The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has proposed sweeping reforms to the Olympic Games program review process and host election framework, aiming to improve transparency, sustainability, cost management, and athlete-centred decision-making. The proposals were presented by IOC President Kirsty Coventry in Geneva on 11 June as part of the organisation's ongoing 'Fit for the Future' initiative.

Discipline-Based Evaluation: The Core Change

A central pillar of the proposed reforms is a shift from evaluating entire sports to evaluating individual Olympic disciplines. The IOC argues this approach more accurately captures the real-world impact of each discipline on venue requirements, operational complexity, and overall Games costs.

Under the proposed framework, an Olympic discipline is defined as one or more events within a sport that require a dedicated field of play — or a significant modification to a shared field of play — typically involving a distinct group of athletes. If endorsed by the IOC Session, this new methodology would be introduced for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

Two Pathways for Disciplines

The revised review process would establish two separate assessment tracks: incumbent disciplines already included in the Olympic programme under the Host Contract, and candidate disciplines seeking inclusion for the first time.

Both tracks would be assessed against comparable standards, though the IOC acknowledged that separate pathways are necessary to account for differences in available performance data and to ensure fairer evaluations. All disciplines would first undergo an eligibility screening covering governance standards, anti-doping compliance, integrity measures, and athlete safeguarding policies.

Following eligibility screening, disciplines would be assessed on global appeal, cost and operational complexity, and athlete representation. A final comparative stage would pit the highest-performing candidate disciplines against the lowest-performing incumbents using consistent, objective benchmarks — a mechanism designed to keep the programme competitive and relevant.

Reforms to the Host Election Process

The Executive Board has also proposed changes to how future Olympic host cities are selected, with a focus on increasing transparency and strengthening member involvement. A key addition is a new transitional phase called 'Strategic Dialogue', to be inserted between the existing Continuous Dialogue and Targeted Dialogue stages. This phase would allow the Executive Board to identify and shortlist interested parties before formal discussions advance.

'The reforms are designed to enable potential hosts to develop their projects in a more cost-efficient way, offering planning security for governments while allowing sufficient time to build public support,' the IOC said in a statement.

Balancing Size, Relevance, and Innovation

The IOC stated that the new methodology is designed to balance three priorities: maintaining an appropriate Games size, ensuring global relevance, and creating opportunities for innovation and new disciplines. This comes amid growing scrutiny over the escalating costs and logistical complexity of hosting the Olympics, with several prospective cities having withdrawn bids in recent cycles over financial concerns.

If the IOC Session endorses the full package of changes, it would represent one of the most significant overhauls of Olympic governance in recent years, with the Brisbane 2032 Games serving as the first test of the new framework.