Rome's 2024 Olympics bid is in ruins after its city council withdrew its support last month, leading the Italian Olympic Committee to drop out of the running this week.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi recommended the city council not support the bid for the Summer Games, advice the council took action on in September.
"Today the game is over," Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago told The Associated Press on Tuesday, offering only a small glimmer of hope it could be revived. "But if someone decides that the game isn't over it's not up to us. But today we're ending the game. That's it."
Raggi had earlier complained about the financial obligations that come with hosting the Olympics.
"It is irresponsible to say yes to this candidature," Raggi said last week, noted France 24. "We are effectively asking the people of Rome and of Italy to shoulder the debts (accrued by hosting the Games). We just don't support it."
Raggi won election in June on the wave of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which often said Rome needed to address more pressing problems than trying to host a costly Olympics.
Italy's decision comes after French Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced Friday that his country is investing $1.11 billion into its bid for Paris to host the 2024 Games.
"The State will bring two thirds of the necessary public funds, that is 1 billion euros, to finance equipment, and long term construction which will be useful to the population," Valls said, according to France 24, noting the money would be released "between 2018 and 2024."
Los Angeles, another candidate for the 2024 Summer Olympics, was scheduled to submit a second round of paperwork to the International Olympic Committee last Friday.
The Los Angeles Olympic Committee stated it was moving its media center to the University of Southern California, but broadcast facilities would remain at NBC Universal.
"USC takes great pride in its Olympic heritage, which dates to 1904, and we couldn't be more thrilled by the prospect of playing such a key role," university President C.L. Max Nikias said in a release, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Paris, Budapest, and Hungary, the third entrant in the 2024 Games race, all submitted their files last week. The 2020 Summer Games will be held in Tokyo.
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