|
 IOC President Thomas Bach will present 40 recommendations at the
renovated Olympic Museum in Lausanne on Nov. 18 and while specific
details of his proposals have yet to be revealed, they will affect
the way cities campaign to land the Olympics and how sports will be
included in the future.
The IOC session in Monaco next month will vote on each of the
recommendations, part of Bach's Agenda 2020, which could usher in
the most significant changes to the Olympics in decades.
The biggest change concerns bidding for the Olympics, with the IOC
wanting to make it cheaper and more adaptable to the needs of cities
rather than current extensive IOC pre-requisites.
Four of six cities bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics pulled out
midway through the process citing financial concerns or lack of
public support, leaving Beijing and Kazakhstan's Almaty as the only
candidates.
 The withdrawals have dented the Games' reputation, seen by some
cities more as an oversized economic burden and strain on a
country's resources than a financially lucrative prospect.
"With regard to the bidding procedure, the purpose of the
recommendations is to turn the procedure into an invitation for
discussion and partnership with the IOC rather than just an
application for a tender," Bach told reporters days ago.
The proposed changes will also make it easier for new sports to
become part of the Games, which in turn can attract fresh fans,
sponsors and higher broadcast revenues.
[to top of second column] |
Sports currently need to wait seven years from their approval until
their first appearance.
The first Games to benefit could be the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
with the Japanese pushing for the inclusion of baseball and
softball, after they were taken off the program following the 2008
Beijing Olympics.
There is also a recommendation for the creation of an Olympic
broadcast channel as the IOC looks to provide the Games experience
year-round rather than just every four years.
Other changes could see the age limit for IOC members, who must step
down at 70, raised, but there will be no lifting of IOC members'
travel ban to bid cities, a rule introduced after the 2002 Salt Lake
City bribery scandal.
(Editing by John O'Brien)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
