Olympic Game host selection

IOC (International Olympic Committee)

Okay for your information, it is not easy to be a host nation for the Olympic game. The Olympic Charter highlights the three main constituent groups of the Olympic Movement and their different roles and responsibilities with regard to the Olympic Games. They are the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs). In addition to these three, can be added the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG), which is responsible for the preparation and hosting of a particular edition of the Games.The Olympic Games is a unique and complex project that also offers manifold benefits and opportunities,  and, for this reason, for a city to host successful Olympic Games, many years of careful and precise planning are required, with all of the relevant organisations, authorities and stakeholders working together. The host city election takes place seven years before the Games, but the actual bid process is launched 10 years before and lasts for a period of three years. The three-year bid process is split into three phases (each lasting approximately one year) and is governed by the Olympic Charter (Rule 33 and its bye-law):
- Phase I: Invitation Phase
- Phase II : Applicant Phase
- Phase III: Candidature Phase

Invitation Phase
With the adoption of Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement, the IOC has introduced the Invitation Phase where NOCs are invited to declare their interest in bidding to the IOC. The IOC provides a range of services to NOCs and cities which are interested in bidding.
At the end of the invitation phase, NOCs and cities are invited to commit to the bid process and a city becomes an official Applicant City.

Applicant Phase
During Phase II, cities develop their vision and concept. The IOC provides the Applicant City and its NOC with the full package of bid documentation including a full list of the Olympic Games “detailed obligations” as well as the Applicant and Candidate City Procedures and Questionnaires. Also provided are the Olympic Charter and the Host City Contract, which includes details of the IOC’s contribution to the organisation of the Games.

Candidature Phase
The Candidate Cities are requested to answer the third-phase IOC questionnaire and submit more detailed plans to the IOC which are contained in a Candidature File (a city’s blueprint for the Olympic Games).

Election of the Host City
Following a final Candidate City presentation and a report by the Evaluation Commission Chair, the IOC members vote by secret ballot and elect the host city. The newly elected host city then signs the Host City Contract with the IOC.