IOC President Wants "Spirit of Montreux" to Aid Olympic Agenda 2020

(ATR) Thomas Bach tells Around the Rings he wants to revive the atmosphere of the Swiss resort one final time to refine recommendations to revamp the Olympic Movement.

The 15-member executive board convenes at a Montreux retreat Oct. 22 to 24 to review the work of 14 commissions who have offered their input into Olympic Agenda 2020, Bach’s bid to make sweeping changes to the movement.

From a revamp of the Olympic bidding procedure to changes to the way sports can join the Olympics, more cost-effective Games management and best-practice governance, the EB has a busy agenda to get through.

This EB brainstorming meeting, like the first one last December in Montreux, is unusual in that no media facilities are available. No press conference is planned on site at the conclusion of the session, although Bach will hold a teleconference.

The secrecy surrounding the discussions in Montreux brings questions about IOC transparency at a time when the organization is trying to improve its public image under Bach.

Asked why it was so important for the EB to meet in such solitude without media in attendance, Bach told ATR that it provided the best conditions for the IOC’s ruling body to debate Olympic Agenda 2020.

"It’s maybe a little bit nostalgic from my side that I wanted to have this spirit of Montreux where we really initiated discussion about Olympic Agenda 2020," he said. "I wanted to revive this when it comes to making the decisions about the procedure we started."

"This kind of retreat meeting is creating the best atmosphere so that we can discuss very openly and then we will, like we did last time… we would be happy to answer questions in a teleconference to keep everyone informed."

Bach will speak to media in a conference call on the final day, Oct. 24.

Gianni Merlo, president of the International Sports Press Association, told ATR he had no particular concerns about media being shut out by the IOC.

"This is a particular situation, and Bach and his team may have decided in this way because it is still a moment of study for them," said the Italian.

"I believe it is fine if the IOC president has organized a teleconference following the EB meeting. After all, it is up to the EB members to decide what to do: to speak or not to speak.

"We already know what they will speak about - there are no secrets or lack of transparency in this case."

At the EB meeting, members are set to finalize Olympic Agenda 2020 proposals that will be presented for approval at an IOC Extraordinary Session in Monaco Dec.8 and 9.

"The most important thing will be to have the access to the sources and good working conditions during the congress because everything will be decided there," Merlo added.

ATR’s recent experience of covering FIFA’s sizeable reforms process, launched in the wake of a series of scandals linked to the 2011 presidential election and World Cup bidding, suggests that the IOC Session’s workload may be too great to push through all Olympic Agenda 2020 changes over two days in December.

FIFA’s reforms process only concluded in June this year. It all hinges on how strict Bach is with the length of discussions given to each item.

In his first year as president, Bach has moved at break-neck speed in a bid to introduce a raft of changes to the Olympics. But if he is to get it right, it seems possible that he may have to summon the relaxing atmosphere of Montreux once again, show some patience and convene another Extraordinary Session to wrap up the overhaul.

Reported by Mark Bisson

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.