From Palais des Congrès in Paris, France – International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Friday denied that future Olympics were currently for sale to rich nations such as Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
When questioned at his final press conference during the waning hours of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games that are due to close Sunday, Bach said defiantly “we are not ready to sell the Olympic Games to the highest bidder.”
“We will allocate the Games to the city or country which is promising to offer the best conditions for the best athletes of the world,” he told reporters.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are known to be in the mix among several nations vying to host the next available Summer Games in 2036. Both nations have been collecting hosting rights to major international events including the FIFA World Cup and the massive Asian Games – and both have set their sights on securing the Olympic Games at the earliest opportunity.
Los Angeles is scheduled to host the 2028 Summer Games.
Both were shut out of the IOC’s new secretive bidding process when the organization unexpectedly awarded the 2032 Summer Games edition to Brisbane in 2021 under suspicious circumstances. But now, due to strengthening relations with the IOC, both have become top contenders for 2036.
Last month the IOC inked a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia to host and support the newly launched Olympic Esports Games for an undisclosed amount.
Earlier this year Bach hinted that future Olympic Games could be pushed from the Summer to the autumn due to “climate change,” a possible foreshadowing to the awarding of the Games to an Arab nation where the event would already need to take place later in the year due to the sweltering heat.
Qatar capital Doha was dropped from the shortlist to host the Games in 2016 and 2020 due to its proposal to stage the events in cooler October. Then, IOC officials said the date change would disrupt the well-established sports calendar and lucrative broadcast agreements.
After winning its 2022 FIFA World Cup bid in 2010 when a summer tournament was promised in air conditioned facilities, organizers were successful in pushing the event to December instead.
Bach further underlined Friday that his remarks suggesting a possible calendar change for the Olympics only relates to climate change.
He said “If the climate change is continuing in a way that the experts are forecasting it then it will be very difficult to organize Olympic Games in summer, in August.”
“Already here [in Paris] we had to adapt the starting time of the marathon and therefore we will have to study this and this is not only true for us, this is true for the entire calendar of the international federations.
“We have to sit together, and regardless of where the Games are taking place to see whether the calendar has to be adapted, adjusted to climate change and global warming and the same is already true for the Winter Games.”
Last month the IOC elected French Alps to host in 2030 and Salt Lake City, Utah to stage the Winter Games in 2034 amid concerns that options are dwindling due to global warming.
“We will have to speak about the dates but not because of these two countries [Qatar and Saudi Arabia],” Bach added.
The new bid process introduced in 2019 involves a new secretive “ongoing dialogue” stage where interested parties can discuss opportunities with the IOC behind closed doors and in strict confidence. A bid can emerge from this process at any time as a preferred candidate, meaning it only needs to pass due diligence with an IOC Executive Board approval and IOC Session rubberstamping to win.
Failed bidders are never discussed or disclosed by the IOC.
President Bach and his Executive Board ultimately decide where future Games will be hosted, and a decision on 2036 could happen as early as next year. Several other countries have publicized their intentions to bid including India, Indonesia and Turkey.
Bach’s final term as IOC president ends next year but he has refused to comment on IOC members’ suggestions that he seek an Olympic Charter change that limits presidents to two terms, and run for a third term.
His refusal to deny the possibility suggests he plans to launch a campaign some time after the Paris Games are complete.
“There will be an election next year one way or the other,” he said Friday.
His continued presidency will likely strengthen hosting bids from the Arab nations.
