Budapest 2024 Olympic Referendum Challenged

(ATR) An unnamed Budapest citizen is trying to stop the referendum on the Budapest 2024 Olympic bid before it starts.

The initiative to host a referendum where the citizens would vote to approve or reject the bid began on Dec. 15 with support from the voting community.

The Olympic referendum is coupled with a motion to vote down the Liget Budapest Project, an investment to build a museum quarter in the capital. The initiatives are collectively known as "Let’s Go Budapest!"

The campaign against the Liget Budapest Project is headed by District 14 Mayor Gergely Karacsony while journalist Katalin Erdelyi founded the opposition to the Olympic bid. The two have now joined forces to gain support from voters and opposition parties.

The Liget Budapest Project is estimated to cost the city $682 million, while the Olympic bid investment is north of $2.7 billion.

Both initiatives are now being challenged in court by the unknown civilian. The court is scheduled to make a decision on whether to allow the referendums in the next few weeks.

Los Angeles

Three Olympic heavyweights behind L.A. 2024 are claiming 2016 for women leaders in sport.

In a statement released this week, Anita DeFrantz, Janet Evans, and Angela Ruggiero stressed the importance of gender equality across the Olympic Movement.

DeFrantz, an IOC member and Olympian, reflected on 2015, "a very successful year for women in sport."

She added, "We have seen many extraordinary achievements on and off the field of play. There is also a rise in the number of prominent women administrators in sport but, as Olympic Agenda 2020 highlights, there is still more that can be done in this regard.

"I'm sure that at Rio 2016 we will see the Olympic Movement take a step closer to its goal of achieving 50 percent participation of women in the Olympic Games."

Angela Ruggiero, vice chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission and Olympic ice hockey player, echoed DeFrantz's sentiments. "I know how important it is for current and retired athletes, and Olympians and Paralympians in particular, to serve as role models to inspire more females to participate and lead in sport.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games have an unrivaled power to help achieve this and so I really look forward to Rio 2016."

L.A. 2024 vice chair and Olympian Janet Evans added, "L.A. 2024 is strongly committed to advancing the IOC's goal of fostering gender equality and strengthening women's participation in, and through, sport."

Evans said the bid committee is excited to welcome Olympian Tamara Christopherson aboard as L.A. 2024's associate director of athlete relations. "Tamara's experience and knowledge is emblematic of the huge pool of talented current and retired athletes that train and reside in California and the U.S.

"We will be looking to harness all of that talent as we build LA 2024's Athletes' Commission."

Paris

The Dragon Rouge Agency will take on the task of designing the Paris 2024 logo.

Bid leaders made the announcement this week, but have not yet unveiled any plans for the design of the logo.

In other Paris news this week, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took to social media to tout a strong point for the city's Olympic bid.

"The Games will be simple and environmentally friendly, just like me," Hidalgo said in a tweet.

La candidature de Paris aux Jeux Olympiques de 2024, sera celle de jeux sobres et écologiques, comme je m'y suis engagée #Paris2024

Following the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, Paris 2024 stressed the city's plans for a sustainable and eco-friendly Games.

Rome is also in the running alongside Budapest, Los Angeles, and Paris for the 2024 Olympics Games.The IOC vote takes place in September 2017.

Written byNicole Bennettand Kevin Nutley

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