(Lausanne) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will launch “esports Olympics”, distinct from the traditional Olympics, according to a periodicity and contours that are still mysterious, its president Thomas Bach announced on Friday.
During its third and last day of meeting in Lausanne, the executive of the Olympic body decided to “propose” this new competition to the 142e session, which will be decided between July 23 and 24 in Paris, the German leader told the press.
“We are speaking with a potential host. The discussions are progressing well, we have the impression that it is promising, and if all goes well we will be able to make an announcement very soon,” promised Thomas Bach.
The IOC, in perpetual search of conciliation between Olympic tradition and renewal of its audience, had already organized in Singapore a first “Olympic esports week” in June 2023 and created an “esports commission” chaired by the Frenchman David Lappartient and responsible since October 2023 for thinking about a dedicated competition.
On the question of mixing electronic sport and classic events, Thomas Bach’s conviction had been firm for several months: “I don’t think you will see an esports event at the Olympic Games, but you may see very soon esports Games,” he explained to AFP at the end of April.
On Friday, he confirmed that future dedicated Games would be organized “as part of an entirely new specialized structure within the IOC, clearly separated from the organizational and financial model of the Olympic Games”.
He nevertheless specified that international federations “already engaged in an electronic version of their sport”, as well as national Olympic committees “which include esports in their activities” could be associated with this organization.