The U.S. is one step closer to hosting the Olympics again because another country might be out of the running.
A Hungarian political movement against a 2024 Olympic bid in Budapest has over 260,000 signatures. That's well over what's needed to force a referendum, which would mean there's a good chance voters will reject the city's Olympic bid.
That already happened to Hamburg, Germany, in 2015. Referendums also struck down two other Winter Olympic bids in recent years.
But what's bad news for Budapest is good news for Los Angeles. LA and Paris would be the only cities left if Budapest drops out, and the City of Angels has plenty going for it.
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This includes history. The games have been in LA twice, most recently in 1984. That Olympics was a big success, turning a profit of $225 million.
The city's 2024 bid is pretty similar. It has a wide geographic footprint that relies on existing venues instead of expensive new structures.
There's still a lot that needs to happen before the games would come to LA. The International Olympic Committee isn't deciding until September, but one fewer opponent is likely good news for organizers.
