New IOC President Thomas Bach "made it clear Wednesday that he wants to change the bidding process for future Olympics and to make sustainable development a key priority," according to Frederick Bernas of the AP. Bach said he believes the current bidding system asks for "too much, too early." He added that the system "leads to predictability, rather than creativity." Bach: "We approach potential candidate cities like you would do in business, with a tender for a franchise. All the bid books are written by the same people around the world -- you get the same answers." He added, "I would like to try and change that mentality a little bit, to think about bidding more as an invitation. I want to invite potential candidates to study how Olympic Games would fit into their long-term city and regional and country development ... (and) could contribute to sustainable development in their environment" (AP, 9/11). Meanwhile, after failing in a third straight bid to host the Olympics, Madrid Mayor Ana Botella said that the city "should not try again." She said Madrid "shouldn't seek to hold the games" in '24 because "the bidding race has already provided all the benefits we can ask of it" (AP, 9/12).
