Olympic Highlights 02/12/2022
IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed the adoption of the new resolution by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, which recognises that major international sports events “should be organised in the spirit of peace”, and that “the unifying and conciliative nature of such events should be respected”.
“By adopting this resolution, the UN General Assembly is also supporting the overarching mission of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be a unifying force, bringing the entire world together in peaceful competition, with no discrimination whatsoever,” the IOC President said. He continued: “The IOC is very grateful that this resolution specifically highlights that international sports events should be organised in a spirit of peace, without discrimination of any kind, and in particular that the unifying and conciliative nature of these events should be respected. We can only accomplish this unifying mission if the Olympic and Paralympic Games stand beyond all political, cultural and other differences. This is only possible if the Olympic Games are politically neutral and do not become a tool to achieve political goals.”
The resolution was adopted by consensus during the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly. This is highly remarkable given the current political tensions, as it includes both Russia and Ukraine. The meeting was presided over by UN GA President Csaba Kőrösi who said in his opening remarks: “If we want to make change, to transform the world, we must include sports and athletes in our work. Where politics and ideology can divide, forcing animosity and separation, sport brings together people in peaceful competition. It has the ability to break down racial and other barriers, combat discrimination, and defuse conflict. Sport is a platform to combat some of the gravest dangers the world faces today.”
The resolution is entitled “Sport as an enabler of sustainable development” and supports the overarching mission of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be a unifying force, bringing the word together in peaceful competition with no discrimination whatsoever. IOC Member Luis Alberto Moreno, who has been the IOC’s Permanent Observer to the UN since 2019, delivered a speech on behalf of IOC President Thomas Bach. Read the full news release here.
This week, IOC President Thomas Bach has worked remotely from home following a positive test for COVID-19. He had only mild symptoms and was able to have series of phone calls with IOC Members present in Lausanne for the IOC Commissions’ annual meetings. He also addressed online welcome remarks to all the IOC Commissions.
As he was unable to attend in person the meetings held in Lausanne over the week, President Bach delegated IOC First Vice-President Ser Miang Ng to represent him and deliver his speeches at the Annual IF Forum, the General Assembly of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), and the General Assembly of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF).
In the speech at the Annual IF Forum organised by SportAccord which is chaired by Ivo Ferriani, also IOC Executive Board Member, the IOC President stressed the overriding need for unity in tackling the global challenges facing the sports world following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and that “the sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian governments must, and will, remain firmly in place.” He continued: “You all know, first hand, how difficult it is to square this circle with the protective measures that we had to take. This is why we have to continue to explore ways of how we can overcome our dilemma with these protective measures for the athletes. We can only do so in a credible way if we, the Olympic Movement, stay united ourselves. We can only do this if you, the IFs, keep following our recommended sanctions and protective measures.” In his speech, he also assured them that the IOC will fully deliver on its financial commitments the for this Olympiad. But he urged them, like the IOC, to “review all planned activities and decide whether every event, every competition, every meeting is really necessary given the precarious situation of the world economy and of our planet.” See also the “Recognised organisations” section.
At the ARISF General Assembly, whose President is Raffaele Chiulli, the IOC President praised the excellent relationship between ARISF and the IOC, and looked forward to continuing this great cooperation in the future, because all challenges can only be addressed together. He also noted that these challenges can have different impacts on different IFs, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. On behalf of the President, Vice President Ser Miang Ng assured the IFs that the IOC would continue to focus on strong bilateral relations, tailoring and adapting to the specific needs of each respective federation.
At the AIOWF General Assembly, Ser Miang Ng has forwarded the IOC President’s thanks for the excellent collaboration between AIOWF and the IOC for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and its contribution to the Games’ success.
IOC Vice-President Ser Miang Ng represented the President throughout the week at a number of meetings, including the IOC commissions and dinners.
On behalf of the IOC President, Ser Miang Ng also addressed the graduates from the Class of 2022 of the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS), who were gathered at The Olympic Museum.
Back to the Olympic House on 2 December, President Bach chaired a joint meeting of the IOC Executive Board (EB) and the IOC Athletes’ Commission, which is chaired by IOC EB member Emma Terho. Various Olympic topics including the upcoming editions of the Olympic Games and the current international situation were discussed. Read the full news release here.
Following the meeting, President Bach welcomed a number of Olympic champions and Olympian members of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission, who signed the Olympians Wall at Olympic House. Nadia Comăneci (Romania, gymnastics), Mihai Covaliu (Romania, fencing), Kady Kanouté Tounkara (Mali, basketball), Tegla Loroupe (Kenya, athletics), Jean-Michel Saive (Belgium, table tennis), Donna de Varona (USA, swimming), Chantal Brunner (New Zealand, athletics) and Sarah Walker (New Zealand, cycling), were then presented with their diplomas and OLY insignia by the IOC President.
In a phone call, the IOC President and the Global CEO of Worldwide TOP Partner Deloitte, Punit Renjen, spoke about their cooperation on digital strategy and transformation, and the next editions of the Olympic Games.
Last week, upon his return from Doha, President Bach met Thomas Jolly, Artistic Director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. They discussed the concept of the ceremonies and in particular the plans for the Opening ceremony along the River Seine.
President Bach also met International Luge Federation (FIL) President Einars Fogelis. The two talked about the preparations of the Youth Olympic Winter Games Gangwon 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 as well as some current Olympic topics.
With the German NOC (DOSB) President Thomas Weikert, the IOC President discussed various topics of mutual interest, including the next editions of the Olympic Games and the geopolitical situation.
Also last week, President Bach met the Dutch NOC President, Anneke van Zanen-Nieberg, who then signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. Spyros Capralos, IOC Member and President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), attended the signing ceremony.
MEMBERS
IOC EB member Ivo Ferriani has been re-elected as President of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) during the General Assembly held in Lausanne. He has held the position since November 2020. Ivo Ferriani is also President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF).
IOC EB member Mikaela Cojuangco-Jaworski, a long-time WWF-Philippines Ambassador, received a special award at the 2022 WWF-PH Partners' Night. The WWF-Philippines Special Awards highlight the work of various individuals and organisations that have selflessly dedicated their time, effort and resources to the organisation. Cojuangco-Jaworski joined the WWF-Philippines family (Panda Family) as Climate Change Solutions Steward and the first female Earth Hour Ambassador in 2012, using her vast influence to raise awareness about the organisation's environmental conservation initiatives.
Olympic champion and IOC Member Hong Zhang has donated to The Olympic Museum the suit and skates she wore on winning the 1,000m speed skating gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. IOC Vice-President Ser Miang Ng presented her with the certificate thanking her for her gesture in support of the IOC’s heritage.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
On 30 November, the IOC has announced the winners of this year’s prestigious Olympic Golden Rings awards during a ceremony at Olympic House, honouring the best broadcast coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Official Olympic media rights-holders were awarded trophies across nine categories. The awards also recognised the efforts of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), which produced all the live coverage during the Games. The winners were selected from 50 entries by an international jury headed by IOC Member Anant Singh, a producer of two Academy Award-nominated films and the IOC Delegate Member for Visual Production. Full news release with the list of winners here.
Olympic expert Michael Payne was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Medal at a ceremony that took place during the annual meetings of the IOC commissions in Lausanne. The medal was presented by IOC Vice-President Ser Miang Ng, in the presence of numerous IOC commission members, in recognition of Mr Payne’s outstanding contribution to Olympism through the publication “Toon In!” – a collection of 1,200 Olympic-themed cartoons in a 500-page book. At the ceremony, Mr Ng delivered a congratulatory speech on behalf of IOC President Thomas Bach. In his acceptance speech, Mr Payne paid tribute to the 400 cartoonists from 50 countries whose creations went into his book, and spoke of their power. Full news release here.
The IOC has awarded its Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 to Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi (France/Australia, canoe) and Malcolm Brown MBE (Great Britain, triathlon) for their outstanding support for and mentoring of Olympic athletes. Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi has been coaching for 25 years, leading her athletes to 12 world titles and four Olympic medals. Myriam helped to bring women’s canoe slalom to the Olympic programme and helped achieve gender equality in her sport. Malcolm Brown has coached athletes to five Olympic medals in triathlon and has dedicated his life to coaching and bettering the lives of others. The IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards are run by the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission chaired by IOC Member Sergii Bubka, also a member of the expert panel that selected the 2022 winners. Read the full news release here.
The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) is announcing the next edition of the Olympian Artists programme, after successful projects at the Olympic Games PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. In the run-up to Paris 2024, Olympians and Paralympians who practise an artform are invited to join this unique programme led by the IOC, which offers them a global platform to share their experiences as both athletes and artists. Full news release here.
On 25 November, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the IOC looked back at the success of One Win Leads to Another (OWLA), a flagship programme designed to use the power of sport as a tool to prevent violence against girls and women in Brazil and Argentina, and is contemplating initiatives to follow in its wake, informed and inspired by the IOC’s Olympism 365 strategy. Read the full news release here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
Meeting in Rome (Italy) on 29 and 30 November, the World Athletics Council made a number of important decisions, including the awarding of the 2024 World Athletics Relays to Nassau in the Bahamas. The Council also approved the dates for upcoming World Athletics Series events and heard a report from the World Athletics’ Russia Taskforce. In addition, during a two-hour information session, the Council discussed an ongoing review of the current Differences of Sex Development (DSD) Regulations and Transgender Regulations. Full info here. As part of the 2022 World Athletics Awards, the Ukrainian Athletic Association has been awarded the President’s Award, while former sprinter Donna Fraser, a champion for gender equality and the empowerment of women in athletics, has been named Woman of the Year. And Ukrainian Gennadii Zuiev was named winner of the Coaching Achievement Award.
On 30 November, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame Class of 2022 enshrinement ceremony took place at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland. Nine legendary figures in women’s basketball who have contributed enormously to the sport’s development have been showcased in presence of FIBA President Hamane Niang. Discover the Class of 2022 here. In addition, FIBA's Central Board has confirmed the hosts of the upcoming Youth World Cups – both the U17 and U19 men's and women's tournaments. Full details here. Furthermore, FIBA's Central Board has confirmed that Bahrain is to host the FIBA Mid-Term Congress in 2025, thanks to a partnership with the Bahrain Olympic Committee and the Bahrain Basketball Association. Additionally, the FIBA Hall of Fame traditional ceremony for the Class of 2025 will be organised in conjunction with the FIBA Mid-Term Congress. More details here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) received the Special Jury Prize at the Peace and Sport Awards during a ceremony in Monaco on 30 November, at the end of the 13th Peace and Sport International Forum. The UCI has been honoured for its solidarity in supporting female cyclists from Afghanistan by helping evacuate them following the Taliban takeover in 2021, welcoming athletes to its headquarters in Aigle (Switzerland) and organising the women’s National Championships on Swiss territory. UCI President David Lappartient, who is also an IOC Member, received the award with Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, in attendance.
Full info here.
World Rugby’s Athletes’ Commission met in Monaco on 21 November to discuss the latest developments in rugby and matters of importance and interest to elite players. The meeting began with the election of Araba Chintoh (Canada, International Rugby Players) as chair of the body, which plays a key role in ensuring that the players’ voice is heard within World Rugby’s decision-making structures. Topics covered included the latest advancements in player welfare, the acceleration of World Rugby’s women in rugby strategy and the future of global competition developments. IOC Member and rugby sevens Olympian Humphrey Kayange provided an update on Olympic-related matters. Info at www.world.rugby.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced the inaugural winners of its Advantage All Reward & Recognition programme. The programme, which was introduced in 2022, rewards national associations for what they have done in their country to promote and progress lasting change towards achieving gender balance and equal opportunity. The Gold Award went to Tennis Ireland, the Silver to Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and the Bronze to Tennis Australia. Full details here.
During the 35th World Triathlon Congress in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), the 2022 World Triathlon Women’s Committee Award of Excellence was presented to Nelly Becerra from the Mexican Triathlon Federation. She received the award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the involvement of women and girls in the sport at grassroots level. She trains and races; coaches women and girls; organises events for them; and acts as an advocate for female representation in key positions in the triathlon world. The award was given in person by Marisol Casado, President of World Triathlon and an IOC Member, along with Tomoko Wada, Chair of the World Triathlon Women’s Committee. More details here. In addition, during its meeting in Abu Dhabi on 22 November, the World Triathlon Executive Board approved the competition rules updates that will be brought into effect from 1 January 2023. Full info here.
WINTER IFS
The World Curling Federation (WCF) has announced that the World Men’s Curling Championship 2024 will be held in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, from 30 March to 7 April 2024. This will be the first time a world curling championship is held in Schaffhausen and the 10th time Switzerland has hosted a world curling championship. More info here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
The National Olympic Academy of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) organised its 45th Olympic Conference at the beginning of November. The 2022 edition brought together 100 students, most of whom were college students aged 18 to 23. CTOC President Hong-Dow Lin and Deputy Minister of Education Teng-Jiao Lin welcomed the participants, while the Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education Deputy Director-General Che-Hung Lin congratulated them on their work during the four-day conference in the presence of the Dean of the Academy, Mei-Yen Chen. Visiting lecturer Jim Parry from England talked about virtual sports, while Beatriz Garcia from Spain spoke about the Olympic Games and city culture, and Akinori Shinomiya from Japan shared his experience as a social media user at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. In addition, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the CTOC has launched a virtual artwork entitled “Glories of the all”, in collaboration with Taiwan Creative Content. By launching the 4D NFT, the CTOC hopes to convey the Olympic values in the digital world and encourage people to continue to support sports activities and Chinese Taipei athletes. More info at www.tpenoc.net.
On 30 November, the Colombian Olympic Academy announced the creation of an Olympic professorship at the Universidad Distrital, Bosa, in southern Bogotá. The event was attended by representatives from the district, the Colombian NOC and the Academy. The main address was delivered by Alberto Galvis Ramírez, the Academy Secretary, who spoke of the history of Colombian sport, rooted in the Olympic values, in front of an audience of 150 students in the university auditorium. More info here.
The Dominican Republic NOC has announced that 120 young athletes from 12 countries took part in an international "Potencia tu futuro" (Boost Your Future) gymnastics camp, held at the Albergue Olímpico and gymnastics pavilion in Parque del Este, Santo Domingo. The initiative is designed to prepare young athletes from the Americas who are starting out in their gymnastics careers. It is supported by Panam Sports and the IOC via its Athlete365 programme, and is coordinated by the NOC and the Dominican Gymnastics Federation. Full details here. As part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November, a talk on the prevention of violence against women was organised by the NOC’s Women and Sport Commission and the women’s department of the Ministry of Sport. Leaders and athletes from various sports also took part in a march to mark the day. More info at www.colimdo.org.
Six athletes have been elected as the newest members of the British Olympic Association (BOA)’s Athletes’ Commission. Non Stanford (triathlon) Abigail Irozuru (athletics), Alex Danson-Bennett (hockey) and Lloyd Wallace (freestyle skiing) will all join the Commission for the first time in 2023, while Kristian Thomas (artistic gymnastics) and Georgie Twigg (hockey) have both been re-elected for a second term. Two-time Olympic swimmer Lizzie Simmonds remains Chair of the Commission after being elected to the position last year. More details here.
The annual Forum of the Athletes’ Commission of the Olympic Committee of Israel took place on 15 November. As part of the 50th anniversary of the terrorist attack at the Olympic Games Munich 1972, during which 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed, the athletes attending dedicated the annual gathering to their memory. The Forum opened with a discussion with Ilana Romano and Ankie Spitzer, widows of weightlifter Yossef and fencing coach Andre respectively. It concluded with the story behind the “We are the 11th” educational campaign run by the NOC. More than 50 Olympic athletes from Seoul 1988 until the present day attended the Forum, including two athletes from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Tokyo 2020. The event was led by Athletes’ Commission Chair Yakov Toumarkin. More info at www.olympicsil.co.il
The Moroccan NOC recently welcomed pupils from Al Ichraq school on a visit to the NOC headquarters. In addition, as part of the Olympic Solidarity programme, the Royal Moroccan Hockey Federation organised the final stage of its coaches and referees training course (see photo) in Mohammedia from 18 to 26 November. More info at www.cnom.org.ma.
On 16 November in Lisbon, the Portuguese NOC hosted a ceremony to award its annual prizes to prominent figures from the Olympic and sports world. Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo and world indoor champion Auriol Dongmo received the NOC’s highest award “Prémio de Excelência Desportiva” [Sports Excellence Award], which honours the best performing athletes of the year. Pichardo added the world and European triple jump titles to the gold he won at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This year, Dongmo became the indoor shot put world champion, and took silver at the European Championships. Various other honours were awarded during the Olympic celebration. You can find all the winners here.
The Generación Acción [Generation Action], educational project, run by the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Malaga (CIFAL Malaga), the Spanish NOC and Iberdrola, was recently presented at a ceremony held in Malaga. This project features the launch of a mobile app that teaches the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to schoolchildren in Spain through the values of sport. As a pilot project, the app should be available between January and June 2023 in Malaga’s schools and then be launched in other schools in Andalusia and the rest of Spain. In addition, videos of 17 Olympic athletes will be available to provide information on the SDGs. Full details here.
The Venezuelan NOC and its Women in Sport Commission marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by organising a conference at the NOC’s auditorium. This saw the NOC join UN Women’s “UNITE to End Violence against Women” campaign, raising awareness through the presentations given by various speakers on this important topic. The event, held on 30 November, brought together more than 100 people from the Venezuelan Olympic and sports community.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PARIS 2024
The first phase of the ticketing process for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 opened on 1 December. Those interested in experiencing the Games in person will be able to begin their journey to Paris by signing up to the draw on https://tickets.paris2024.org between 1 December and 31 January for the first sale of tickets. To find out more about the ticketing process, click here. And read the full news release here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
The theme of the 2022 IF Forum organised by SportAccord – held at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne on 28 and 29 November – was “International Federation Impact – Safe Sport and Sustainable Development”. In his opening speech, SportAccord President Ivo Ferriani highlighted the influence of IFs, and the sports they represent, on the lives of athletes, followers, host cities and the environment. Day one also featured keynotes on human rights and sustainability. On day two, there were Q&As, scene setters, case studies and panel sessions delving into topics ranging from “Human Rights in Practice” and “Safe Sport – Think Globally, Act Locally” to “How to Implement Easy Changes Within Your Sustainability Strategy”, as well as a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their connection to sport. The 2022 IF Forum brought together 350 leaders from more than 125 IFs. More info here at www.sportaccord.com.
The Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) has launched a project to build the headquarters of African NOCs. The foundation stone for the future headquarters of the NOC of Sierra Leone was laid on 13 November in Freetown in the presence of ANOCA President and IOC Member Mustapha Berraf, Sierra Leone NOC President Patrick Coker, ANOCA Treasurer and IOC Honorary Member Habu Gumel, the secretaries general of several NOCs and Yassine Yousfi, who is in charge of Africa at Olympic Solidarity. Mr Gumel, the NOC Headquarters Construction Project Coordinator, underscored that a circular letter had been sent to all NOCs that do not have offices in order for them to apply for funding. More details here.
The European Young Olympic Ambassador (EYOA) programme, an innovative programme developed through the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Culture & Education Commission, is set for its sixth and seventh editions. Taking into account that the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Friuli Venezia Giulia (21-28 January 2023) and the EYOF in Maribor (23-29 July 2023) will take place only six months apart, the EYOA programme has been merged across both editions. Twenty-eight EYOAs will take part in the EYOFs in 2023, representing 25 countries. The EYOA brings together young people aged 18-30; while some of them hail from an elite sporting background, all of them share the same passion, energy, motivation and desire to inspire young athletes to follow the Olympic values on and off the field. Full details here.