IOC Readies for New Olympic Bids

(ATR) The IOC signals a start to the search for the next round of Olympic host cities.

President Thomas Bach announces the formation of the two permanent commissions to handle future Olympic and Paralympic bids. Speaking at the close of a two day meeting of the ruling Executive Board, Bach said the two commissions will engage in permanent dialogue with potential hosts.

The 10-member commission on Summer Games will be led by Kristin Kloster Aasen, IOC member in Norway since 2017. Other members include IOC membersRichard Pound of Canada,Lingwei Li from China,Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski of Philippines, Luis Mejia from Dominican Republic andFilomena Fortes of Cape Verde. IFs are represented by Frencesco Ricci Bitti, president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. New Zealland's Sarah Walker is the athletes representative. Kenya NOC president Paul Tergat is the NOC rep. International Paralympics Committee president Andrew Parsons of Brazil is the tenth member.

Octavian Morariu, Romania IOC member, will head the Winter Olympics panel with eight members. Other members include: IOC members Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden, Karl Stoss of Austria andSamira Asghari from Afghanistan.

Hong Zhang of China is the athlete rep, FIS president Gian Franco Kasper represents the IFs, IOC member Neven Ilic is the NOC rep andRita Van Driel serves for the International Paralympics Committee.

Both commissions are gender balanced. The new commissions, along with other reforms to the Olympicbid process, were approved in June.

"The commission on winter hosting will start immediately," Bach said. The commission will first consider candidates for the 2024 Youth Olympic Games. PyeongChang, host of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games is said to be interested in bidding.

Bach says the selection of a host for the 2030 Winter Games will follow. Salt Lake City, Sapporo and Barcelona have already registered their interest in bidding.

The next edition of the summer Games to be chosen will be 2032. The IOC commission will also handle selection of a 2026 YOG host.

Brisbane, Jakarta, Shanghai, New Delhi and the Rhein-Ruhr region of Germany are among the interested locales in 2032.

Bach called the two-day EB a "very fruitful meeting". The meeting was the first time for the 15-member EB to hold a full meeting in the new IOC headquarters that opened in June.

He says the report from Tokyo 2020 organizers confirms his belief that he has "never seen a better prepared city."

Bach cited the response in Japan to applications for slots in the Olympic torch relay as proof of the enthusiasm for the Games. He noted that 535,000 applications have been received for 10,000 places. And he said more than 200,000 volunteer applicants are seeking 70,000 positions.

Bach also announced a 12.5 million euros renovation for the International Olympic Academy in Olympia. He says the work represents the IOC’s "commitment to our roots and heritage". The work is due to be finished in time for the 2021 IOC session that will take place in Olympia and Athens.

Reported by Ed Hula.