Olympic Highlights 03/06/2024
IOC
PRESIDENT
The important role of sport as the “low-cost high-impact tool par excellence for public health” was highlighted by IOC President Thomas Bach as he delivered a keynote address at the 77th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva on 27 May. Delegates from all WHO Member States were in Switzerland for the annual World Health Assembly.
On the same day, the IOC and WHO also announced that they had extended their Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in May 2020, until the end of December 2025. Through the agreement, the IOC and WHO are demonstrating their shared commitment to both promoting healthy society through sport, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (“Good health and well-being”) and contributing to the prevention of non-communicable diseases.
“The theme of this World Health Assembly – ‘All for Health, Health for All’ – is a timely call for collective action. Addressing global health challenges is a team effort. The world of sport is ready to be a part of this team to build healthy and resilient communities everywhere,” said President Bach. (Full speech here).
“I fully endorse President Bach’s remarks on our partnership: you have said it all,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. “Since we signed our MoU a few years ago, the partnership between WHO and the IOC has grown significantly, so thank you for your leadership, President Bach.” (Full speech here). Read the full news release here.
During the World Health Assembly, the IOC President met Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider; Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Chairperson of the African Union; 2023 Nobel Prize-winner in Physiology and Medicine Katalin Karikó; and Edwin Dikoloti, Minister of Health in Botswana.
Also present at the World Health Assembly were IOC Members Andrew Parsons, who is also President of the International Paralympic Committee, and Pau Gasol who also took part in the 5th WHO Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge event in Geneva the day before, alongside Kenyan two-time Olympic champion David Rudisha.
This week, President Thomas Bach welcomed the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, to Olympic House. Amongst those accompanying the Bulgarian head of state was the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, Stefka Kostadinova, high jump champion at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996. Their visit to Lausanne began with a tour of the Olympic Museum.
During a private meeting, President Bach and the Bulgarian President discussed the excellent relations that the IOC enjoys with Bulgaria and with the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. They also discussed the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the current geopolitical situation and its impact on sport. At a later meeting, the Bulgarian delegation expressed strong interest in hosting a future edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, something that was very much welcomed by the IOC. The two sides agreed to keep in close contact. Full news release here.
President Bach attended the launch of the FIVB Foundation at the headquarters of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) in Lausanne. He was welcomed by the FIVB President Ary S. Graça F°, who told the audience “Through the Foundation, we will aim to connect with our 800 million strong fanbase worldwide. We believe in the power of volleyball to unite people in a peaceful and inclusive environment, where everyone can participate. Our goal is to see our sport serve the world.” President Bach praised the initiative and thanked Dr Graça for his vision in launching the project. “Through this project, volleyball can really contribute to delivering the Olympic values and make the world a better place though sport,” he said. “The IOC already works closely with the FIVB through Olympafrica and the Olympic Refuge Foundation, and with this Foundation this excellent cooperation can be strengthened.” Full news release here.
The IOC President had also a meeting with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Bańka and Director General Olivier Niggli. They discussed the excellent collaboration between their organisations - to strengthen the fight against doping and protect clean athletes - as well as the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The IOC President presented a diploma and OLY pin to Australian surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, who took part in the first-ever Olympic surfing competition at Tokyo 2020. She signed the Olympians Wall in the presence of the members of the IOC Olympic Programme Commission, of which the four-time World Surfing Games champion is a member.
President Bach also spoke with IOC Executive Board member Prince Feisal Al Hussein and IOC Members Prince Albert II, Sergii Bubka, Bernard Rajzman and Samira Asghari. The upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 and various other Olympic topics were discussed.
On Saturday 1 June, the IOC President will attend the UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium in London, Great Britain.
TOP PARTNERS
As the countdown to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 continues, the Worldwide Olympic Partners are preparing to play a fundamental role in making the Games a success. In the “Road to Paris” series, these Partners talk about some of the essential support they will be providing and reveal their excitement at helping to shape an unforgettable Olympic experience for fans and athletes alike. Read here the interview with Chris Tung, President of Strategic Development at Alibaba Group.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
Following in the footsteps of Olympic Solidarity scholarship-holders who became Olympic stars, such as Usain Bolt, Yulimar Rojas, Chad LeClos and Flora Duffy, a total of over 1,300 athletes from around the world are currently being supported by the IOC on their road to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Over the next few weeks, 10 of these athletes will share their unique stories, offering an exclusive, behind-the-scenes insight into what it takes to reach the Olympic Games. Discover all the details, including the names of the 10 athletes, here.
In the afternoon of 9 August, during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, 10 Olympians will be presented with their reallocated Olympic medals in special ceremonies at Champions Park in the Trocadéro Gardens, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. This particular option was made available to these athletes as an exception, following IOC Executive Board approval of a recommendation from the IOC Athletes’ Commission in March 2024 to include Champions Park as an additional venue option for medal reallocation ceremonies. Full news release, including the names of the Olympians, here.
The IOC Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) has launched a new edition of the grant programme intended for PhD Students and Early Career Academics engaged in scholarly research on the Olympic Movement, its history and ideals, and the impact of the Olympic Games on contemporary society and culture. Since its creation in 1999, more than 130 researchers from all over the world have benefited from this programme and received a grant, allowing them to conduct their research and, if appropriate, visit the OSC in Lausanne to consult its collections and the IOC's archives. Read the full news release here
The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) signed in April a Memorandum of Understanding with the Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) to promote the Olympic values to young people in China through education and sport. Following this new agreement, BODA and the OFCH, which manages the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), co-organised a three-day OVEP Train-the-Trainer workshop in Beijing, China, to support the programme’s implementation. The workshop welcomed 37 participants from a dozen Chinese cultural and educational institutions. Full new release here.
Read here the IOC statement on the International Boxing Association (IBA).
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Canoe Federation (ICF)
The ICF has officially inaugurated a new satellite office in Hangzhou, China, to support the growth of paddle sports in Asia and across the world. The ICF’s Hangzhou office will provide additional support and capacity to the headquarters team in Lausanne, and represents another huge step forward in the delivery of the federation's “Fit for Future” strategic plan. The new satellite office will focus on sustainability and digital engagement, leveraging the ICF’s partnership with Worldwide Olympic Partner Alibaba. ICF President Thomas Konietzko and Secretary General Richard Pettit were present at the ceremony. Full story here.
International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment and Development Programme has reached a significant milestone as it has approved over 1,000 projects, across 199 National Federations, since its inception in 2017, with a total investment of over CHF 30 million. The approved projects encompass a wide range of initiatives from offering coaching and providing equipment and education to running knowledge transfer programmes, all with the aim of raising the level of national teams across the world and supporting their growth. Full info here.
World Sailing
World Sailing has announced the launch of “Steering the Course”, its pioneering plan to encourage more women to participate in every part of the sport. With just 60 days to go to Paris 2024 – which is set to make history as the first Games with full male and female parity on the field of play – Steering the Course reaffirms the federation’s global commitment to fostering inclusivity, accessibility and equity at every level of sailing. It outlines a vision for how the sport will look by 2032, and encompasses a wide range of initiatives and objectives across seven priority areas – Coaches, Instructors and Team Leaders, Race Officials, Participation, Para Inclusive Sailing, Events, Media and Governance. Full info here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Dominican Republic NOC
Mexican Consul in the Dominican Republic, Rubén Fuentes, was hosted at the NOC headquarters by NOC President Garibaldy Bautista and Secretary General Luis Chanlatte. At a meeting attended by other members of the NOC management, various sports-related subjects were addressed, including cooperation between the two countries, coach exchanges, athlete training programmes and the organisation of joint competitions. More details here.
British Olympic Association (BOA)
King Charles III is to become Patron of the BOA. Buckingham Palace confirmed the Patronage to mark the first anniversary of the King’s coronation earlier this month. He takes over the Patronage from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who had been Patron of the BOA since her ascension to the throne in 1952. Full details here.
Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)
Princess Kako of Japan, a member of the Japanese imperial family, visited the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens during her official trip to Greece at the invitation of the Greek government. She was welcomed by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos and Secretary General Emmanuel Kolympadis. Princess Kako also visited the Stadium’s museum. On this occasion, the HOC President expressed his gratitude to the Princess for visiting the Panathenaic Stadium, honouring the Olympic Movement. More details here.
Olympic Committee of Israel
The NOC has launched a unique programme for selected elite female coaches, which will impart knowledge and skills for career management and professional and personal advancement. The six-month programme was created in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity, and its purpose is to provide tools, strengthen capabilities, and empower female coaches with the professional horizon of leading the Olympic champions of tomorrow. The programme includes lectures by experts from various fields. In addition, each of the nine coaches will be accompanied by a senior mentor from diverse sectors such as sport, academia and multinational corporations, each contributing their various speciality. Among the participating mentors are NOC President and IOC Member Yael Arad, and the Chair of the Gender Equality Commission, Suzy Yogev. More details at www.olympicsil.co.il
Lithuanian NOC (LNOC)
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Movement in Lithuania, LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzineviciute gave an interview published on the LNOC website and in which she talked about the participation of Lithuania at the Olympic Games and the changes in Olympic sport over the century. Full interview here.
Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC)
This year, more than 400 student-athletes in 34 sports have been awarded the Singapore Olympic Foundation-Peter Lim Scholarship. The recipients in the four categories – primary, secondary, tertiary and under-18 high performance – received cash scholarships which will go towards supporting their sport- and school-related expenses. The awards were presented by SNOC President Grace Fu, who is also the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations; and the Foundation Chairman and IOC Vice- President Ser Miang Ng. They were joined by three-time Olympic champion and world champion swimmer Anthony Ervin from the USA, who also shared stories from his athlete journey. Since 2011, 4,923 scholarships have been disbursed to support Singapore sporting talent, including seven aspiring 2024 Olympians. Detailed info here.
Spanish NOC (COE)
The COE’s awards ceremony was held recently at the COE headquarters in Madrid. These distinctions are intended to recognise people and entities that have distinguished themselves in the field of Olympism, either through their sports results or their notable services to the Olympic Movement and sport. Here is a list of the clubs, federations, coaches and athletes honoured this year. On the same day, the COE held its annual general assembly, chaired by its President, Alejandro Blanco. Full details here.
Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC)
Two multi-purpose modular sports halls were inaugurated on 25 May in the Antakya and Defne districts of Hatay province, Türkiye, which were affected by the 6 February 2023 earthquake. These facilities were built as part of a long-term recovery plan, with financial support from the IOC and the European Olympic Committees (EOC), and through local collaboration between the TOC, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Hatay Governorship, and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency. These facilities are aimed at integrating sport into the lives of children, supporting their physical and mental development and contributing to their education. The event also marked the opening of the "BtcTurk Sports Schools", an initiative launched in collaboration with TOC’s Official Sponsor, BtcTurk. Among the personalities who attended the opening was TOC President and IOC Member Uğur Erdener, who also delivered a speech and read messages from the IOC President, EOC President Spyros Capralos, and EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi. The event concluded with children's sports activities. Full details here.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PARIS 2024
Every Thursday, from 10 a.m. CEST, new tickets for the Olympic Games will go on sale, as part of the “Ticketing Thursdays” operation on the official Paris 2024 ticketing website – tickets.paris2024.org. Full info here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA has published its webinar schedule for June 2024. Take a look here. WADA has also issued a reminder that the deadline for candidates to apply for an Independent Member seat on the Agency’s Compliance Review Committee (CRC) is Friday 14 June 2024. The CRC is an independent and non-political body whose main purpose is to oversee WADA’s efforts to monitor compliance by Signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards. Full details here.