IOC member Morinari Watanabe in a January 2020 file photo. (©IOC)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] A New Plan for the Olympics: Morinari Watanabe Shares His Bold Vision
Is it time for a radical remake of the Summer Olympics?
Morinari Watanabe, one of seven candidates to be the next president of the IOC, has proposed a complete overhaul of the staging of the Summer Olympics for the future.
Watanabe outlined his goal of sharing the burden of hosting the Summer Games as part of his election manifesto, published on the International Olympic Committee website on Thursday, December 19.
Instead of one host city, his plan calls for dividing the hosting duties among five cities on five continents, with 10 sports per host city.
"The Olympic Games have grown so large and it is now economically and environmentally difficult to host them in most cities," said Watanabe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). And, he continued, "the Olympic Games can be seen as a way of demonstrating the political power of large nations. This has led to a negative perception of the Olympic Games."
Watanabe, 65, expounded on his views during a press conference on Thursday.
"To solve the issues the Olympics is facing currently, I felt this was the format to go for," Watanabe was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "I believe it should be reformed to become a global international organization in real terms."
In addition to the five-cities-on-five-continents concept, Watanabe's plan includes a 24-hour livestream of the Olympic events, which he described as "worldwide promotion by worldwide partners."
Watanabe also advocates a similar concept for future Winter Olympics, spreading the hosting duties across multiple cities, nations and geographic regions.
Spiraling Costs and Scandals Taint the Legacy of the Olympics
Over the past several decades, the skyrocketing cost of preparing for and staging a Summer Olympics has led many to question the benefit to a city or region for its involvement. Critics have also argued that the Olympic economic model is unsustainable for the future, citing newly built venues that serve no purpose after the events conclude.
For example, the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics cost $13 billion USD (¥1.4 trillion JPY), it was reported in June 2022, nearly a year after the competitions began in the Japanese capital.
Bribery scandals have also tarnished the legacy of the Olympics, including Tokyo 2020, and sparked public anger at government and IOC officials and business leaders.
Candidates for the top IOC post are scheduled to make presentations highlighting their leadership vision on January 30, 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Watanabe is seeking to become the first Japanese to hold the IOC's top leadership position. His candidacy was announced in September.
Who's Running to Replace Bach?
Outgoing IOC chief Thomas Bach has been in charge since 2013. The IOC's members will choose the next boss in March 2025 in Greece.
There are six other candidates: Sebastian Coe (Britain), World Athletics president; IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (Spain), son of a former IOC chief; IOC members Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) and Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan); Johan Eliasch (Britain), president of the International Ski Federation; and David Lappartient (France), president of the Union Cycliste Internationale, aka International Cycling Union.
The IOC has had nine presidents in its 130-year history, all from Europe or the United States.
Learning by Traveling and Listening
In his written manifesto, Watanabe reflected on his experiences as a global sports leader and how they have shaped his goals and aspirations for the future of the Olympics.
"As President of the International Gymnastics Federation, I have visited more than 160 countries," Watanabe stated. "My policy is field-oriented. I meet with athletes, coaches and officials from different countries and ask for their opinions."
He continued: "I believe it's my job to listen to everyone and make their dreams come true. Everyone's dreams are different. They are influenced by the situation in the country where they live. Even if the dreams seem the same, they are not. I think it is important to listen carefully to everyone.
"In Japanese culture, people respect others as much as they respect themselves. I would like to create a world of mutual respect in sport."
Continue reading the full story, which includes news items on snowboarding, baseball, soccer and more, on SportsLook.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
