Rome, host of the 1960 Olympics, has released details of its bid for the 2024 Olympic Games. The Italian capital is one of 5 cities vying to host. The competition includes Los Angeles, Hamburg, Paris, and Budapest.
According to bid chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, 70 percent of the venues that would be used are already existing. The central focus of the bid, which includes several historic venues, is the Foro Italico. Also making the list of iconic venues are the Colisseum and the Circus Maxiumus.
The Foro Italico features the Stadio Olimpico used for the 1960 games. That includes the athletics and soccer stadium, and would play host to swimming and diving among other sports.
A potential downside to this bid for swimmers is that the area that may be used for the athletes village, Tor Vergata, is 20 miles from the aquatics facilities. That would mean a 40 minute drive each way to and from the pool for swimmers who want to return to the village between prelims and finals sessions. To keep traffic to a minimum, Rome would ideally host the games sometime between August 5th and 25th, when the locals often leave the city for vacation.
