Karl Stoss Skeptical of Simultaneous 2024, 2028 Olympics Vote -- ATRadio

(ATR) Austrian Olympic Committee (OOC) president Karl Stoss tells Around the Rings he does not think the IOC will select the host cities of both the 2024 and 2028 Olympics this September.

"I think just in the moment it’s an option to talk about at the IOC Session in Lima," Stoss tells ATR on the latest edition of ATRadio. "We have some examples maybe from FIFA; they have done it for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 to reduce costs.

"Yes, it could, but on the other hand it is very difficult to evaluate that many years in advance," Stoss says. "It’s a controversial discussion on this subject and I’m not sure that they will do it in Lima, no I don’t think so."

The OOC chief and IOC member is more concerned about the 2026 Winter Olympic selection process with Austria in the midst of conducting a feasibility study for hosting the Games. Stoss says the project will be evaluated by Austrian officials and the public before a final decision to bid is made by the end of the year.

Stoss also discusses issues with the fledgling European Games, as organizers gear up for the second edition in Minsk, Belarus in 2019. The inaugural edition in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2015 left a sour taste in the mouths of Austrians due to a terrible accident in which a young Austrian athlete was severely injured.

"We still have not yet received any compensation payment from the government and for us this is a very difficult thing to accept," Stoss says.

The OOC chief also says the European Games may not have the success the EOC hopes for because there are simply too many competitions in Europe as it is.

Listen below for the full conversation between Stoss and ATR Editor Ed Hula:

Written by Kevin Nutley

Forgeneral comments or questions, click here.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about theOlympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.