IOC Debates Changes to Bid Process -- On the Scene

(ATR) An overhaul of the Olympic bidding process inspired spirited debate as the IOC Session began in Sochi.

More than 20 IOC members weighed in on joint bids, the revival of IOC member visits to candidate cities and a more thorough scrutiny of proposed budgets.

The discussion was part of "Olympic Agenda 2020," the initiative by new IOC president Thomas Bach to guide the organization toward the future. The IOC will spend the next day and a half considering ways to change the Olympics with an eye to adopting these changes in December when it will hold another session in Monaco.

IOC vice president John Coates of Australia opened the debate by asking members to consider joint bids by cities within a nation or by separate countries. Another option would allow countries to bid for the Games instead of cities. He said changing the rules in these ways would allow more creativity and diversity.

Alex Gilady, IOC member from Israel, said he feared that if the IOC spread the Games around a country, "we may easily lose the uniqueness of the Games." He noted that politics would make it difficult to decide where to build venues. He also was opposed to having more than one Olympic Village. Gilady said that practice is common in the Winter Games because of the mountains, but added, "In the Summer Games, if we change the concept of city to country, we may start the end of the Games."

Kirsty Coventry, Olympic swimmer and IOC member from Zimbabwe, said she would be "nervous or fearful" if the Olympics were spread to many different countries.

Sir Philip Craven of Great Britain favored retaining the city focus, pointing out that "a successful city absolutely should energize the whole nation."

The membership appeared to support the reinstitution of IOC member visits to candidate cities. These often lavish visits were banned in 1999 in the wake of the Salt Lake City bidding scandal, which forced out 10 IOC members for accepting cash and gifts.

Gilady said he voted in 1999 to scrap the visits. "I think now, 15 years later, in the test of time, I realize that this was not the right decision."

Gilady said it was difficult "to vote for a city you have never seen."

Vitaly Smirnov of Russia agreed, saying "The timehas come when IOC members should be able to visit candidate cities."

Smirnov called the decision banning visits "absolutely just" at the time. However, he said that now there was a perception that the members of the evaluation commission traveling to the different cities "appear more honest than the IOC members. There should be no such double standards."

Several IOC members emphasized the financial aspects of the bids, both for the expense of the candidature and then the costs of the Games themselves.

Richard Peterkin of Saint Lucia said the question of financial and political risk is "perhaps not adequately addressed," especially when a city is bidding seven years ahead of the Games. He noted that it is often left to the media to determineif cities are sufficiently prepared, and it "builds to a frenzy."

Peterkin suggested using independent assessors who are expert in risk management.

Jean-Claude Killy also discussed the financial aspects of bidding, echoing colleagues who said cities often struggle to justify their budgets and explain how the money is spent.

"Negative media attention is really difficult to fight back against," Killy said.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait said that the process of winnowing down applicants to a shortlist should be examined. He said a lot of candidate cities are more worried about making the shortlist than winning the Games, fearing that an early ouster is a disgrace.

The Sheikh also said that winning city and losing cities should provide input about their experiences.

Denis Oswald of Switzerland spoke of the advantages and benefits of being a candidate without being awarded the Games, while Gerhard Heiberg of Norway said the IOC should take heed of countries that voted through referendums not to bid for the Games, such as Switzerland and Germany.

The contract between the IOC and the winning city also needs review and revision, said Austin Sealy of Barbados.

He said financial problems often crop up, forcing the city to turn to the central government.

Written by Karen Rosen

Homepage photo from Getty Images

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