In a major shift from the traditional bidding process, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that it will allow athletes to choose the host city for the 2036 Olympics. The decision comes after years of criticism over the high cost and corruption associated with the bidding process.
According to the IOC, athletes will be given the opportunity to vote for their preferred host city via a secure online platform. The voting process will take place over several months, allowing athletes from all over the world to have their say.
“We believe that athletes are the heart and soul of the Olympic movement,” said an IOC spokesperson. “Their opinions matter, and we want to ensure that the Games are held in a city that truly represents the spirit of the Olympic Games.”
The IOC has assured that the voting process will be closely monitored to prevent any manipulation or fraud. Only athletes who have competed in the previous two Olympic Games will be eligible to vote, and each athlete will only be able to vote once.
Currently Olympic Games hosts are elected by the IOC Session, a group of about 100 members from the worlds of business, politics, sport and royalty and includes some former Olympic athletes. An Olympic Athletes’ Commission often offers advice on the decision, but has no direct votes in the matter.
Critics of the decision have raised concerns about the potential for bias, as athletes may choose a city based on personal preferences rather than the city’s ability to host the Games. However, the IOC is confident that the voting process will result in a fair and transparent selection of the host city for the 2036 Olympics.
The announcement has been met with mixed reactions from the public, with some praising the IOC’s willingness to listen to athletes, while others are skeptical of the new process. Nevertheless, the IOC remains committed to ensuring that the 2036 Olympics are a true celebration of the world’s top athletes and the spirit of the Olympic Games.
Editor’s note: If you glanced at the date, you may have already figured out that this article is yet another in our April Fools Day series. But this year we did something special: this article was developed and written completely by artificial intelligence using ChatGPT. Indeed, the entire premise of the article and the text was created when the AI was asked “Write an April Fools Day article to be published on GamesBids.com about how the IOC will find cities to host the 2036 Olympics, and give it a title.”
We were quite surprised that the AI was able to to capture a key priority of the Olympic Movement – the Athletes’ voices – and also recognize the irony that such a bold development was so unlikely that it could be considered a joke. Makes you wonder… could AI run the IOC?
With some of our past April Fools Day features, we unwittingly predicted the future! We made fun of a plan to choose a permanent Winter Games host and now the IOC is investigating a permanent pool of hosts. We also suggested what had been unthinkable, having the IOC require referendums by bid cities; now under the new bid process the IOC will require such votes before considering a host in regions where it is desirable or necessary. Will the IOC allow athletes to vote at some time in the near future?
Past April Fools Day Features:
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