Bach: Tokyo 2020 Embracing Olympic Reforms

(ATR) Thomas Bach applauds seven venue changes made by Tokyo 2020 that will save another $700 million.

Meeting Monday in Lausanne, the IOC Executive Board finalized the latest batch of venues with the organizing committee. After $1 billion was slashed from the venue masterplan a few months ago, venues for eights sports were locked down – 26 in total have now been approved.

Water polo is now at Tatsumi International Swimming Center; badminton is slated for Musashino Forest Sport Center; fencing, taekwondo and wrestling are taking place at Makuhari Messe; rugby moves to Tokyo Stadium and sailing to Enoshima Yacht Harbor.

In a 50-minute press conference wrapping up a day-and-a-half executive board meeting, Bach said it was "great to see the progress being made there."

"By approving this and having a more intelligent way of using facilities following Agenda 2020 – that means by making more use of existing facilities, by relocating different sports into joint venues wherever possible and by other means – we achieve further savings," he said.

"I’m quite confident that there still may be some room for a little bit more."

Bach praised Tokyo 2020 for "embracing Agenda 2020," the first fruits he noted of the reforms summit in Monaco six months ago.

Uncertainties around the design of the national stadium being built for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and used for the Olympics also exercised the minds of the executive committee today.

Saying that it was an issue for the Japanese government and not for Tokyo 2020, Bach called for a speedy resolution to ensure the stalled stadium project didn’t distract from other aspects of Games preparations.

"We don’t want to have a continuing discussion on the stadium somehow overshadowing the excellent progress being made in Tokyo," he said.

Bach also remarked on the "great marketing success Tokyo is enjoying," having signed a raft of top-tier sponsors in recent months.

"The marketing budget has by far been overachieved."

He said the revenue boost for Tokyo 2020 underlined the attractiveness of the Olympics and the effects of Agenda 2020 in recruiting sponsors.

"They have great confidence in the Olympic Games and want to be identified with sustainable forms of the Olympics," he said.

Criteria Approved for New Tokyo 2020 Sport

The EB approved 35 evaluation criteria for review and analysis of any Tokyo 2020 proposal for the inclusion of one or more additional events on its sports program.

Developed from an initial 74 criteria approved by the IOC Session in 2011 and used to evaluate the 2020 sports programme in 2013, they aim to serve as a guide for OCOGs, and cover five main themes: Olympic proposal, value added to the Olympic Games, institutional matters, popularity, and business model.

The application process for sports or events to be added to Tokyo 2020 opened last month, with the final selection to be proposed to the IOC by Sept. 30. The final decision is slated for the IOC Session in Rio in August 2016.

SportAccord – "Up to the IFs"

A day after the IOC EB agreed to suspend its relations with SportAccord and pull funding from the organization run by the now-departed Marius Vizer, Bach suggested the federations should consult together and agree on their next move.

Having "taken note of the internal problems of SportAccord", prompted by Vizer’s anti-IOC tirade at the SportAccord Convention, Bach said the IFs needed to restructure how they wanted to be represented and by which entity.

"We have just offered our hand if needed in this respect. We are ready to give advice and assistance in any way requested," he added, saying the funding freeze could be lifted at any time when new structures were agreed with the IOC.

2022 Olympic Bid Briefings

Avoiding any accusations of bias, Bach gave only a brief response when asked for his impressions about Almaty and Beijing, who will each present their bidding concepts to IOC members in Lausanne on Tuesday.

"I am very happy with the evaluation commission report… it shows the spirit of Agenda 2020 having a big role," he said.

Bach said he was "looking forward to presentations… it’s an opportunity to know more how the candidates want to position their project, how they want to address Olympic Agenda 2020".

Rio 2016 Water Issues

"We can see significant progress," was Bach’s opening line following a Rio 2016 update to the EB. But his comment was tempered with the expression of ongoing concerns about the water quality in the venues for sailing and rowing, now a real headache for the IOC.

"The IOC EB is watching this situation very closely," Bach said, adding that the Olympic ruling body had asked the organizing committee to "convey our concerns with regard to water quality".

The IOC is hoping for better news at its meeting in Kuala Lumpur next month.

Rio Mourning Place

The IOC chief gave some detail on the mourning place that will be created under Agenda 2020 at the Rio 2016 Olympic Village.

He said it would "most likely consist of stone taken from ancient Olympia and then placed in the Olympic Village in a dignified environment". The idea is to offer a space for athletes to mourn all those they know who have passed away during or just before the Olympics.

The EB also discussed plans for a "moment of remembrance" at the Rio 2016 closing ceremony for athletes and spectators to pay their respects to those they have known who have died.

New Code of Ethics

The EB approved a new set of ethics, proposed by the ethics commission, following an Agenda 2020 recommendation. Bach said the ethics rules had been "strengthened."

Written by Mark Bisson.

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