IOC Session in Athens to take place from 10 to 12 March 2021
After the approval in July of the organisation of two IOC Sessions in 2021, the IOC Executive Board met virtually today and determined that the 137th IOC Session will be held from 10 to 12 March next year in Athens.
The Hellenic Olympic Committee was selected as the host in June 2019. The IOC Executive Board will meet from 7 to 9 March 2021, also in Athens.
The 2021 election for the IOC EB will be held at the 138th IOC Session in July in Tokyo.
Election of the IOC President
The IOC EB also approved, in the absence of the current IOC President, Thomas Bach, the directives concerning the election of the IOC President that is due to be held during the 137th IOC Session. This part of the meeting was led by First IOC Vice-President Anita DeFrantz.
It was agreed that the candidatures should be declared no later than 30 November 2020. In order to avoid any risk of interference with the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, now to be celebrated in 2021, and to allow for a smooth transition, it was decided that the IOC President elected during the 137th IOC Session shall take office the day after the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Aimed at ensuring that the fundamental ethical principles of Olympism prevail during the campaign, the rules in force are identical to those which applied to the election in 2013. President Bach announced at the 136th IOC Session on 17 July that he will be running for a second term.
Report on AIBA
The IOC EB also received an update on the International Boxing Association (AIBA) from Nenad Lalovic, the Chair of the Special Monitoring Committee, set up in June last year after the IOC Session decided to suspend recognition of AIBA.
The Monitoring Committee is very worried about the lack of progress with regard to the governance reforms of AIBA and will keep monitoring the situation before it delivers a new report to the IOC Executive Board in November.
New Technology and Information Director
The IOC EB was informed that Ilario Corna will become the IOC Technology and Information Director on 1 November 2020. Mr Corna will join the IOC from Swisscom, where he is currently serving as Executive Vice-President for TV & Smart Products in Zurich.
Mr Corna has over 15 years of international experience in information and technology services, broadcasting, digital media and e-commerce for leading companies in the media and telecommunications sectors. He has managed IT infrastructure and delivered digital transformation and process improvement and efficiencies, while providing customer-centric and technology-driven products and services. He studied computer science and engineering in Switzerland and Canada, and speaks English, French, Italian (his first language) and German.
Having worked for the Canadian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium at the time of the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games, and for the Organising Committee of the 2015 European Games in Baku, he is already familiar with the Olympic Movement.
Gerry Pennell has decided – not without regret – to step down from the role. Nevertheless, he will facilitate a smooth transition on major ongoing business in the next few months and will continue to support the IOC afterwards.