"Real Alternative" Says Budapest 2024

(ATR) Budapest launches its international campaign for the Olympics by noting this is the seventh time the city has bid for the Games – since 1894.

The Hungarian capital joined its 2024 rivals Los Angeles and Paris in appearing before the Association of National Olympic Committees general assembly in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday. The three Olympic bids made their first international presentations to the ANOC assembly, a group representing the 205 national Olympic committees in the world.

Table tennis Paralympian Zsófia Arlóy and Olympic fencing champion Áron Szilágyi opened the 20-minute presentation for Budapest. They were followed by Hungarian Olympic Committee President Zsolt Borkai, himself a gold medalist in gymnastics and a fourth Olympian, Attila Miszér, director of sport and venues and Olympic champion in modern pentathlon.

Bid chairman Balázs Fürjes addressed the development of Budapest where he says $55 billion has been spent in the past 15 years to modernize the city.

"All independent of the Games but ready for the Games. Budapest: a city on the rise," said Furjes.

"In the last seven years, more development has taken place in Budapest than will be needed in the seven years up to the Games," he said.

He says Budapest is "a real alternative" and offers "Games for all, not just for the richest and the biggest."

Miszér described the compact venue plan that would place most events within the city.

"How easy it will be for our Olympic Family, the spectators and media to attend multiple events every single day? Friends, the experience will be truly new and unique. The whole city as one single, connected Olympic Park. A truly compact Games experience, accessible to all," he said.

Deputy mayor Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky spoke about the charms of Budapest, calling it a beautiful city in the middle of Europe with the best cafes and bars.

"This is a city glowing with the warmth and openness of the Hungarian people. It’s our love of life. Our feeling for festival. Our passion for sport. Budapest, passionately Olympic, is what we mean when we talk about new vitality," she said.

Furjes tells Around the Rings he thinks the presentation was well received.

"I had a good feeling. Talking to many people after the presentation and many journalists, I think the messaging went through," he said.

"We’ve gotten positive feedback so far, but I’m more interested in the negative and critical ones. I’m a perfectionist and always want to do better and better. So I’m anxious to learn with my team, to analyze and review the feedback and learn what we can do even better next time," he said.

The IOC will decide the 2024 race next September at the IOC Session in Lima, Peru.

Written by Ed Hulain Doha

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