ADVERTISEMENTThe International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that an immediate review into possible sport and venue changes for the 2018 and 2020 Games will take place next week at the 127th Extraordinary Congress if new reforms are approved next week.
The reforms, called Agenda 2020, have been heralded as the biggest changes to the Olympic Movement in decades which will be voted on next week.
“We are in discussions with both organising committees about the follow-up on the potential opportunities which the Olympic Agenda 2020 would offer to them,” said Thomas Bach, the IOC President.
Agenda 2020 has certainly come timely for Pyeongchang, the 2018 Winter Olympic host who are trying to resolve some financial troubles over the construction of their Olympic stadium and various other venues.
Tokyo, the 2020 Summer Games host, will also benefit from the new proposals as their wish to include baseball and softball onto the programme will be looked at by the IOC faster than the regular seven-year consideration time.
Some of the Agenda 2020 changes include reducing the costs of construction, letting host nations use venues in neighbouring countries and shaping the bidding process of the Olympics as “an invitation”.
Making it cheaper to host the Olympic Games is a central part to Bach’s Agenda 2020 changes since he was elected as IOC President last September and the IOC suffered some embarrassing bid withdrawals by Oslo, Stockholm, Krakow and Liviv for the 2020 Winter Games.
Article by Hugo Lowell
Image Credit: IOC