LA 2028 working to avoid repeat of World Cup visa issues: IOC president Coventry

LA 2028 working to avoid repeat of World Cup visa issues: IOC president Coventry LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 10 : Los Angeles Olympics organisers are working closely with the authorities to avoid a repeat of the visa complications and denials of entry faced by several stakeholders at the soccer World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said on Wednesday. "I am confident that in two years we will be able to overcome a number of the challenges that the World Cup is facing right now. But I think that also takes collaboration and learning," Coventry told a press conference in Lausanne after a meeting of the IOC's executive board. IOC sports director Pierre Ducrey said there were dedicated people in the organising committee working on the matter. "They have an office in Washington, there is a strong relationship they are building with the authorities, with the right agencies that will have to be involved in this process," Ducrey said. "I think it's also a lot about explaining who is going to be coming, the profile of the people, the role they have to play so that we can also spend a lot of time educating the agencies and make sure we are all on the same page regarding what is going to happen in 2028." Visa issues have already arisen at the World Cup, which begins on Thursday in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Iranian team had to move their training base from Arizona to Mexico and will be allowed to enter the U.S. only a day before each of their three matches, and a Somali referee was denied entry into the U.S. days before the event kicks off. IOC BOARD BACKS SKI MOUNTAINEERING AT 2030 WINTER GAMES At the Lausanne meeting, the IOC's executive board approved a proposal to add ski mountaineering, which made its debut at the Milano Cortina Olympics in February, to the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps. "The French Alps organising committee proposed... to add ski mountaineering to the 2030 Winter Olympic programme edition. The (executive board) has decided to approve this and will put that forward to our session in two weeks," Coventry said. The board also decided not to include "crossover sports" such as cyclocross at the 2030 Games, but left open the door for the future. "We decided, very clear, for the upcoming Winter Olympics that we would like to keep the identity of winter sports of snow and ice... no crossover at the moment. It could be in the future," said Karl Stoss, chair of the Olympic programme working group. The IOC's 146th session is set to be held on June 24 and 25 in Lausanne.