Officials behind Rome’s bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games have instructed 20 young architects and engineers to find suitable sports facilities for athletes to use during the games.

The Bid Committee for the games, led by Olympic gold medallist and general co-ordinator Diana Bianchedi, have launched technical inspections on existing grassroots and sports facilities in the region to identify those which could potentially be part of the Games if Rome is successful.

“The city’s needs are central to our bid,” said Bianchedi. “We want the Games to be an opportunity for Rome’s development and improvement.”

Bianchedi’s sentiments chime with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Agenda 2020s, which calls for cities to present Olympic projects that match their long-term planning needs and promote the use of existing facilities.

“The goal of the Bid Committee is to keep the needs of the athletes at the centre of the project. Rome 2024 has chosen the venues because they can all be reached in 30 minutes, allowing athletes to train and live more peacefully during the most important moment in their sporting career,” added Bianchedi.

Rome is competing with Budapest, Los Angeles and Paris to host the games. The IOC will choose a winning bid in Lima, Peru in late-2017.