34 TALKING POINT
Should the IOC change the Olympic bidding process to enable smaller countries to take part? Last month, Rome became the latest city to pull out of an Olympic bid. As the Olympic Games get bigger, is it time to make bidding – and hosting – more affordable? And should the IOC consider nations as hosts?
Debbie Jevans Former Director of Sport, London 2012 Olympic Games The Olympic Games is a complex and challenging, albeit exciting, event to stage. The 16 days of competition comprise, among other things, more than 30 competition venues, multiple training venues, logistics centres, car parks, uniform distribution centres and a village for 10,500 athletes. It’s a huge undertaking for any one city and the question has to be asked as to how many cities have the necessary facilities to deliver a Games without a massive building project underwritten by the government. Is the time now right for country bids that use their existing infrastructure across a number of cities to be considered, rather than asking that the Games be staged in one city?
Hugh Robertson Former sports minister I feel that if the International Olympic Committee wishes to remain a global sports movement, it’s important it awards the Games to parts of the world that have not hosted them yet. I think that the Games should, however, continue to be awarded to a city, rather
Many countries have ample existing facilities that would allow them to stage a Games if they were able to bid in this way. Accepted there would be logistical challenges with venues a long way apart and the concept of an Olympic Village wouldn’t exist as it does now, but challenges could be overcome and the ‘downsides’ may be a small price to pay if financial costs were substantially reduced. The IOC in its 2020 agenda considers sustainability, and the possibility of allowing countries to bid while nominating a host city would likely help achieve this.
To use existing facilities also eases the legacy challenge faced by a city that is often left with a number of large capacity venues that are not sustainable post- Games. Sadly there are a number of examples of this and I hope that isn’t the case for the Rio facilities. In London we planned the legacy as part of our delivery programme and we can be proud of the transformation of the Olympic Park. The Olympic Games is a fantastic festival of sport and as it embraces new sports, as it is in Tokyo, there should be greater flexibility in how the Games are hosted to encourage more countries to throw their hat in the ring and bid to stage the Games in future.
Many countries have ample existing facilities that would allow them to stage a Games if they were able to bid than a country, because it is the convergence of 28 sports in one place that makes the event so unique. The key judgement in all of this has to be the athletes – they should remain at the forefront. The Games are – and should be – entirely about sport and the world’s best athletes must be given the best possible stage to showcase their talents.”
The importance of providing safe and attractive facilities
It’s important that it awards the Olympic Games to parts of the world that have not hosted them yet
sportsmanagement.co.uk Issue 127 • October 2016