How did it start?
The first IOC International Athletes’ Forum was held in 2002, and since then it has become a key fixture in the global sporting calendar, and a vital means for athletes to share their voice, and to discuss and resolve key issues.
The 9th International Athletes’ Forum, held in Lausanne in April 2019, was the biggest-ever gathering of athlete representatives, with more than 350 athletes attending the three-day event. For the first time, athlete representatives from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) were invited to join the representatives from each International Federation (IF), resulting in a truly global gathering representing the entire spectrum of Olympic Movement sports.
The programme of each Forum blends panel discussions, Q&A sessions and interactive workshops to empower, excite and unite the global athlete community, and equip athlete representatives with resources to strengthen their own athletes’ commissions. The Forum is driven and hosted by the IOC Athletes’ Commission, which, at the end of each Forum, then takes the key recommendations agreed by the participants to the IOC Executive Board. This can result in tangible changes to athletes’ lives.
The aim of the Forum is to bring together all athletes’ commissions in person every two years, and for this global network of representatives to emerge stronger and more united, so that they can better advocate for change with one clear voice.
