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≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
Wednesday’s second day of the 145th IOC Session offered some key glimpses into the future of the Olympic Games, especially the selection of sports on the program.
In an important presentation on the progress of the IOC’s working group on the Olympic program, IOC member Karl Stoss (AUT) reported to the Session:
“We are reviewing the size of the Games, the mix of sports and disciplines, options for new additions and a clearer process for changes. We also look at potential crossover between summer and winter sports, and in second stage, we will look at how the Games fit within the global sports calendar.”
He noted that the working group has met six times and has concentrated on a better understanding of the “costs and revenue associated with changes to sports and disciplines of the Games” and the creation of a process to review the program after each Games, along with actual evaluation criteria. A framework to evaluate requests for added sports must also be developed.
The immediate issue is the program for French Alps 2030, which will be the next Games for which the program must be concluded.
Looking to the future, Stoss gave his warning:
“We know we will not be able to make everyone happy. But our responsibility is clear: to ensure the Olympic sports program is balanced, relevant and forward-looking and sustainable, and we thank you for your input, your trust and your understanding.”
So, the smaller sports are once again on the hot seat, with the key words “relevant and forward-looking and sustainable.”
But the terms of engagement are yet to be fixed.
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The summer Games selection process review was reported on by summer Games Future Host Commission head Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (CRO), who said that the discussions so far point to a process which has “clear criteria, documented procedures and more regular updates for both IOC members and for interested parties would build legitimacy and guard against perceptions of favoritism.”
She underlined that the discussions with IOC members and others reflect a desire for clear timelines to be created, and she proposed a new level of interaction with the Future Host Commissions between the current two levels of “continuous dialogue” and “targeted dialogue.”
A third level – in between the two – would create a “short-listing of a limited number of interested parties with advanced projects for deeper evaluation.”
Consultations with the IOC members showed that the main things are still important: venue and village plan, the sports program, financial guarantees and the “added value of prior experience in hosting multi-sport events,” as well as sustainability. And IOC members must be more involved.
More transparency in the process should also include the public reporting of those bids in “continuous dialogue” with the IOC for future Games.
She also noted that those bidders which are unsuccessful must be recognized as well to maintain interest and reinforce their interest in the Movement.
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The International Olympic Committee created a new form of “Privileged Dialogue” with the Swiss bid for the 2038 Winter Games and IOC Future (Winter) Hosts Commission chief Stoss told the IOC Session on Wednesday that the Swiss has completed a master plan for the Games.
The Swiss government is now considering it and will confirm whatever its financial and regulatory support by June 2026 with a target of approval from the Swiss Parliament in December 2026. If all in line, the IOC could start a “Targeted Dialogue” process at the end of 2026 and a formal election could be made as early as April 2027.
Stoss said the Program Commission considers the Swiss concept as “much improved,” as the concept of using existing sites is maintained, but now with three clusters and three villages, that would host 80% of the athletes. This is far less dispersed than the original plan.
On Thursday, the Swiss bid got a significant boost from its first private partner, the Swiss-based sportswear brand On, which has pledged CHF 20 million ($25.704 million U.S.) to assist the Swiss 2038 bid.
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