The European Olympic Committees (EOC) is set set to award the 2027 European Games to Istanbul, the association’s president Spyros Capralos said Monday on the sidelines of the Executive Committee meeting held in Madrid. Delegates from the Turkish city traveled to Spain to discuss their readiness with executives.
The EOC was without a handover host following the Kraków-Małopolska 2023 European Games in Poland, but at last October’s General Assembly held in Istanbul it was confirmed that the city was in line for the 2027 edition. According to an EOC report “several other cities” are interested in hosting the 2031 Games due to the additional preparation time.
In an interview with Spanish news agency EFE Spyros confirmed the path for Istanbul’s election.
“We are going to receive here in Madrid a delegation from Turkey, from the municipality of Istanbul, to discuss a candidacy that is very good,” he said.
“We will go to the city soon, before granting [Istanbul] the Games. It makes us very happy that a great country like Turkey wants to organize the Games.”
Spyros conceded that Istanbul was the only party in the running for the event, explaining “In today’s world it is very difficult to attract candidates to organize multi-sport competitions.”
The EOC president said his organization is working with the international gymnastics and swimming federations to bring those sports back to the Games in 2027 after their absence from Poland due to the lack of suitable venues.
“We do not want to insist on sports that force organizers to build new venues,” he said.
“Gymnastics and swimming are, of course, big competitions and both European federations want to be at the Games. I am sure that artistic and rhythmic gymnastics will return to the program and we are discussing an under-23 swimming competition.”
Spyros also addressed comments made last week by the president of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso who said her city was ready to host the 2036 Olympic Games. Madrid failed in consecutive bids to host in 2012, 2016 and 2020, and lost a 1972 campaign to Munich. He supports the initiative but encouraged the Spanish capital to consider hosting the European Games in a path to the Olympics.
“What we hope is that one day Spain joins the map as the organizing country of the European Games,” Spyros told EFE.
“On the path to organizing Olympic Games in the future, the European Games are a good step to then move forward.”
Several regions are interested in hosting the 2036 edition according to the IOC, but no decision is expected before 2026.
Istanbul is among the cities that have discussed potential 2036 Olympic bids and experience with the European Games could raise Turkey’s profile. The city has failed in several bids this century including 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2020.
