Climate change sees IOC aim to choose hosts of 2030, 2034 Winter Olympics at same time next July
President Thomas Bach says selection could be made on the eve of the Paris Games
Citing concerns about the effects of climate change, the International Olympic Committee said Friday it wants to pick two Winter Olympic host cities in July — putting Salt Lake City quickly into play for the 2034 edition.
IOC president Thomas Bach said the Olympic body aims to confirm hosts for both the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games at its meeting on the eve of next year's Paris Olympics.
Sweden, Switzerland and France have been working on possible bids for the 2030 edition and Salt Lake City officials have long targeted 2034. That would avoid the United States hosting back-to-back Olympics after the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
The double award proposal by the IOC executive board still needs approval by the full membership at the Olympic body's annual meeting, which opens Sunday in Mumbai, India. That should be a formality.
The IOC has declining options for Winter Games hosts. Bach noted that only 15 countries on three continents currently meet the criteria of having at least 80 per cent of existing venues for snow sports and a "climate-reliable" outlook to host events in future decades.
"We need to address very quickly this dramatic impact of climate change on winter sport," Bach said in Mumbai. "By 2040, there remain practically just 10 NOCs who could host these snow events."
The next deadline for the 2030 and 2034 Olympics will come Nov. 28-Dec. 1 at a board meeting in Paris. A single preferred candidate for each is expected to be chosen and then would enter into exclusive negotiations with the IOC.
That is the new process for selecting Olympic host cities and regions, avoiding the once-traditional campaigns and votes which were at risk of vote-buying schemes.
The Japanese city of Sapporo, which hosted the 1972 Winter Games, was once favoured for the 2030 edition. That bid was officially dropped this week in fallout from criminal investigations and convictions for corruption tied to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
