Budapest Olympic bid chief downbeat over 2024 hosting hopes
The battle to host the 2024 Olympics may soon feature only two cities, after Budapest's bid chief said they had little chance of success.
The chief organiser of Budapest's bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games has acknowledged the city are now a significant underdog following considerable local opposition to its candidacy.
Over 260,000 people have signed a petition set up by the political movement Momentum in an attempt to trigger a referendum on the bid.
BBC Sport quote Balazs Furjes, the head of Budapest's organising team, as telling Inforadio: "The ship has sailed, it seems."
Budapest is one of only three cities still in the running to host the 2024 Games - together with Paris and Los Angeles - after Hamburg and Rome withdrew their respective bids.
The IOC will elect the winner at a vote in Peru's capital, Lima, in September.
"Unity has gone up in the air, and lacking that, we stand no chance against Paris or Los Angeles," said Furjes.