Photo/Illutration International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, left, holds an Olympic flag during the 2024 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony at the Stade de France on Aug. 11 in Saint-Denis, France. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

With International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach’s term expiring in June next year, seven candidates are competing in the election for the post, the outcome of which will be announced during the IOC session in March next year.

We would now like to re-examine how the Olympic Games and other mega sporting events are contributing to society and what their roles should be.

Because of the IOC presidency’s tremendous influence over the world of sports, some members wanted Bach to seek re-election, and Bach himself initially did not deny the possibility.

In August, however, Bach abruptly announced his intention to retire, noting to the effect that a new era calls for a new leader.

Although his true motive is not known, we believe he made an appropriate decision as the second IOC president since the capping of the term of the presidency at a maximum of two terms or 12 years.

Looking back on the Bach era, there were many twists and turns, the most symbolic of which had to do with the selection of host cities.

Because the scale of the Games has grown phenomenally in recent years, cities capable of hosting them are limited.

Also, July and August--the presumed months for holding the Summer Games--have become too hot due to global warming, which has also caused snow shortages during the Winter Olympics.

As a solution, Bach did away with the IOC rules that provided for the selection of the host cities seven years ahead of the Games.

Thus, the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics were awarded at the same time to Paris and Los Angeles, respectively, and Brisbane was chosen for the 2032 Summer Games 11 years ahead.

As for the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics and the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, they, too, were decided at the same time.

These emergency measures were taken, placing top priority on securing the most reliable hosts, and rendered the selection process difficult to see from the outside.

Including the Tokyo Olympics that were held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no question that the IOC’s self-serving and nontransparent style of management caused public distrust to escalate.

The most recent Paris Olympics were favorably rated for using many temporary facilities and incorporating elements of tourism, but they still left mountains of unresolved issues. 

These issues include the way in which the host city’s financial burden is determined unilaterally, as well as the hardly athlete-friendly scheduling of events.

Further considerations are also needed for the introduction of urban sports and the replacement of events. The presidential candidates must carefully assess the Bach era from within and present a viable future image of the Olympics.

All nine IOC presidents so far have been male, consisting of eight Europeans and one American. The current candidates include one woman and Japan’s Morinari Watanabe.

While most are former senior IOC officials or leaders of athletic organizations, we still welcome the diversity of their origins, careers and backgrounds.

On the other hand, not every candidate is well known to the public. And to prevent election fraud and other issues, campaigns are subject to strict rules and regulations.

What are the candidates thinking, and by what criteria are IOC members going to choose their new leader?

Given the highly public nature of its mission, we believe the IOC should disclose as much information as possible concerning the election process.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 23

Related News