NEW IOC PRESIDENT KIRSTY COVENTRY PAUSES OLYMPIC HOST CITY SELECTION PROCESS

New International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry has announced a pause of the current Olympic host city selection process. The decision comes after closed-door sessions involving more than 70 IOC members in Lausanne during Coventry’s first week as president, following her June 24th inauguration.

“There was overwhelming support from the IOC members for a pause and review of the Future Host Election process,” Coventry said. “Members want to be engaged more in the process, and there was significant discussion about when the next host should be awarded.”

Coventry added that “the members were in agreement that the way we used to do things is not where we want to go. There have been good reforms to get future hosts and improve the selection process, but members felt they should be included more in the process and better understand how it works.”

The review represents a significant shift from her predecessor Thomas Bach‘s strategy, which was designed to avoid costly bid campaigns by prioritizing early, behind-the-scenes agreements with preferred bidders. This 2019 system replaced the previous dramatic head-to-head voting process that was both expensive and susceptible to corruption.

Bach’s approach led to Brisbane being fast-tracked as the 2032 Games host in a surprise selection made 11 years in advance, bypassing traditional bids and contested votes while drawing criticism from IOC members who felt excluded from the decision-making process.

Coventry emphasized that the IOC would examine lessons learned from recent host selections and their varying timelines: Los Angeles and Brisbane were both selected with 11-year lead times, while Paris 2024 was chosen seven years in advance, and the French Alps received only a six-year timeframe.

“So there was a lot of discussion on when is the appropriate time to elect a future host. And also how we should be selecting a future host,” she said.

“We need to ensure that we have more membership engagement and also look at the timing. When is the most appropriate time, when is the best time, when is the most effective time (to decide an Olympic host). What is the most effective way we are not going to overburden any of the stakeholders,” she added.

The next host to be selected would be for the 2036 Summer Games. Officially confirmed bids include Nusantara (Indonesia), Istanbul (Turkey), Ahmedabad (India), and Santiago (Chile).

A working group, to be established within the coming weeks, will examine both the timing and methodology of future host selections.