Los Angeles, Budapest and Paris delivered their third and final candidate dossiers to host the 2024 Olympic Games to the International Olympic Committee on Friday.
The three cities can now embark on their most aggressive publicity campaigns yet.
The 2024 hosts will be announced at the IOC's 130th Congress in Lima on September 13.
Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest "officially entered the final straight in the bidding process," the IOC announced in a statement.
The three remaining candidates in the race to stage sport's greatest spectacle will undergo visits by IOC bid inspectors.
Los Angeles is first to be put under the IOC microscope on April 23-25, followed by Budapest (May 10-12) and Paris (May 14-16).
The IOC bidding commission's final report will then be sent to all IOC members to study and be made public before a July 11-12 meeting of the IOC and sporting federations.
Friday's three dossiers arriving at IOC headquarters in Lausanne related to "Games Delivery, Experience and Venue Legacy".
They describe the experience awaiting athletes and spectators during the Games in terms of transport, lodging, logistics and crucially, the legacy experience for locals in the years after the Games.
Budapest's bid is under threat of a citizen-led call to hold a referendum on the Hungarian capital's suitability to stage an event of this magnitude.
In Paris, French media reported that the French capital's bid had promoted its fair ticket pricing for fans.
According to L'Equipe half of all tickets would be under 50 euros (£43, $54) and much of those would be under 20 euros.