B.C. bid for 2030 Olympics, Paralympics unofficially launches following site visit | CBC Sports

Four of the next five Olympic and Paralympic Games, up to 2032, have been awarded to countries by the International Olympic Committee.

But while 2030 remains vacant, a visit to Canada this week is an initial step toward making that determination.

An Indigenous-led bid to bring the Games back to British Columbia is one of four leading contenders, along with Salt Lake City (U.S.), Sapporo (Japan) and a joint effort from Spain, France and Andorra, to host the Games.

The IOC’s process to choose one inched forward this week when a trio of technical experts took a three-day site visit to B.C., just days after touring Salt Lake City. A trip to Sapporo is reportedly planned for the end of the month, while a Barcelona visit was reportedly delayed recently over infighting.

These visits are offered as a service by the IOC to ensure the Games fit smoothly into the long-term plans of a region, with a specific focus on venues. The experts then provide feedback to the IOC’s Future Host Commission, which is expected to choose a 2030 host at the IOC session next spring in Mumbai.

It’s a visit that could benefit the Canadian bid, which comes with the appeal of leftover venues from Vancouver 2010 that are said to still be in good shape. Conversely, Sapporo last hosted in 1972, Salt Lake City in 2002 and the Spain-France-Andorra bid would be relying on buildings from 1992 Games in Barcelona and Albertville.

Andrew Baker, who oversees the Canadian Olympic Committee’s future hosting program, said he left the visit feeling “really confident” about the bid.

“We have really, really strong technical basics based on our hosting of Vancouver 2010. And so it continued to reinforce to me that there’s an amazing opportunity here,” Baker said.

Still, Baker said two of the days were primarily focused “in and around Vancouver and in and around Whistler.” Due to the technical nature of the visit, Baker said the IOC experts did not meet with the mayor of either city.

He said the visit yielded solid discussion and no surprises.

“The feedback we were getting was really helpful for us and was really encouraging us to ensure that the venue master plan aligns to the long-term vision of the region,” he said.

The Indigenous-led bid — the first of its kind — took off late last year when four First Nations in the region signed a memorandum of understanding with Vancouver and Whistler to explore the possibility of hosting the Olympics. The COC and Canadian Paralympic Committee joined the agreement in February.

Ultimately, the groups hope to bring the world together to show reconciliation through sport — as called for in article No. 91 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.