Future Summer Olympics could be held in more than one country after the IOC voted in favor of "revolutionary changes" to how Games are organized, according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. IOC members also unanimously approved "sweeping reforms aimed at making it easier for new and exciting sports -- skateboarding, surfing and climbing have all been mooted -- to be included in its programme of events from 2024." The IOC Session in Monte Carlo voted on Monday morning on the first 10 of IOC President Thomas Bach's 40 "Agenda 2020" proposals, billed as the "biggest shake-up of the Olympic Movement since the Salt Lake City scandal." Each of the subsequent reforms was "also passed unanimously," despite those
relating to the Games program drawing what Bach described as a "new
Olympic record" of questions from members "uncertain precisely what was being
proposed" (TELEGRAPH, 12/8). REUTERS reported the IOC passed "sweeping changes to the bidding process for the Games, making it easier and cheaper for host city hopefuls." Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said, "The compactness of the Games has to be weighed up against the benefit of using existing venues. These changes do contemplate different cities and countries hosting the Games, and this is for reasons of sustainability." Changes include an invitation phase where potential candidates can
"first discuss plans with the IOC before deciding whether to launch a
campaign to stage the Games" (REUTERS, 12/8). REUTERS' Ossian Shine reported IOC members "also scrapped a cap on 28 sports
for a Summer Olympics, agreeing instead to limit the Games to 10,500
athletes and 310 events." Bach "passed his first test with flying colours, all his moves to revamp the Olympic movement receiving overwhelming support." Regarding the "makeup of the sports programme," the IOC said that any evaluation would be done "in collaboration" with the sports' int'l federations. The IOC will decide on the events for an Olympics "not later than three years prior to the opening of the Games" (REUTERS, 12/8).
JOINT BIDS: BLOOMBERG's Danielle Rossingh reported the reforms include "promoting the use of existing facilities and temporary venues and allowing joint bids by cities, neighboring countries or possibly even regions." Other "key points include making public the host city contracts -- which will include clauses on labor and environmental protection as well as non-discrimination on sexual orientation." The changes come two months after Oslo angered the IOC by
"withdrawing from the 2022 race because there wasn't enough local
support" to spend $4.9B on "staging the
Winter Olympics for a third time in Norway." Loughborough University Professor Ian Henry said that Oslo "pulling the plug has been a lesson for the IOC." Henry: "It became very difficult to persuade a cynical political
elite, let alone a general population, that the Games might
bring benefits" (BLOOMBERG, 12/8).
BASEBALL, SOFTBALL GIVEN OPPORTUNITY: REUTERS' Karolos Grohmann reported baseball and softball, out of the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games, "edged closer to a return to the world's biggest multi-sports event" when the IOC approved program changes. The two sports now have one foot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after the IOC gave the "green light for sports to be added without requiring the seven-year rule." World Baseball Softball Confederation President Riccardo Fraccari said that the WBSC "would now wait for guidance and direction from the IOC and the
Tokyo 2020 organizers to determine how the new reforms could involve
baseball and softball" (REUTERS, 12/8).
SCRAPPING THE CAP: Shine wrote in a separate piece the "Olympic dreams of some
athletes look set to be shattered" after Games chiefs agreed to
"scrap a cap on the number of sports." While that means sports "fighting to win a
coveted spot on the Summer Games program have received a boost, existing
sports with multiple events will need to jettison some disciplines to
make room for the newcomers." Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said that there had been a "huge degree of consensus," before
speculating on which ones could "face the axe." Pound: "Everybody has to share the load for the good of the Olympics." When asked which events he thought the Games "could do
without in order to pave the way for some new ones," Pound said, "synchronized swimming ... and maybe triple jump" (REUTERS, 12/8). Grohmann reported in a separate piece the IOC approved plans to "set up its own dedicated
digital channel, aimed at providing continuing exposure of the Games throughout the four-year Olympic cycle." The Olympic channel is expected to cost "nearly" €500M ($615.7M) for the '15-21 period, with IOC Finance Commission Chair Ser Miang Ng "predicting it to break even within seven to 10 years" (REUTERS, 12/8).
FIBA REJECTS 2020 VENUE PLAN: KYODO reported FIBA on Sunday "flat-out rejected the idea of hosting part of the Olympic competition for Tokyo 2020 in Osaka." In November during its Tokyo visit, the IOC's Coordination Commission suggested "holding the basketball preliminaries in Osaka." FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann, however, "shot down the proposal, saying the Olympics should be organized in Tokyo and no other city" (KYODO, 12/8).
