IOC President Thomas Bach encouraged by interest in hosting 2036 Olympics

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach has advised that at least 10 countries have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.

Speaking to the AFP on Friday, President Bach also acknowledged that climate change could force Games dates to be switched from summer to later in the year.

With interest in hosting the Olympic Games having declined dramatically with only one bid for each of the 2024, 2028 and 2032 summer Games, for 2026 the IOC President said expectations have been renewed with "double-digit" numbers of countries expressing interest.

In an interview with AFP, President Bach explained “we have never been in such a favourable position. We have never seen such a high level of interest in hosting the Olympic Games.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are both keen to host the 2036 Games with the former the sole candidate for the 2032 FIFA World Cup. Indonesia and India are also potential hosts if the aim is to expand to "non-traditional" countries.

When asked about Saudi Arabia and Qatar, whose human rights records would make them controversial destinations for the Games, President Bach noted “we are now 12 years away from these games, so it is way too early to comment on any of these interests.”

The IOC President attributes the resurgence of interest in hosting the Olympics to reforms made during his tenure which sought to end the wasteful spending that had brought several host cities to the brink of bankruptcy in the past, and made any city think twice before bidding.

Instead of facilities with limited legacies which have been underused or poorly maintained following the Games - as happened after Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 - the IOC has recently promoted the use of existing or temporary infrastructure and more environmentally friendly practices.

It is estimated that 96% of competition at Paris 2024 will take place in existing or temporary venues, while the Los Angeles Games in 2028 is using existing infrastructure.

In terms of environmental impact, Bach added, "Paris is the first Olympic Games that is absolutely in line with our Olympic Agenda reforms from start to finish."

Environmental research group Carbon Market Watch has praised the IOC’s efforts to improve but remains sceptical that the games can ever be sustainable.

In a report released earlier this month it advised “the most significant factor affecting the environmental footprint of the Games is their scale.”

President Bach acknowledges that global warming is a growing challenge, not only for the snow-dependent Winter Olympics, but also for the much larger summer version.

He added “the international sports calendar may look very different from the one we are used to now" citing how the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was moved from its traditional June-July hosting to November-December.

Image: IOC President Thomas Bach. Credit: IOC/Christophe Moratal.