IOC president meets North Korean leader

PYONGYANG, North Korea — International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.

Bach told an Associated Press Television crew the two had a 30-minute formal meeting followed by 45 minutes of casual talking while watching a football match Friday afternoon at Pyongyang’s huge May Day Stadium. He said Kim supports a plan to have North Korean athletes compete in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

Bach arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday to discuss development of sports in North Korea and the preparation of its athletes to qualify and participate in upcoming Olympics. He is the rst foreign o cial to meet Kim since the North Korean leader returned from a summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But watch for Lillehammer in 2030.

“I think 2026 would have been best for us, but I have to acknowledge the timing is not there,” Gerhard Heiberg told the Associated Press on Thursday.

He said organizers and politicians had too little time to work out details and nancing, but called 2030 “more likely.”

Bidders have until today to let the International Olympic Committee know of their interest. In October, the IOC will trim the eld to serious contenders and pick the host next year.

At least four serious bids are likely to be on the table: Calgary; Stockholm; Sapporo, Japan; and Sion, Switzerland. Interest might also come for Austria, Italy and Turkey.