The first e-sports Games in Saudi Arabia or the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City are decisions that the IOC must respond to between Tuesday and Wednesday to clarify the scenario after Paris 2024.
The other main point of the meeting will be to resolve the issue of the 2030 Winter Games, affected by the French political crisis.
Paris 2024 is “ready”
Three days before the opening ceremony on the Seine on Friday, the 142nd session of the International Olympic Committee will begin on Tuesday with praise for the Paris Games (July 26-August 11) after two editions marked by the health crisis.
“Paris 2024 is ready,” said IOC President Thomas Bach, who praised “the enthusiasm that is felt in the city”, between the “spectacular venues” of the competition and the Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower.
While the preparations have fully mobilized the organizers and security forces, the bulk of the work has already been done by the IOC: it was a question of “bringing the world together” after two years marked by threats of exclusion and boycotts.
Also Read: Paris Olympic 2024: Schedule, Venues, Program, Sports, and Participating Countries
The Olympic organization will be pleased to have been able to bring together “athletes from its 206 national Olympic committees”: Israelis and Palestinians in their respective colors, a Ukrainian delegation, an Afghan team of athletes in exile, and around thirty Russians and Belarusians under a neutral flag.
Overall, Paris 2024 is a reflection of the direction that the Olympic organization has wanted to take since the “Agenda 2020” was established, promoted ten years ago by Thomas Bach: games that reuse existing facilities to reduce costs and curb the bidding crisis.
JO-2030: Towards a postponement?
On Wednesday, IOC members are expected to award the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games to the French Alps and the US city of Salt Lake City, respectively, in a double vote and without competition.
But if there is no doubt about the choice of the capital of Utah, which hosted the 2002 Games, “the political situation complicates things a little for France,” admitted Mar Adams, spokesman for the IOC, on Saturday.
Without a fully-fledged government, France cannot have the documentation required by the Olympic organization ready: the guarantee that the Games will take place must be signed by the Prime Minister.
This setback does not mean that the French candidacy has been rejected, especially since all the IOC’s requirements were met in the spring – including site visits – and Sweden and Switzerland seem to have been clearly ruled out.
The Olympic body can postpone the decision and call, for example, an extraordinary session in October, so that the French can have the guarantees in their hands.
Saudi Arabia, another achievement
As a rising sporting power, Saudi Arabia is expected to officially win the title of the host of the first e-sports Olympic Games on Tuesday, which are set to begin in 2025.
Although the frequency of this new competition – different from the classic Games – is not known, the IOC announced on July 12 that they will be held in the same country until 2037, an unprecedented partnership in Olympic history.
The oil monarchy thus further strengthens its influence in the geopolitics of sport, a country in which competitions have multiplied (football, Formula 1, horse riding, boxing) and which may officially host the 2034 World Cup at the end of the year, as it is the only candidate.
More unexpected and highly criticized was the announcement that the country will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at its futuristic Neom complex, a pharaonic project promoted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who aims to develop business and tourism to reduce dependence on oil.
