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Brisbane likely to be awarded 2032 Olympics in July

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Brisbane will likely be selected as the host city for the 2032 Summer Olympics when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) convenes in Tokyo next month.

IOC chief Thomas Bach confirmed following Thursday's executive board meeting that the Australian city could be awarded the honor of hosting the quadrennial event during a meeting on July 21, according to The Associated Press.

Brisbane's selection seemed all but certain when it was named the leading candidate in February due to a lack of a formal opponent.

Despite Bach saying a decision remains "in the hands" of around 100 IOC members, the executive board historically approves recommendations the president of the governing body makes.

Bach has spoken highly of Australia's sporting culture, and he also cited support for the initiative from the local government in Brisbane and federal representatives.

"All this together I think made it somehow irresistible," Bach said.

The capital of the state of Queensland, Brisbane's application to host is set to be approved unopposed under a new IOC framework to streamline bids, which aims to reduce the cost of hosting the games while also limiting the buying of votes from interested parties.

Both the Tokyo Olympics and the 2016 games in Rio came with allegations of corruption that are the subject of ongoing criminal investigations probing violations in the selection process.

IOC vice president and president of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates has led Brisbane's application. Coates engineered the streamlining of the bidding process two years ago under Bach's instruction.

Amid questions about Coates' involvement being a conflict of interest, Bach has cited the governing body's "strict rules" that ethics and compliance officials monitor.

Brisbane's swift selection has caught representatives for bids from Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, and Qatar off guard, according to The Associated Press.

Australia last hosted the Olympics in 2000, when the Summer Games in Sydney received widespread praise. The next two Summer Olympics are set to take place in Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028).

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