Hamburg Games bid collapses in referendum

Hamburg's bid to host the 2024 Olympics collapsed on Sunday after the majority of the city's residents voted against the multibillion-euro project in a referendum, killing off the candidacy and leaving officials in shock.

Hamburg's withdrawal reshuffles the cards in the race to land the world's biggest multisports event, with Paris, Los Angeles, Budapest and Rome left in contention, and an International Olympic Committee decision due in 2017.

"We expected a different result," bid CEO Nikolas Hill said.