Olympic Highlights 04/09/2023
IOC
PRESIDENT
IOC President Thomas Bach was in Budapest last weekend for the World Athletics Championships. He was welcomed to the Hungarian capital by the NOC President, Zsolt Gyulay, and by IOC Athletes’ Commission member Dániel Gyurta.
Later, President Bach was a guest of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. During their three-hour meeting, the two leaders discussed Hungary's contribution to world sport, the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the current geopolitical situation. President Bach was accompanied by IOC Honorary Member and former Hungarian President Pál Schmitt.
In the evening, President Bach joined World Athletics President and IOC Member Sebastian Coe at the newly built National Athletics Centre for the evening session at the Championships.
The following day, President Bach attended the finish of the men's marathon in Heroes' Square, where Victor Kiplangat from Uganda took the world title after a race through the streets of the Hungarian capital.
Later, President Bach addressed the newly elected World Athletics Council. He spoke about gender equality, sustainability, and the challenges and opportunities related to digital development, particularly artificial intelligence, as well as the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024.
During the weekend in Budapest, President Bach met a number of IOC Members: Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch; Executive Board member Nawal El Moutawakel; IOC Member and President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mustapha Berraf; IOC Member and Secretary General of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Gunilla Lindberg; IOC Member and President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the French NOC, David Lappartient; IOC Member in Spain and President of World Triathlon Marisol Casado; IOC Member and President of the Senegalese NOC Mamadou Ndiaye;. He also met IOC Members Guy Drut, Bernard Rajzman, Hong Zhang, Maria de la Caridad Colón Ruenes, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Danka Bartekova. President Bach also met the President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), Francesco Ricci Bitti, and IOC Honorary Member Sam Ramsamy.
With IOC Member and Korean NOC President Kee-Heung Lee, President Bach discussed the preparations for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024. This week at Olympic House, the IOC President welcomed Yusra Mardini, a member of the first IOC Refugee Olympic Team, and her former coach, Sven Spannekrebs. Mardini took part in swimming competitions at two editions of the Olympic Games, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. They discussed various Olympic topics, including the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. Later, the President presented a diploma and OLY pin to Mardini, who signed the Olympians Wall.
The President welcomed the President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), Ary S. Graça, who was paying a courtesy visit to Olympic House.
Several topics, including the preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, were discussed during a courtesy meeting with the President of the Lesotho NOC, Tlali Rampooana, and IOC Member Matlohang Moiloa-Ramoqopo, who led a delegation visiting Olympic House this week.
The IOC President had a phone call with the President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud. They discussed the IOC’s cooperation with the SOPC and the preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
This week, President Bach welcomed the Munich section of the German Olympians Society, chaired by Alexander von Stülpnagel. They discussed the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the Olympic Winter Games and the work of the IOC.
The IOC President met Swiss National Councillor and former Mayor of Montreux Laurent Wehrli, who also chairs the Commission for Education, Culture and Communication of the French-speaking Parliamentary Assembly (APF). The Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the place of the French language within the Olympic Movement were discussed.
The President also met Lausanne Mayor Grégoire Junod. Their discussions focused on various topics of mutual interest.
The IOC President met Jean-Loup Chappelet, former Director and Professor of the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP), to discuss a number of topical Olympic issues.
Meetings were also held with IOC Executive Board member Ivo Ferriani, and IOC Members Sergii Bubka, Gunilla Lindberg, Octavian Morariu and Karl Stoss. The discussions centred on a wide range of current Olympic topics, including the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
To commemorate the anniversary of the death of the father of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, the IOC President laid a wreath at Coubertin’s tomb at the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery in Lausanne on 1 September.
Members
At the 54th World Athletics Congress held in Budapest, Hungary, on 17 August, IOC Member Sebastian Coe was re-elected for a third term as President of World Athletics. More info here.
Other Olympic news
The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) has announced that 10 new refugee athletes have been awarded scholarships to help them train towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024. This now brings the total number of Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders to 63. The athletes are from 12 countries, live in 23 host countries, and represent 13 sports. The names of the new athletes can be found here.
International Federations
Summer Ifs
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
From 23 to 25 August, the XXII FIBA Congress brought together delegates from 157 national federations in Manila, Philippines, on the eve of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. The Congress opened with speeches from IOC President Bach, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann, and Prince Feisal Al Hussein, an IOC Executive Board member and Founding Chairman of the FIBA Safeguarding Council. The Congress elected a new FIBA President, Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, and named Hamane Niang as FIBA Honorary President. A FIBA Hall of Fame Ceremony for 2023 also took place, during which 12 world-class basketball personalities were inducted. Full details here. FIBA also launched an innovative FIBA 3x3 Basketball Preparation Programme, developed in close collaboration with the World Association of Basketball Coaches (WABC). FIBA also hosted the first-ever 3x3 Asia Pacific Organiser Workshop in early August in Utsunomiya, Japan, as it looks to further strengthen the sport in the region, after rapid growth in recent years.
International Canoe Federation (ICF)
The first ever international regional canoe sprint competition to be held for West African federations has been a huge success. The inaugural Confederation of Africa Admiral Porbeni Canoe Race Championships attracted more than 100 athletes from five West African nations at the Jabi Boat Club in Abuja, Nigeria. The event was a valuable lead-up to African Olympic qualifiers, to be held at the same venue in November. More details here.
International Equestrian Federation (FEI)
The Palace and Park of Versailles provided the backdrop to an operational cross-country test event that offered a taste of what is to come, at the UNESCO World Heritage site set to host all the equestrian disciplines in 2024. Over 20 national federation representatives alongside an FEI delegation, key equestrian technical officials, Paris 2024 Eventing Course Designer Pierre le Goupil, Versailles Palace spokespersons and experts attended the two-day operational test event hosted by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and its main delivery partner, GL Events. Full news release here.
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)
The Gymnastics Ethics Foundation has published its 2022 Annual Report. The document provides an overview of important developments in 2022 and the nature and growing number of cases dealt with. It also looks at the Foundation’s collaboration with other organisations and experts, its communication activities, and the main internal processes. Read more here.
Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM)
The UIPM has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO). Following the UIPM’s recent incorporation of an obstacle discipline into modern pentathlon, under the terms of the MoU, FISO will be integrated into the UIPM, which will oversee the wider obstacle sports movement. The MoU was signed by UIPM President Klaus Schorman and FISO President Ian Adamson. More info here. Meeting during the 2023 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships in Bath, Great Britain, the UIPM Executive Board selected the competition hosts for 2024. During a special ceremony, UIPM President inducted eight people into the UIPM Hall of Fame and awarded two UIPM Pierre de Coubertin Medals. Full details here.
International Surfing Association (ISA)
The ISA has officially recognised the African Surfing Confederation (ASC), a milestone for the development of the sport on the continent. The ASC held its Annual General Meeting in April this year in conjunction with the ISA African Youth Development Programme in Senegal. This programme consisted of interactive coaching and training exercises to develop the performance and character of 20 young male and female athletes from 10 African countries. Surfing will make its first appearance at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. More info here.
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
In line with its policy of professionalising women's cycling, the UCI Management Committee recently adopted the principle of integrating women's professional road cycling stakeholders into the Professional Cycling Council. It also approved the creation of a second division of women's professional teams. Also, in the interest of fairer and safer sport, the UCI approved two documents entitled “UCI Safeguarding Policy” and “Safeguarding: UCI Toolkit for Cycling Stakeholders”. Details here.
United World Wrestling (UWW)
During the 2023 U20 World Championships held in Amman in August, UWW President and IOC Executive Board member Nenad Lalović met King Abdullah II of Jordan. On this occasion, the UWW President presented the King with UWW’s highest decoration in recognition of his efforts in supporting sport and his belief in its role in strengthening solidarity and friendship among nations. Jordan has played a significant role in promoting wrestling in the region by hosting world and continental championships, development camps and refugee camps. Details here.
World Archery
In August, Paris hosted the fourth World Cup stage, which also served as the Olympic test event. Set against the backdrop of the Hôtel des Invalides, the picturesque venue provided a selection of Olympic clues in the recurve individual events. A total of 381 archers from 58 countries competed in this fourth and last stage of the 2023 World Cup. Full details here.
World Aquatics
World Aquatics has opened a development centre at Bond University on Australia’s Gold Coast. The new centre will prepare swimmers for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and beyond. The partnership will enable athletes from developing nations in the region to train at the Gold Coast university in a swimming programme that has produced world championship gold medallists. Full info here. Furthermore, World Aquatics and the government of Hungary have announced a partnership to provide scholarships that will enable a future generation of aquatic sports athletes to excel both in sport and in life. Full details here.
World Athletics
During the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, World Athletics announced the six newly elected or re-elected members of the Athletes’ Commission for the 2023-2027 term. All athletes accredited for the Championships had the right to vote in this year’s elections, and for the first time voting took place electronically. The election results can be found here. In addition, World Athletics and Deloitte announced a new global partnership to support and accelerate the digital transformation and innovation needs of World Athletics over the next six years. This partnership will also develop synergies with Deloitte’s recent IOC TOP Partnership. Details here. In other news, the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), in partnership with World Athletics, has invited fans across the world to nominate fair play moments with a view to recognising one standout athlete or moment at the World Athletics Awards this December. Details here.
World Rowing
World Rowing has joined the Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR)’s multi-stakeholder network working to advance responsible sport. World Rowing will collaborate with the CSHR’s growing network of Engaged Organisations and partners to develop guidance and best practices to strengthen understanding of human rights challenges arising in the world of sport, and will benefit from expert dialogue and joint action in critical areas related to human rights. More details here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Argentinean NOC (COA)
The COA recently organised its first Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) training, in the city of San Juan. Held at the request of the Catholic University of Cuyo, the training was organised jointly with the Instituto Superior Docente Santa Maria. The aim was to find people with an aptitude for leadership and engagement who can conduct this training themselves at local and national level, and thereby help to promote Olympism in Argentina. More details here. At the end of August, a sports management seminar brought together 90 participants and COA representatives. It also commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Olympic Sports Organisation Management (MOSO) course, and the 100th anniversary of the COA itself.
The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA)
Physical education teacher and coach Jesse King is participating in the Executive Master’s in Sports Organisation Management (MEMOS) XXVI programme, which started on 15 August and will run until September 2024. King, who was recommended by the BOA for an Olympic Solidarity scholarship to take the course, has a lifelong passion for sport and has been involved in various roles throughout his career. In recent years, he has worked closely with the Barbados Amateur Weightlifting Association (BAWA) as a technical official. Full info here.
NOC of the Dominican Republic (COD)
A national technical training course for skateboard coaches was held at the COD headquarters. Organised in cooperation with the Dominican Skating Federation and supported by the Olympic Solidarity programme, this four-day course was designed to develop and improve the technical preparation of coaches. The participants came from the provinces of San Cristóbal, Santiago, Santo Domingo and Distrito Nacional. Full details here.
Japan Olympic Committee (JOC)
A breaking event was held in the Japan Olympic Museum with the Japan Dance Sport Federation, to promote the sport which will be staged at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. B-Boy and Youth Olympic Games medallist Nakarai Shigeyuki and B-Girls Nakarai Ayane and Tsuhako Riko joined the group as special instructors to teach 40 elementary school students. After practising and performing a dance session, the children and the athletes toured the Museum. More details at www.joc.or.jp.
Liechtenstein Olympic Committee (LOC)
The LOC has extended its partnership with the Swiss sportswear brand On, which remains its main sponsor. “On” shoes have been accompanying Liechtenstein athletes on Olympic missions for quite some time. More details here.
Paraguayan NOC (COP)
The COP has signed an agreement with financial company Ueno, demonstrating the desire of both institutions to continue promoting the development of sport in Paraguay. The main focus of this four-year partnership will be investment in technology, state-of-the-art equipment in sports facilities and financial support for the COP. A number of athletes and various personalities were present for the announcement of the partnership. More details on www.cop.org.py.
Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC)
The SOPC has announced that the Asian Paralympic Committee will hold its 7th General Assembly in Riyadh, from 25 to 28 November 2023. Representatives from the 45 Asian National Paralympic Committees will take part in the Assembly, which is being hosted in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC)
Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin (pencak silat) and Feng Tianwei (table tennis) were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year 2023 at the Singapore Sports Awards ceremony, organised by the SNOC and Sport Singapore. The awards recognise the achievements of athletes and teams, and those who help shape Sporting Singapore. The list of winners can be found here.
Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC)
Over 2,600 swimmers from 77 countries took part in the 35th Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, the world's only swimming race from Asia to Europe. This edition was organised by the TOC, with sponsorship from Samsung Türkiye. Under the auspices of the Istanbul Governorship and in cooperation with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and 26 other public, private, and non-governmental entities, this Sport for All- themed event saw local and foreign swimmers covering the 6.5-kilometre course. More info at www.olimpiyat.org.tr.
Organising Committees for the Olympic Games
Paris 2024
On 28 August, Paris 2024 embarked on the final year before the Paralympic Games at the Grand Palais Ephémère, which will be known during the Games as the Champs de Mars Arena, hosting Para judo and wheelchair rugby. This important milestone was marked by two announcements to promote the Games among the general public: the second Paralympic Day, on Sunday 8 October 2023 at the Place de la République in Paris, and the opening of the official Paralympic Games ticketing programme on Monday 9 October 2023. Full news release here, and other details at www.paralympic.org, the website of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Organising Committees for the youth Olympic Games
Dakar 2026
The second edition of the Dakar en Jeux festival will take place between 31 October and 4 November 2023, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee announced. The event will include sports initiations and demonstrations, concerts and various cultural programmes. This second edition is expecting 30,000 spectators, 2,000 athletes to take part and 200 volunteers to help make the festivities happen. Full news release here.
Recognised Organisations
International Olympic Academy (IOA)
A new cooperation programme between the IOA and the Bahrain Olympic Academy began in July 2023, with the signing of an MoU by the IOA President, Isidoros Kouvelos, and the NOC Secretary General, Faris Mustafa Al-Kooheji. The signing ceremony took place during a visit by an IOA delegation to Bahrain, to discuss the initiatives that can be expanded regarding the development of Olympic education in the Bahrain sports movement. More details here.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA has launched its Ethics Reporting Platform, which allows for the collection of allegations from anyone who observes suspected ethical misconduct by WADA officials. This confidential, secure and independent reporting platform is operated solely by WADA’s independent Ethics Officer, Gautier Aubert, a Swiss lawyer and sports law expert. Full details here. WADA has launched a new interactive education course, “Talented Level Athletes Competing at a Major Event”, on its Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL). The course, which is available in English, French and Spanish, was developed by WADA in collaboration with the IOC and the International Testing Agency (ITA). WADA has also announced research projects funded through its 2023 Social Science Research Grant Programme.
SportAccord
SportAccord, chaired by IOC Executive Board member Ivo Ferriani, has confirmed Birmingham (United Kingdom) as the host city for the 18th edition of the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit. Over 1,500 global sports leaders and key decision-makers will come together from 7 to 11 April 2024. The programme for the 2024 Summit will start to be announced in September. Full info here.