Olympic committee chief demands ‘sustainable’ Games
By Peter Hutchison, AFP
INCHEON, South Korea — Olympic boss Thomas Bach said future Games hosts would have to prove their “sustainability” and that there would be a shake-up of the bidding criteria.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president made the comments last weekend to Olympic Council of Asia delegates in Incheon, which has gone into debt to host the ongoing Asian Games.
The German official said the IOC has to “act now” to preserve its “relevance”, suggesting cities who pitch for international sports events need to think about the long-term impact.
“There is broad agreement that we need changes in the bidding and candidature procedure for the Olympic Games,” Bach told the OCA general assembly.
The IOC is the biggest bunch of hypocrites left of the United Nations.
Now they want “sustainability” on top of money to bribe them into letting a country spend billions on the games?
The Olympics are done. Long live the X Games.
Dog. The International Olympic Committee is just an observer (since 2009) for the United Nations where sports are concerned.
Average primetime viewers for 2014 Winter Games was 21.4 million. Average primetime views for 2014 X Games was 1.03 million.
If countries do not want to host an Olympic Game they do not need to submit a bid.
I doubt it is possible to stage the Olympic games sustainably.
Although ‘HikerChick’ is correct in her assumption that it may be difficult to stage an Olympics sustainably, Mr. Bach is more correct in reaffirming that direction, as it is the ‘infrastructure’ that remains after the Games (and the investment of those billions) that remain once the throngs are long gone, and they should not be a drag, but an asset – housing for participants become housing affordability for others, for example. . .and which has been a part of the Olympic planning “three-legged stool” since 1994’s Lillehammer in Norway. . .
Sustainability was the missing ingredient in the recent, but troubled, Reno-Tahoe Games (to be 2014, then 2018, then 2022, now off-the-table) as focusing merely on ‘infrastructure’ is decidedly not the same as being truly sustainable. . .especially after they’re over & the legacy begins…
Is it a lost idea that Olympic Spirit inspire both the Games & the Region they’re held in. . .?
Many of the Olympic venues (World Cup too) become unused, dilapidated eyesores. Economists now tell us that there is no net gain to an area that hosts such events.
Given our recemnt dearth of snow…what could they possible offer as Olympic Sports? MudWrestling, Bumper to Bumper Traffic Slalom(Motorcyclists and Bicyclists from Taho’South would sweep the medals!)Slumlord RentalGouging? (Again, a sweep for SouthShore).