“This ‘new norm,’ I think, can offer excellent arguments, but others will come into play,” Bach said at a press conference Wednesday at the close of the PyeongChang IOC Session ahead of the Winter Games opening here Friday.

The 117-point reform package has become the IOC’s plan to control the organizational costs of the Games that have been skyrocketing over recent years.

That’s a significant reduction from last decade when cities lined up, many eventually cut from a short list, to pursue their Olympic dreams.

Four cities are officially taking a hard look at bidding for the 2026 Games, but only one so far, Sion in Switzerland, has confirmed it will apply ahead of the March 31 IOC deadline.

The others – Calgary, Stockholm and Sapporo – are working to convince skeptical governments and the public that it is wise to move forward.

At the end of a lengthy press conference, weary Bach responded to a question about how the “new norm'” might impact the upcoming Sion 2026 referendum.

Meanwhile a new survey released by the Salt Lake Tribune Wednesday revealed 83 per cent across Utah are behind hosting another Olympic Winter Games in their state.