IOC presidential candidate Watanabe suggests 5-continent Olympics

Japan's IOC presidential candidate Morinari Watanabe has proposed staging the Summer Olympics in one city from each of the five continents simultaneously to share the excitement around the world and reduce economic costs to host cities, Kyodo reports. 

The 65-year-old president of the International Gymnastics Federation, the first Asian to hold the position, outlined his radical vision in his IOC candidature document released Thursday. Re-elected for a third term in October, he argued that the idea would allow many more, including smaller cities, to consider hosting the games.

"The Olympic Games have grown so large, and it is now economically and environmentally difficult to host them in most cities," said Watanabe, an IOC member since 2018. "We will study the development of the new model of the Olympic Games."

Watanabe's proposal would have 10 sports per host city and 50 sports in total, with the games to be broadcast and streamed 24 hours a day, enabling "worldwide promotion by worldwide partners."

Similar discussions are to be undertaken for the Winter Olympics Games in the future, he wrote.

"The pledge put together my thoughts on how we can contribute to the future Olympics," he told reporters. "It'd be about whether the IOC wants to embrace reform or the status quo."

Watanabe is one of seven candidates seeking to succeed Thomas Bach and would be the IOC's first Asian president if elected at its 144th session in March in Greece.

The seven-member ballot also includes IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe of Britain, IOC members Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan and Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, as well as International Cycling Union President David Lappartient of France and International Ski Federation President Johan Eliasch of Britain.

The candidates' latest document will form the basis of the presentations to the IOC Members on Jan. 30, 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC, established in 1894, has never had a president from outside of the United States or Europe.

"To solve the issues the Olympics is facing currently, I felt this was the format to go for," said Watanabe as he looks to win support from Central and South America, Asia and Africa. "I believe it should be reformed to become a global international organization in real terms."