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IOC Proposes Shortlist, Published Criteria to Reform Olympic Host Selection

A June vote is slated to set a clearer timetable to reopen the paused 2036 contest.

The Olympic rings at Cortina d'Ampezzo ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics

Overview

  • At the Milan IOC Session, working‑group chair Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović outlined a plan to add structured timelines, greater transparency and more involvement from IOC members.
  • A new transitional shortlist would face deeper evaluation against published criteria covering venue master plans, sports program clarity, financial guarantees and multisport hosting experience.
  • The reforms respond to an opaque post-2019 system that produced timing extremes, from Brisbane 2032 being chosen 11 years out to the French Alps 2030 picked with less than six years to prepare.
  • Under President Kirsty Coventry, the 2036 race remains on hold, with the June IOC Session expected to decide on the revisions to potentially restart the selection.
  • India’s Ahmedabad and Qatar’s Doha are viewed as leading contenders, with additional interest reported from countries including Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey and Chile.