(ATR) The IOC tells Around the Rings it has received a "high level of interest" from NOCs wishing to bid for the 2024 Olympics.
Jacqueline Barrett, head of Olympic bid city coordination, told ATR that the IOC was pleased with the strong interest in the 2024 Games since the IOC opened its invitation phase last month.
She declined to say how many NOCs had so far expressed a desire to host the Games.
But she said the Agenda 2020 reforms passed in December – designed to reduce the complexity and costs of bidding and staging the Olympics – have had a "big impact" in encouraging NOCs to come forward.
"We are already engaging with NOCs," said Barrett.
The IOC working group for the new-look bidding procedure includes Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi. Both Barrett and Dubi are currently in Almaty, Kazakhstan for the IOC 2022 Evaluation Commission visit which wrapped up Wednesday.
Dubi said last month that he expected the IOC reforms to trigger considerable interest in the 2024 Games. On Jan. 15, the IOC sent letters to the world’s 205 NOCs explaining the three-phase bidding contest – invitation, applicant, candidate cities – and emphasizing how Agenda 2020 reforms have made the process more flexible for interested countries.
The Olympic Games chief said he expected most formal requests to be submitted to the IOC by the time of its executive board next week. The IOC will soon decide how it deals with the NOC proposals for 2024. A delegation may be appointed to visit potential bid cities or a seminar might be held in Lausanne.
However, Barrett told ATR in Almaty that there was no cut-off date for NOCs to express their interest in 2024 bidding. She also said the "exploratory phase" of the 2024 contest would likely be a discussion point at next week’s IOC Executive Board meeting in Rio.
During the invitation phase initiated by Agenda 2020 reforms, NOCs and potential bid cities are invited to discuss their initial ideas with the IOC; Sept. 15 is the final deadline for official applications for the 2024 Games.
Boston and Rome are so far the only confirmed bidders for the Olympics. Berlin or Hamburg as well as Paris are expected to enter the race. Budapest, Qatar and South Africa are among other possible bids.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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