(ATR) Gilbert Felli says the IOC needs to address concerns raised by the cities who withdrew from the 2022 Olympic bid race.
Speaking to reporters at the Smart Cities and Sport Summit in Lausanne, the former Olympic Games executive director suggested the demise of a number of European cities including Oslo, Kiev, Krakow and Munich was a wake-up call for action. Only Almaty and Beijing are left in the race to battle for 2022 hosting rights.
"You always have turning points in life," said Felli, now the IOC's Rio 2016 troubleshooter. "You have two cities who can do the Games so it is not a worry.
"The worry is when you see what has been said by some of the cities who have put a bid forward and dialogue inside those cities or the way it was communicated, then you say ‘we need to do something because if we let it go it’s going to be difficult’.
"That’s why it’s the purpose of Bach to say we need to indicate what we always said but people never wanted to listen. But the IOC is open to any model. Cities who are bidding wanted to always to go with one model, the IOC wanted this and that and then it makes it difficult.
"Now if we give a message that we are ready to talk… so tell us how you [the cities] would like to do the Games, what kind of ideas you have for got," he said, adding that the IOC could work with cities to find solutions to some of the gaps in city’s bidding concepts.
"That’s where the message needs to change. Don’t worry for 2022, it will be fantastic. But for the future to make sure that people understand the IOC," he added.
A revamp of the Olympic bidding procedure is expected next month at the IOC’s Extraordinary Session in Monaco. Bidding reforms are among 40 Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations that are set to bring sweeping changes to the Olympic Movement.
Reported by Mark Bisson in Lausanne
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