IOC Execs Review 2024/2028 Proposal -- Monday Memo

(ATR) Leaders of the International Olympic Committee could set the Olympic Movement on an unprecedented course this week in Lausanne.

The IOC Executive Board convenes on June 9 to hear reports from the working group that is rethinking the Olympic bidding process for the 2024 and 2026 Games.

The first report by the four IOC vice presidents will determine the feasibility of awarding both the 2024 and 2028 Summer Games at the IOC Session this September in Lima, Peru. Los Angeles and Paris are the only cities competing to host the 2024 Games and the IOC does not wish to lose out one of these great host cities, so president Thomas Bach proposed giving one city 2024 and the other 2028.

The four VPs are also looking into the overall bidding process before the Winter 2026 campaign officially begins. The last two bidding cycles have produced several losing cities that never make it to a final vote despite spending millions of dollars to bid.

Any decisions taken by the working group and IOC executives could dramatically shift the Olympic bidding landscape for years to come. A dual host city award for 2024 and 2028 would be unprecedented for the IOC outside of war-time and will could produce a bevy of unforeseen complications for the host cities, organizers and IOC. The IOC hopes that any changes made to the Winter 2026 bidding process could entice more cities to join the race.

The IOC EB will also review requests from International Federations to modify the sports program for the Tokyo 2020 Games. A few IFs are seeking to add disciplines such as mixed doubles which the IOC must juggle with the additions of five entirely new sports to the Tokyo 2020 program.

IOC chief Bach will hold a press conference at the Olympic Museum at the close of the meeting.

Paris 2024 Heads to European Parliament

A high-profile Paris 2024 delegation will brief the European Parliament on Tuesday.

French daily Le Figaro reports that Bernard Lapasset, Paris 2024 co-chair and newly-installed French sports minister Laura Flessel will lead the team from Paris. They are scheduled to present from noon on Tuesday in Brussels until 2:00 PM with a press conference at 2:30 PM.

No other details were immediately available.

Second Beijing 2022 CoComm Begins

The 16-member commission of the IOC to evaluate plans for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will meet for the second time in China this week.

The Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission led by Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov begins its second CoComm visit on June 11. The commission will remain in Beijing reviewing progress towards the 2022 edition of the Games until June 13.

Other IOC members on the commission include Rene Fasel, Ivo Ferriani, Gian-Franco Kasper, Juan Antonio Samaranch, C.K. Wu and Angela Ruggiero.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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