International Olympic Committee

Brisbane proposed as host by International Olympic Committee

Brisbane was named the preferred bidder in February and has now been proposed as host by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board.

Several cities and countries had expressed an interest in hosting the Games, including Indonesia, Budapest, China, Doha and Germany's Ruhr Valley.

Members will vote to name the 2032 host on 21 July at the next IOC session.

IOC president Thomas Bach said the Brisbane bid had "strong support across the political spectrum".

"It was a vision for a sustainable and feasible Olympic Games," Bach said.

IOC: Tokyo Athletes' Village must be tightly controlled

IOC President Thomas Bach and other officials have been in the Japanese capital this week as a show of support for the organisers as they try to arrange the Games despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the decision in March to postpone the Games, the Olympics are now due to begin on July 23, 2021.

Over 11,000 athletes are expected to descend on Tokyo for the Olympics and thousands more will come for the subsequent Paralympics. The majority will stay at Athletes' Village.

IOC confident of safe Tokyo Games, too early for deadlines

IOC President Thomas Bach said that his organisation was committed to delivering a safe Games and had the full support of the Japanese government following the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but the look of next year's Games was still unclear.

"In the coming weeks you will see important and intensive discussions taking place with regard to different scenarios to COVID-19 counter measures," Bach told a news conference following an executive board meeting.

"We remain focused on delivering safe and successful Games next year."

Tokyo 2020: IOC sets deadline for decision on Games

The IOC's executive board met this morning amid mounting pressure for the Games to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic affecting large parts of the planet.

Cancellation is "not on the agenda", said the IOC, but a 'scaled-down' Games will be considered.

However, postponement is thought to be the most likely outcome.

The Games are under threat British Olympic Association chairman Sir Hugh Robertson said: "We welcome the IOC executive board decision to review the options in respect of a postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Former UN head to clean up IOC

The 73-year-old South Korean replaces Youssoupha Ndiaye of Senegal as head of the IOC's ethics commission.

Ban takes the job at a time as the IOC comes under fire again after its Brazilian honorary member Carlos Nuzman was arrested in connection with a corruption probe around the awarding of the 2016 Rio Games.

French authorities are also looking into payments around Tokyo's election to host the 2020 Games, and the dealing with the Russian doping affair has also tarnished the image of the IOC.

Group wants Olympic golf venue changed

The Japan Golf Council, unaffiliated with the sport's domestic governing body, the Japan Golf Association -- said on Tuesday that it had sent a letter to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach proposing an alternative venue.

The membership policy "is quite contrary to the spirit of the Olympic Games," said Eiko Ohya, chairwoman of the council.

The Kasumigaseki Country Club, a private club in neighbouring Saitama prefecture, lets women play Monday through Saturday but bars them from becoming full members and from playing on Sundays.

IOC fights cyberattacks during Olympics

"Throughout the games, the same in London (in 2012) when you are the center of attention of the world, there are massive attempts everyday all day long to break our security," IOC spokesman Mark Adams told the Associated Press.

"We have it all year round anyway but it's particularly intense at the moment."

The IOC is coming under "regular attack," he said.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport warned earlier this week of attempts to break into its website. The sports court is overseeing doping sanctions at the Olympics for the first time.

Rio 2016: Clean Russian athletes should compete for their country - Bach

But whether they are allowed to represent Russia or not is unclear.

IOC president Thomas Bach said clean Russian athletes should take part under their own flag.

While athletics' governing body the IAAF says it will accept appeals on an "exceptional basis", for Russians to participate as "neutral athletes".

IOC President Bach leads tributes to Muhammad Ali

The three-time world heavyweight champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen of all-time, died late yesterday at a hospital in the American city of Phoenix after being admitted on Thursday (June 2).

He was suffering from respiratory issues with reports suggesting his breathing problems had been complicated by Parkinson’s disease, which he had suffered from since 1984 - three years after retiring from boxing.

Ali had a strong affinity with the Olympics, shooting to fame by winning the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Games in Rome.

IOC President to deliver speech at UN General Assembly

The Summit will adopt the post-2015 Development Agenda on 25 September. Three days of debate about the realisation of these goals by world leaders will follow. Among the speakers will be dozens of Heads of State and Government and other world leaders, including Pope Francis.