International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach reportedly wants to use the current Youth Olympic Games as a test model for a more sustainable approach to future Games’ bidding processes and operations.
The IOC has been considering reforms to the Games’ bidding procedure and more flexibility in sports programs and in the scale of events, and Bach said the Youth Games in Nanjing provide a valuable test site.
He told a media conference Saturday, “we are considering the question of sustainability very seriously on our agenda for 2020. You can already see results and some changes we have made in this respect”.
He added, “the Chinese hosts have done an excellent job, the stage has been set for a very successful Youth Olympic Games. We really enjoy the seamless cooperation between the IOC and the organizing committee in the last four years and do so now. We can be very confident that we will have an excellent and joyful YOG in Nanjing”.
The hefty $51 billion price tag for the Sochi 2014 Winter Games have caused concerns about the heavy investment on urban infrastructure and public services.
Bach said spending on infrastructure should not be counted on the Games’ operational budget. He said, “what we have to realize is that in some countries there is still a misconception about the organization of the Olympic Games. It is very clear that the cost for the organization of the Games has been the same at the past few Games. It is about $2 billion for the Winter Games and $3 billion for the Summer Games”.
