With a twinkle in his eye,John Coates was helping Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stay in Tokyo and avoid problems on the political homefront.
Among his extraordinary talents for navigating the born-to-rule bureaucracy of the IOC and bending the will of state and federal governments to his ends,John Coates has an Olympic-sized capacity for humiliation.
For so long men have demeaned and degraded women,but too often it’s been invisible. The Australian Olympic Committee president,at least,has put it right out in the open.
The search for those in charge of delivering Brisbane 2032 will soon start,with promises of the best and brightest and a high representation of women at the top echelons of the future organising committee.
Brisbane will either be the wide-eyed yokel who marvelled at being the only bidder in an empty auction house or the genius who snapped up the greatest bargain on Earth.
Any doubts about Brisbane securing the rights to host the 2032 Olympics were dispelled hours before today’s vote at a private lunch with IOC president Tomas Bach.
IOC official John Coates had a clear message why the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead. “The desire of the athletes is as high as ever. We want to give athletes the opportunity to compete.”
The IOC and Tokyo Olympic organisers start three days of virtual meetings Wednesday and will run into some of the strongest medical community opposition so far.
IOC vice-president John Coates said there was no ‘hypotheticals’ being entertained as he backed a vaccine program plus health protocols to see Tokyo succeed.
With Australians struggling to get home from India,AOC president John Coates has assured athletes they will get safe passage back from the Games.
The backing from the International Olympic Committee of Brisbane as the likely city to host the 2032 Olympics is a heartening sign.