IOC Shakes Up Olympics World -- Media Watch

(ATR) The world’s media continues to explore the ramifications of the latest IOC Executive Board meeting in Lausanne.

IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday laid out a number of key decisions taken that may ultimately set the Olympic Games on a new course. Decisions were taken to include more women at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, award two Olympic Games at the same time, and reinvent the Olympic bid cycle.

Around the Rings, like many others, covered the event in real time, reporting on each of the decisions taken by the EB.

Here is how the rest of the world reacted:

-The Los Angeles Times editorial board says the city securing the 2028 Olympics is "an opportunity for a better Olympics."

"Would the later date be a snub to L.A. or a commentary on the country’s current shaky political ground, as some people are suggesting? Who knows? Who cares? What’s important is that this uncommon arrangement offers L.A. an extraordinary opportunity. Mayor Eric Garcetti said there’s a chance now to push for concessions from the IOC. We suggest he focus on wrangling better terms in exchange for agreeing to go second."

-Le Monde says that the IOC decision means the allocation of the 2024 Games to Paris is "precise."

"Are the Games already made? Three months after the designation of the host city of the Olympic Summer 2024 on September 13 in Lima, Peru, a new scenario is emerging more and more clearly on the side of the IOC. The institution chaired by Germany's Thomas Bach, who at the end of 2016 regretted that the Olympics race creates "too many losers", may decide not to disappoint between Paris and Los Angeles, the two candidate cities."

-Alan Abrahamson of 3 Wire Sports says now it us up to the IOC to not mess up its double award.

"On Friday, the IOC’s policy-making executive board took me up on my suggestion.

Now let’s see, despite indications to the contrary, whether the IOC can get the order right.

At issue is way more than the 2024 and 2028 Games. At stake is the direction, if not the very future, of the Olympic movement in the 21st century."

-Phil Hersh offers his opinions on the IOC decision, which reinforced the IOC is "overplaying its hand," with 2028 rhetoric.

"The IOC has held all the cards in bid city dealings for so long it figured no one would realize there was a new deal that has left the Grand Poobahs with worthless cards. One bid city dropout after another has called the IOC’s bluff, but it still keeps overplaying its hand.

That was evident in Bach’s "present" remark, even if it was nothing more than posturing. It emphasizes the idea, valid or not, that the IOC will have the upper hand in all dealings with Paris and Los Angeles."

- Süddeutsche zeitung says a new bidding process for the IOC means "more power for [Thomas] Bach."

"At the same time, the IOC announced that it would revise the procedure for the Winter Olympics 2026 and the following [Games]. Details are not yet available, but the IOC wants to be "more proactive" and meet earlier with cities, dictating when and how to apply. The IOC therefore wants to control and select more strongly."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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