Los Angeles …