The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) is considering double allocation of host nations for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games, said IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday, ahead of the 141st IOC Sessions in Mumbai, India.
"The Future Host Commission reported that the studies are in progress and the final results will be presented in due course, but the preliminary results already show that we need to adapt the Olympic Winter Games given the impact of climate change. In collaboration with the winter sports community, we need to look for solutions for the future," he said.
IOC President Thomas Bach attends the executive board meeting of the IOC in Mumbai, India, October 12, 2023. /CFP
Global warming is considered one of the major climate factors that may cause a reduction of candidate cities that are suitable to host the Games.
Bach stressed on Friday that due to global warming, there will be only 10 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that can host sports on snow by 2040.
To date, only 15 NOCs have at least nine out of the 11 venues required for the Winter Games. In seven years, two out of the 15 will no longer be able to meet the requirement to stage the Games and the Paralympics through February and March, sounding alarms of a reduction in the pool of potential hosts.
On that note, the Future Host Commission proposed to the IOC EB to postpone deciding host nations this time in Mumbai, and announce double allocation at next year's IOC Session in Paris, as the IOC typically would have announced such decision seven years ahead of the Games.
"The IOC EB gave the green light for this proposal, which has been supported by the presidents of all seven Olympic IFs (International Federations). This will now be put to the IOC Session for further discussion," reads an IOC statement.
There has been but one time in history that the IOC announced double allocation, when they awarded in 2017 the hosting rights of the 2024 and 2028 Summer Games to Paris and Los Angeles.
Sweden, Switzerland and France have expressed interest in bidding for the 2030 Winter Games, while Japan's Sapporo has officially pulled out from the race due to a lack of support from local residents and a negative impact of the corruption allegations of the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Sapporo, though, may bid for the 2034 Games, joined by Salt Lake City in the U.S., which hosted the 2002 edition.
(With input from Xinhua.)