IOC seeks earlier planning integration for future Games
By Andrew Downie RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Olympic chiefs admit they need to work closer and earlier with cities and governments who are preparing to host future Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Christophe Dubi said on Friday. The IOC has been forced to step in to help organizers of both the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang because of question marks over their preparedness. The IOC's executive committee on Friday announced it was setting up an integrated working group to help Pyeongchang, while last year they named a point man to more closely monitor Rio's preparations. "We have probably learned from these two experiences that we have to force integration probably earlier," Dubi, the IOC's Sports Director, told reporters. "It is just normal that all these big planning entities are working in silo, and forcing integration earlier in the life cycle of the organizing committee is definitely something that we have to bring on board." After concerns Pyeongchang was falling behind schedule, the IOC turned over more decision-making powers to an integrated working group of the IOC, international federations, central and regional governments and the Pyeongchang organizing committee. Dubi said the IOC realized this was increasingly the case and would look to change its modus operandi. "What we see in Pyeongchang is not uncommon, it is very similar to what we have had in the past," he said. "It is the government entities planning on one side, it is the organizing committee and the international federations on their side planning into the details as well. We have to force integration and this is what it will do." (Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Nick Mulvenney)
