Olympic Highlights 05/11/2021
IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed and thanked the G20 Leaders for their support for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The world’s leaders assembled at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rome, Italy, hosted by the G20 presidency of Italy, said in their G20 Rome Leaders' Declaration : “We look ahead to [the] Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics 2022, as opportunities for competition for athletes from around the world, which serves as a symbol of humanity’s resilience.” President Bach said: “The IOC warmly welcomes the recognition and support of the G20 Leaders’ Summit for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, with the Olympic athletes demonstrating humanity’s resilience against COVID-19.” Full news release here.
At Olympic House, the IOC President met World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Bańka. The two men addressed a wide range of topics related to protecting clean athletes, including the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. They both reiterated their commitment to delivering strong anti-doping programmes for athletes worldwide.
President Bach met International Judo Federation (IJF) President Marius Vizer, whom he congratulated on the success of the judo tournament at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The two leaders also discussed the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and various topical subjects that link their respective organisations.
The President discussed a number of Olympic matters by phone with IOC Doyen Richard W. Pound.
The IOC President also spoke by phone with IOC Member Watanabe Morinari, who is the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). They addressed various Olympic topics, including the IOC Boxing Task Force, chaired by Mr Watanabe.
President Bach also met IOC Member Anant Singh, who chairs the IOC Communications Commission.
President Bach welcomed Olympians Lea Sprunger (Switzerland) and Elisa Hämmerle (Austria) to Olympic House. Sprunger competed at three Olympic Games in athletics (London 2012, Ro 2016 and Tokyo 2020), and Hämmerle in artistic gymnastics at Tokyo 2020. Both athletes signed the Olympians’ Wall in the IOC Sports Department. The President also presented them with their OLY certificates and pins. Sprunger and Hämmerle were accompanied by their fellow students from the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS).
The IOC President met the former Vice-President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Hans-Peter Krämer.
President Bach welcomed to Olympic House French Olympic historian Jean Durry, the founder of France’s national sports museum and author of several books on Pierre de Coubertin.
At The Olympic Museum, President Bach took part in a ceremony organised by the Panathlon Club of Lausanne (PCL), of which he is an honorary member. The ceremony saw the appointment of Panathlon International President Pierre Zappelli as Honorary President of the PCL.
This week at Olympic House, the President presented the Pierre de Coubertin medal to André Leclercq, the President of the French Pierre de Coubertin Committee. The ceremony was attended by Committee members and former French NOC President Denis Masseglia.
The IOC President also met Pradyumna Kumar “PK” Mahanandia and his wife Charlotte. PK is a well-known artist in Sweden and works as an art and culture advisor to the Swedish government. His paintings have been reproduced in UNICEF greeting cards. His story of determination and perseverance (cycling from India to Sweden to reunite with Charlotte) has become a source of inspiration for millions of people around the world.
This week, the President also attended a ceremony at which German artist Jens Lorenzen donated one of his works to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Wolfgang Weigert, President of the German Karate Federation, and Ernes Erko Kalač, a karate athlete and coach, were also present.
Members
IOC Member Prince Albert II, who is also Chair of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission, represented the IOC at the United Nations Climate Summit COP26 taking place in Glasgow, Great Britain. In a keynote speech given during a session devoted to sport entitled Sports for Climate Action – On the Race to Net-Zero, Prince Albert said: “It is no exaggeration to say that the climate crisis will make or break the future of our planet. This crisis is a call to action for everyone, also for all of us, in the world of sport. As the leader of the Olympic Movement, the IOC has a responsibility to be a part of the solution, and we have a responsibility to be ambitious about leading the change in the sporting world.” He added: “This is key to how we will make the shift from a carbon-neutral to a climate-positive organisation by 2024. Following this commitment, we urge all sports organisations to follow suit.” The IOC has joined the UN-backed “Race to Zero” campaign, which is aimed at rallying climate leadership from non-government entities to work towards a carbon-free world. Full news release here.
Commissions
The sixth and final meeting of the Coordination Commission for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, chaired by IOC Member Juan Antonio Samaranch, concluded on 4 November, rounding off three days of discussions during which the Organising Committee’s readiness was highlighted by the positive feedback received from recent test events. COVID-19 countermeasures were a consistent theme throughout the discussions, as the IOC, IPC and Beijing 2022 continue to prioritise the health and safety of Games participants and the local population. The Commission heard that these measures will continue to be refined over the coming weeks in preparation for the publication of the second version of the Playbooks, due to be released later this year. Another topic of discussion was Games legacy, with the Beijing 2022 organisers revealing that they are well on track to engage 300 million Chinese people in winter sports. Full news release here.
Australia's canoeing champion Jessica Fox, who won gold in the inaugural women's canoe slalom in Tokyo this summer, has joined the IOC Athletes’ Commission (AC), chaired by IOC EB member Emma Terho, to represent the athlete voice within the Olympic Movement. IOC President Thomas Bach appointed Fox, in accordance with the IOC AC regulations, to ensure a balance between genders, regions and sports within the Commission. In view of the upcoming Olympic Games Brisbane 2032, her appointment enhances athlete representation for Oceania and additionally widens the representation of sports with a canoe athlete. Full news release here.
Other olympic news
In a video produced with support from the IOC, athletes who participated at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are calling on world leaders to deliver on climate action. The call comes as world governments and business and civil society representatives gather at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland. Initiated by Hannah Mills, MBE, double Olympic champion in sailing and the most decorated female British sailor of all time, and British Olympic rower Melissa Wilson, the video features more than 50 Olympians and Paralympians from all corners of the world. The athletes recall the challenges and obstacles they overcame as they chased excellence at Tokyo 2020, and call on the world’s leaders to do the same as they gather at the “Olympics of climate summits” to decide on the global response to the climate crisis. Full news release here.
International Federations
Summer Ifs
To coincide with the start of the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow, World Athletics has released the results of a survey among athletes, revealing that nearly 80 per cent of them are seriously concerned about the climate crisis, and more than half say that climate change has already impacted them. The survey was carried out with athletes from 89 countries, and was conducted to gauge the attitudes and level of concern that elite level track and field athletes have about global warming. Full info here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) hosted the third edition of the UCI Mobility and Bike City Forum in Odense (Denmark). Cycling leaders, advocates, mobility experts, industry representatives and policy makers were among some 100 participants who dealt with topics such as sport tourism, urban planning, climate change and inclusive cycling promotion. Full details here. In addition, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) becomes the first city in the Middle East and Asia to receive the UCI Bike City label. The city was also confirmed as the venue for the 2022 and 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships and 2028 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. Full details here.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has announced its first Athletes’ Commission elections. The elections will take place during the IWF World Weightlifting Championships between 7 and 16 December in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Following the elections, three athletes will be on the IWF Executive Board and three athletes will become full voting members at the IWF Congress. Full details here.
World Triathlon has announced the composition of its newly elected Athletes’ Committee, which consists of 10 representatives from 10 different countries. The Committee is composed of five athletes of each gender, and two members are Para triathletes. They were elected by their peers. More info with the names of the elected athletes here.
National Olympic Committees
The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) revealed its new team emblem during the presentation of its new team brand, named “TEAM JAPAN”, in Tokyo on 27 October. The new emblem is composed of a stylised “T” (the capital of Team) in gold and a stylised “J” (the capital of Japan) in red, surrounding the national flag of Japan and the newly created wordmark “TEAM JAPAN”. The emblem will be on the official uniforms of the Japanese delegation starting from Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. More info at www.joc.or.jp.
Organised for the fifth time by the Lithuanian NOC, the LTeam Conference recently brought together professional athletes, their coaches, leaders of clubs and federations, sports specialists and fans of active lifestyles. The First Lady of the country, Diana Nausėdienė, opened the Conference, while NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė greeted the participants. During the Conference, insights and experiences were shared by Olympians, sports physicians, sports psychologists, lawyers and communication specialists. Full details here.
The Moroccan NOC took part in a webinar organised at the end of October by the IOC and the Council of Europe on the theme “The Role of National Olympic Committees within a National Cooperation Framework”. The NOC also took part in the Olympic Museums Network General Assembly, held by videoconference. More info at www.cnom.org.ma.
Organising Committees for the Olympic Games
Paris 2024
On 31 October, to mark 1,000 days until the Olympic Games Paris 2024 begin, more than 3,600 runners took part in a pursuit race along the Champs Élysées involving two-time Olympic gold medallist Eliud Kipchoge. Part of the Organising Committee’s Club Paris 2024 engagement programme, the event saw runners given a head-start against the reigning marathon world record-holder in a five-kilometre race. Just over 1,000 participants crossed the finish line before the legendary runner, in doing so securing their place for the “Marathon Pour Tous” mass event in 2024. Full info here and on the Paris 2024 website.
Recognised organisations
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published its 2020 Annual Report, which outlines its activities in 2020 that contributed to a strengthened WADA and global anti-doping system. Under the title “Partnering to Deliver Clean Sport in a New Era”, the Annual Report is an important element of WADA’s ongoing commitment to accountability and transparency. More info here.