Olympics Games 2024: the Colosseum in green, white and red as logo

A stylised Coliseum in green, white and red of the Italian flag: the Rome bid committee for the 2024 Olympics unveiled its logo Monday at an event bringing together champions of the past and present and budding athletes.

This logo was presented to the Palazzetto dello Sport, a room of the Italian capital where were notably held during the 1960 Olympic weightlifting trials and basketball.

"I have in mind the 1960 Games With Cassius Clay with Abebe Bikila, or Italians, Nino Benvenuti (gold medalist in boxing, ed) or Livio Berruti (Olympic champion in the 200, note) that are here today, "said Luca di Montezemolo, chairman of the bid committee.

"Many of you who are here today will still be there in 2024 to try to win medals," he added, addressing the students of sports schools in the city in the gallery.

Livio Berruti, Olympic champion in 1960, was also arrested these students. "I want to say something to young people who are here. All these years, I was proud to say" the 1960 Games, I was there. "Think about it," he launched them .

Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) has in turn insisted on the colours of the logo. "The Italian flag is there to show that it is not that the candidature of Rome but that of the whole of Italy, a country where 30 million people in sport and where 10 million are licensed," a-t- he said.

It also welcomed the announcement on Monday that Rome would organise in 2022 the Ryder Cup in golf. "It's impossible to imagine a more positive signal on the day we unveil the logo," said he said.

- 'Night and day' -

Montezemolo, former president of Ferrari, now head of Alitalia, also felt that now was "to give strong signals".

"First, that the city of Rome, which organised fabulous Games in 1960, wants to organise the best Games of the 2000s was all to do, culture, beauty, technology and a city that wants take this opportunity to put in full light the eyes of the world, "he said.

"And it is also a message to our opponents, we want the Games and we will work night and day for you," he began. Rome is competing with Paris, Budapest and Los Angeles to host the Olympics in 2024.

Hamburg waived late November after a referendum in which the people have said "no" to the application project. Such a move is not expected in Rome.

Questioned by AFP, Mr di Montezemolo also rejected the idea that the current difficulties of the city, mired in a corruption trial mixing politics and crime, called "Mafia capital" can be handicaps.

"That's the past. This means that we now have a clean city. It is a huge opportunity. One of the lessons of Rome-1960 was to look ahead and think in terms of the future of the city. Rome-1960 has left the city of important infrastructure, "he said.

The Rome 2024 project revolves around three poles: the Foro Italico, large sports center built in the 20s and completed for the 1960 Games which is installed including the Olympic Stadium; the area of ​​the Fiera di Roma, where an exhibition center located; and the neighbourhood of Tor Vergata, where the Olympic Village would be built.