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IOC president Thomas Bach promises to bring harmony to Olympic bids IOC president Thomas Bach promises to bring harmony to Olympic bids
(35 minutes later)
The International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, has promised to overhaul the bidding process for the Games as part of a wide-ranging reform programme to be voted on in December.The International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, has promised to overhaul the bidding process for the Games as part of a wide-ranging reform programme to be voted on in December.
Bach, who succeeded Jacques Rogge as president last year, said that the process would be made cheaper and involve more cooperation with bidders. He said the proposals, among 40 that form part of his Olympic Agenda 2020 overhaul that will be voted on at a special IOC congress in December, would turn “the bidding procedure more into an invitation, a discussion, a partnership with the IOC rather than just an application for a tender”.Bach, who succeeded Jacques Rogge as president last year, said that the process would be made cheaper and involve more cooperation with bidders. He said the proposals, among 40 that form part of his Olympic Agenda 2020 overhaul that will be voted on at a special IOC congress in December, would turn “the bidding procedure more into an invitation, a discussion, a partnership with the IOC rather than just an application for a tender”.
Bach added: “We want to make an effort to reduce the cost of bidding and make it even clearer to bidding cities what from the point of view of the IOC is requested and what may be their own initiative on top of that.”Bach added: “We want to make an effort to reduce the cost of bidding and make it even clearer to bidding cities what from the point of view of the IOC is requested and what may be their own initiative on top of that.”
The move comes in the wake of criticism of the IOC over the race for the 2022 Winter Olympics. After Oslo pulled out amid much media criticism of the IOC’s demands, there are just two bidders remaining – Beijing and Almaty.The move comes in the wake of criticism of the IOC over the race for the 2022 Winter Olympics. After Oslo pulled out amid much media criticism of the IOC’s demands, there are just two bidders remaining – Beijing and Almaty.
But following a two-day executive board meeting in Montreaux Bach said he was “very happy” with the “strong interest” in bidding for the 2024 summer Games. He said the proposed changes had been part of his election manifesto and were not a response to the criticism that followed Oslo’s decision. But following a two-day executive board meeting in Montreux Bach said he was “very happy” with the “strong interest” in bidding for the 2024 summer Games. He said the proposed changes had been part of his election manifesto and were not a response to the criticism that followed Oslo’s decision.
The US is expected to return to the table for the 2024 Games after missing out in humiliating fashion with Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics, while Germany, France and Argentina are also considering bids.The US is expected to return to the table for the 2024 Games after missing out in humiliating fashion with Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics, while Germany, France and Argentina are also considering bids.
Bach said that the prospect of IOC members touring the bidding cities, abandoned as part of the reforms that followed the Salt Lake City bribery scandal, would not be among the changes debated in December. He also confirmed plans for a global TV channel to maintain interest in Olympic sports between Games, promising further details if it was approved in December.Bach said that the prospect of IOC members touring the bidding cities, abandoned as part of the reforms that followed the Salt Lake City bribery scandal, would not be among the changes debated in December. He also confirmed plans for a global TV channel to maintain interest in Olympic sports between Games, promising further details if it was approved in December.
The IOC session in Monaco will also debate proposed changes to the programme, which could involve reducing the number of disciplines in order to make way for new sports. “We have deliberately not addressed specific sports or the number of sports because we feel that this is about the principle,” said Bach. “We don’t make this effort for one particular sport, we do it to make more flexibility.”The IOC session in Monaco will also debate proposed changes to the programme, which could involve reducing the number of disciplines in order to make way for new sports. “We have deliberately not addressed specific sports or the number of sports because we feel that this is about the principle,” said Bach. “We don’t make this effort for one particular sport, we do it to make more flexibility.”
Bach added that the door remained open for Tokyo 2020 organisers to come to the IOC and discuss possible alterations to the sports on offer, raising the possibility that baseball or squash could still be added to the programme.Bach added that the door remained open for Tokyo 2020 organisers to come to the IOC and discuss possible alterations to the sports on offer, raising the possibility that baseball or squash could still be added to the programme.
He said the IOC board was “ready and willing” to discuss possible changes, but only if it was approached by the Tokyo 2020 organising committee.He said the IOC board was “ready and willing” to discuss possible changes, but only if it was approached by the Tokyo 2020 organising committee.