Thomas Bach - President of the International Olympic Committee Extra Time

It is time now for Extra Time with Rob Bonnet.

Extra Time has come to the sporting convention in Turkey. When the IOC

president, Thomas Bach elected last September has been setting out his

vision for the future of the Olympic movement. It is a 60 commitment

entitled a bigger gender Twenty20. Its wish is to encourage more open

debate amongst these, the stakeholders in sport. But, there

are are of course some familiar things too. For example, doping in

sport. The faltering construction of facilities for the Olympics in Rio

in 2016 and also the Winter Olympics in Sochi were a number of political

issues presented themselves. President Thomas Bach, welcome to

Extra Time. You have a motto. Unity in diversity. What does that mean?

It means that for instance, in regard to the candidature and

process, we have two encourage more diversity rather than people having

just answering questionnaires. The candidature of who? Bidding for the

games. That we encourage people to show us what Olympic Games means in

their culture and that we are not telling them how we see Olympic

Games in their culture. This is just one example. Billy big movement is a

worldwide movement so we have a common dominator `` denominator. We

consider diversity being an enrichment. It is a worldwide

movement which tries to say that you stay separate from politics.

Politics and sport is kind of a mantra almost. We are politically

neutral but we are not a political. What is the difference? The

difference is that we have to realise and we have to consider when

we take decisions that they have little applications. Arts, we have

to take our decisions based on sports and not based on political

arguments. You have to be neutral to put systems all over the world. One

at the time to time, the games has been hijacked by political

gestures. In 1968 in Mexico, the Black Power salute. And more

recently in the Paralympic Games in Sochi, the decision by the Ukrainian

athletes to cover their medals when they whine. I understand that is not

the Olympics, it is the Paralympics. What is your opinion? My view is

that in the Olympic Games, we have to protect the athletes. We have to

protect the athletes from being involved in the court disputes of

all kinds. But they did that of their own choice. I am not commented

on individual cases. The principle is what counts. The athletes have to

be protected from being part of a political dispute in the games. If

they want to take part in this dispute, then they can speak out in

the press conferences. They can speak with their fellow athletes.

But not on the rostrum? No. And not on the field. Is that gesture was to

be repeated by any athletes, you would disapprove? I will not

speculate on this. It does seem now that you would disapprove? this is

your interpretation was up I am telling you we will not speculate on

individual cases before they have happened. At the moment, we would

allow the international sports would become part of the political

dispute, it would very soon not have any international sport and in the

stop `` any more. It would be a high risk because the meaning of the

games is bringing people together. Political disputes, by experience,

they do not bring people together. I understand what you say about not

circulating. But it might be the getting of the end of the Olympics,

is that what you are suggesting? I am trying to interpret what you are

saying. If we had the games as a stage for political disputes, this

would be against the meaning of the Olympic Games. Did you regard the

Sochi Olympics, the Winter Olympics as a stage for the Russian

government of President Putin? You could see, in every Olympic Games,

the host country, not only the Olympics but the soccer World Cup as

well, the host country can show what their culture is. What their

perception of sport and the Olympics is. We have very clear rules, for

instance, no politician is allowed to make a speech in the opening or

Closing Ceremony. You would accept the view, which has been expressed,

that Vladimir Putin somehow used the Winter Olympics as a propaganda

tool? He was there and I think this is legitimate that the head of state

is there. These were games in Russia and there you present the Russian

culture. That is what everybody would expect. Therefore, again, the

rules of the IOC and the Olympic charter were respected. The Sochi

Games cost 55 million dollars. Wrong. What was the figure? The

figure is around $2 billion. Around the cost of Vancouver. The other

cost are infrastructure costs. You would have to make a difference. You

should know from London that the cost of transforming the east end of

London into what it is now, a flourishing quarter and Olympic

Park. A well appreciated living area. This is not the cost of the

games. This was an investment in the future of East London and London.

But you would agree that the cost of bidding and mounting Olympic Games

has to be reduced? The cost of the bidding should be reduced. This is

why the IOC has already a pretty strict rule. But what we see is that

many candidates cities use already the candidature for different

purposes. They use it at the same time they are advertising for

tourism to attract tourists or headquarters of enterprises. We have

to have a look into it, we have to make it clearer what the IOC really

requests from a Kansas City. What about a spending? If you could

control it. You are the President. The IOC has no police force, the

authority to really control back. Well that is a feeling, isn't it?

Deeney to get a grip on that? We tried to bite `` but, never

introduced a rule which you cannot control. This reflects what John

Coates proposed. He said the bidding procedure should be more of an

invitation rather than a tender for a franchise. Almost a semantic

argument. This is a huge difference. What we are doing now is

at the beginning of the candidature procedure, we issue this kind of

tender. Are you ready to build a stadium with a capacity of 50,000

for these sports? Will the seats for the press be the right colour? So

very fine detail? We tick the box. But this is like a tender for a

franchise. We have to change the mentality we have to ask the

potential candidates cities, how do you see Olympic Games fitting best

into your long`term development plan? Be it social, infrastructure,

environmental. Tell us how the games would fit into your society. And

then we can look at it and make a decision. How concerned are you that

the Rio games will be ready? There is reason to be concerned. I had a

visit in January that in Brazil and I was visiting the President of

Brazil. To exchange the opinions and I was happy to learn that they are

committed. There is not a single day to lose. That was a view days ago.

Have they lost a few days since then press yellow the commission was

there, saying there is not one hour to lose. Do you regret the decision

to award against Rio? Why not? Because it will be a great Games.

The facilities will be incomplete. Let's see. It will be a great party

in the end. You say that with a smile on your face. When you speak

about a party you have to say that with a smile on your face. They do

seem to be concerning. A range of facilities are behind schedule. Golf

coming into the Olympics for the first time in 100 years, golf

courses are way behind schedule. It is disappointing given how long ago

we got amongst this in golfing started. He was putting it forward

and now there has been a delay. Again, there are concerns. There is

nothing to hide. The good thing about it is that our partners in

Brazil know and... Are you being stoned? Are you giving them the

hurry up? We will have very open discussions with them. Using

diplomatic language, of course. I can imagine there are being `` there

are tables being thumped. What about the composition of the Olympic

Games? Have you got the balance right in terms of the programme of

sport, between the traditional sports and the new sports, which are

clamouring at the door to get in. In the summer games we should make an

effort to get some new blood into the system. What we have done with

the Winter Games, what worked very well, we have not done yet in the

Summer Games. Can you give me some examples? If I give you an example,

then for this sport it would mean the end of all its ambitions. What

we have to do and what we are discussing a bout now is how we can

make out procedure more flexible. We can welcome new sports or

disciplines easier than the present procedure allows. Once we have

established a new procedure, I will be ready to speak about the sports.

Is the 2016 schedule set in stone smack there is disappointment

amongst different sports, particularly sport, squash ``

particular squash. I think we have just discussed the concerns that we

have with Rio. You can't give me a straight answer. I don't think this

would be the right moment to put a greater burden on the organising

committee in Rio. You are not saying that squash is out of the games, are

you? You are getting philosophical. The timelines are over. To 2020

maybe, that is another argument to have. To 2020, we would hopefully

have other procedures. For Rio 2016, the timelines are being over for a

long time and on the other hand we have to make sure that within the

existing programme we will all see the great party we want to see in

Rio. What about the proposal from the president of the International

cycling union, you are aware he proposed that not only cycling

events, but he takes it upon himself to take it upon other sports,

badminton and so on, that they should be switched from the Summer

Games to the Winter Games. The Winter Games are games on ice and

snow and they should remain so. Indefinitely? First of all, they

have to keep their identity. If you add other sports, this would not be

authentic Summer Games to any more. You are ruling it out, aren't you?

That's one reason. The second reason, already now, it is difficult

in the mountain regions to have all the installations you need for the

Winter Games. You're not saying cycle Cross could not take place in

winter? But then you would need the velodrome on top. You would have

hundreds more athletes, hundreds more (CROSSTALK) if you can create

an ice rink in Sochi, you can create a velodrome. And ice rink is for the

Winter Games, if you had a velodrome it would be on top. You are ruling

that out, are you? The winter grains will remain snow and ice bound.

Yes. That is despite the flexibility you spoke about in terms of

accepting ideas in the Olympic movement. Yes, but I am not talking

about flexibility for the sake of flexibility. It would be the

elephant in the room if we did not speak of doping. Athletes at home

from Sochi. What does this tell us, if anything, about the failures or

successes of anti` doping regulations. It shows that the

anti`dumping system works and that we are getting that cheats. Looking

at substances for which they were caught, it also tells us that the

deterrent factor has been growing and that we have made progress in

this respect. There is more to do. The former president of WADA has

been critical. In a report he describes drug testing programmes as

generally unsuccessful and says that sport bodies, including the RUC

should take. But from the quantity of tests rather than the quality of

testing. This report is two years old. It is no longer valid? Let me

explain. In the meantime, we have seen the most apprehensive

anti`dumping test programme in the Sochi games, not only with regard to

quantity, but also with regard to quality. What he is clear about is

that sports, or indeed associations, which are not compliant with the

code should be kicked out. Are you comfortable with that? It is WADA

who have to declare them non`compliant and so far they have

all been declared compliant. In Jamaica you will remember

(CROSSTALK) this is WADA and all have been declared compliant. As

long as they say so you are happy? They are the competent authority

which was founded and together with the government. They are responsible

for making the necessary enquiries and then declaring the National

Olympic Committee or of the International Federation compliant

or non`compliant. In your personal view, is a four`year ban for doping

offences sufficient? I am coming in my time as an athlete speaker from

the clear request for a lifelong ban. We said at the time together

with Sebastian Cole that we don't want to see that cheats any more on

the field. I had to learn the lesson from lawyers that everybody has

deserved a second chance. With this for `` four years, there is a

balance, because it is a high deterrent factor. With the second

infringement, you can have a life ban. You set aside $10 million,

beside the 10 million for antidote in, to fight manipulation and

related corruption. What does that mean? `` anti` doping. This is

mainly illegal betting and manipulation of sports. Have Olympic

Games or spores being manipulated in the past? Not as far as you know? We

have had a monitoring system for the games where all bets placed on the

games are monitored. We have taken certain precautions. Participants in

the games are not allowed to bet on Olympic events and so on. We have to

face the reality. What hasn't happened so far, should happen

tomorrow and is already happening in different. This is the reason why

before the Sochi games we assigned a memorandum of understanding with

Interpol to strengthen this fight. And she very much indeed. `` thank

you very much indeed. It is proving to be a mixed Easter

weekend at the scene continues into Easter Monday. Many of us will have

a reasonable day with sunshine to look forward to. There will be a few

showers scattered around. Some of us will get wet. Most of