Tokyo 2021

[Mav]

Fact. The contractual conditions banning domestic sports being played were made public (leaving aside the fact that Australia’s bid pretty much commandeered all AFL venues, making it hard to play games even in the absence of those provisions). Which, getting back to the topic at long last, emphasises the invasive nature of the contracts host cities (or countries in the case of World Cup contracts) sign. To protect major sponsors, the IOC insists the host city bans visible advertising from sponsors’ competitors. Competing events are banned. Host cities are required to prohibit or severely restrict any use of public and private transport systems that might impact upon movement of Olympic spectators and dignitaries. The contracts would kill you if they fell on your head: they’re that thick. Just about everything conceivable is in there. And that’s not even including the fringe benefits to IOC committee members.