IOC aims at more flexible future Olympic Games elections

PARIS - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board on Thursday approved major changes to the principles concerning future election of Games hosts as the proposals were submitted during its meeting by the Working Group for Future Games Elections.

"With Olympic Agenda 2020, we revolutionized the candidature process. Now we have been looking into the evolution of this revolution," said the IOC President Thomas Bach.

The Group emphasized five leading principles in electing the hosts, namely to preserve the magic of the Games to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the world's best athletes, find the best host for the world's best athletes, preserve the IOC Session's prerogative to elect the hosts for the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, maintain the fundamental principle of universality, and ensure good governance.

Bach thought that in the framework of these principles, the Working Group proposed some key changes in order to avoid producing too many losers.

The new principles aim to provide additional flexibility regarding potential Games hosts, the location of Games venues and the procedure leading to the election of the hosts.

The key changes proposed include establishing a permanent, ongoing dialogue to explore interest among cities/regions/countries and National Olympic Committees to host the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, creating two Future Host Commissions to oversee interest in hosting future Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games and report to the Executive Board, giving the IOC Session more influence, and making election timings flexible and adjusted to the context and needs.