Olympic Highlights 08/11/2024
IOC
PRESIDENT
This week at Olympic House, IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed an NBC delegation on the occasion of an IOC-NBC Paris 2024 Debrief. The NBC delegation was composed of Gary Zenkel (President, NBC Olympics), Brett Goodman (General Counsel, NBC Sport), Molly Solomon (Executive Producer and President, NBC Olympics Production) and Joe Gesue (Senior Vice-President, NBC Olympics and Paralympics Editorial). The President expressed his thanks to NBC for having offered first-class broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. He also highlighted the excellent partnership with NBC for many decades, as well as NBC’s commitment to and investment in the Olympic Movement.
Also, this week, the President delivered welcome remarks to the following IOC commissions during their annual hybrid meetings at Olympic House: Esports; Public Affairs and Corporate Communications; Digital Engagement and Marketing; Sustainability and Legacy; Legal Affairs; and Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
The IOC President received Klaus Schormann, President of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), who has decided not to seek re-election at the UIPM 2024 Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this month. The President thanked him for his great contributions to the development of the sport in many innovative ways.
President Bach met Colin Moynihan, former Chairman of the British Olympic Association and current member of the House of Lords. He took part in two editions of Olympic Games, in Moscow in 1980, where he won a silver medal in rowing, and in Los Angeles in 1984. The two men discussed the current geopolitical situation and its impact on sport, the future of the Olympic Movement along with various Olympic topics.
President Bach also met Jay Y. Lee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, a Worldwide Olympic Partner. The excellent collaboration and Samsung’s contribution to the success of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 were discussed.
At Olympic House, the IOC President welcomed Olympian Britta Heidemann, whose term as an IOC Member ended at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and who is now a Board member of the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF).
Walter Sieber, a member of the IOC Olympic Programme Commission, also met the IOC President.
The IOC President attended a media round table with Young Reporters from the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) who took part in this programme for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The programme prepares these young people for their future careers in sports journalism. One hundred young journalists from 100 different countries had produced a reportage of 100 seconds on an Olympic theme. During the session, the President was accompanied by Gianni Merlo, AIPS President. Various topics were addressed during the hour-long session, such as the digital coverage of the Olympic Games, artificial intelligence.
The President also spoke with Michael Payne, a marketing consultant and former IOC Marketing Director.
President Bach discussed various topical Olympic issues during meetings with IOC Executive Board member Nenad Lalovic and IOC Members Prince Albert II, Lydia Nsekera, Danka Barteková and Jae Youl Kim.
President Bach had a meeting with Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, who heads the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. They discussed various topics of mutual interest, including the excellent relations between the IOC and Switzerland.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
Following the positive impact of the mental health services provided to athletes at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the IOC is sharing its approach with the wider Olympic Movement. Through the newly published “Mental Health Guidelines for Major Sporting Events”, the IOC is bringing together invaluable resources and guidelines to ensure that safe, comprehensive and effective mental health measures are built into sports event planning, from inception to implementation. This initiative is intended to set a new standard in athlete wellbeing, fostering a supportive environment for all competitors. Read the full news release here.
Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) is continuing to address the gender imbalance in sports broadcasting through its new “Engineering the Future” programme. Applications are now open for the 24-week internship, which offers women the chance to contribute to the broadcast operations for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Read the full news release here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
World Athletics
World Athletics has published findings from a study conducted during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 aimed at identifying and protecting athletes from abusive messages sent via social media platforms. Full details here.
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
FIBA and the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) have published the International Basketball Migration Report (IBMR) 2024, revealing an all-time high in international transfers. The 13th edition of the annual report investigated FIBA’s data on international transfers, with the CIES's renowned analytical expertise to provide insight into the player movement trends, as well as other global basketball tendencies for the period 2023-24. Full details here.
United World Wrestling (UWW)
The UWW held its Congress in Tirana, Albania, on 27 October, alongside the World Championships in Non-Olympic Weight Classes. The Congress touched upon topics related to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028, the budget, the calendar for 2025 and the prospect of launching a UWW Pro League. The elections for Bureau and Vice Presidents were also held, and three women have been elected to the Bureau. Full info here. See also under the “NOCs section”.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
NOC of Albania
Three of the most important World Wrestling events for 2024 have taken place in Tirana, including the U-23 World Championships, the World Championships in Non-Olympic weight classes and the World Wrestling Congress. Over a period of 10 days, more than 2,300 male and female athletes from all over the world contested matches that produced outstanding results and entertainment. The World Wrestling Congress was also very successful, with 230 delegates from 117 countries attending. More info at https://nocalbania.org.al/
Moroccan NOC (CNOM)
The CNOM has announced the death of Olympian and former international footballer Abdelaziz Berrada. He was 35. Berrada was selected to play for the Atlas Lions on several occasions, including at the Africa Cup of Nations and at the Olympic Games London 2012. Details here.
Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee (SOSC)
Anton Siekel has been re-elected as President of the SOSC. The decision was taken by the SOSC members during the NOC’s 67th General Assembly in Bratislava. The new SOSC Executive Board will have strong athlete representation, with eight Olympians among its members. Siekel has held the position since November 2016, and was previously re-elected in 2021. Info at www.olympic.sk.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
MILANO CORTINA 2026
The official “Look of the Games”, including the sports pictograms, for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 has been revealed, showcasing a dynamic visual identity that embodies Italian culture and creativity. Milano Cortina 2026’s creative vision is inspired by the concept of the “human gesture”, a theme that captures Italian talent, movement and artistry. Discover here the “Look of the Games” for Milano Cortina 2026.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
The ANOC Special Theme Sessions brought the XXVII General Assembly to a close in Cascais, Portugal, on 1 November, with a day of panels and discussions on three of the most important topics facing NOCs today, namely the Olympic programme, safeguarding and the Olympic AI Agenda. Prior to the Theme Sessions, the General Assembly had a full agenda of presentations, debates and discussions. The ANOC Executive Council also confirmed Hong Kong, China, as the next General Assembly host in 2026. Full info here.
International World Games Association (IWGA)
The IWGA has partnered with Women Lead Sports to introduce the Women’s Leadership Programme, designed to equip women from member IFs with key management skills. This initiative aims to elevate female participation in leadership roles within sports organisations, addressing the persistent gender imbalance at the top levels of sports governance. Full details here. In addition, the IWGA has signed three Memoranda of Understanding with the NOCs of Czechia, Italy and the Netherlands. These strategic collaborations are intended to strengthen ties between the IWGA and the respective NOCs, promote the World Games, and provide greater support to participating athletes in the lead-up to the next edition of the World Games, in Chengdu, China, in August 2025. More details here.
Association of Portuguese-speaking Olympic Committees (ACOLOP)
During its recent General Assembly in Cascais, the ACOLOP defined the organisation's new direction for the coming years, following its re-founding in Lisbon in April and other structural changes. The Activities Plan for 2025 and the specifications for the Lusophone Games were also approved. Full new release here.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
As part of its sponsorship agreement with Africa-based broadcaster SuperSport, WADA recently hosted the first in a series of virtual workshops for anti-doping practitioners in the Central African region. The workshops are tailored to assist countries in Central Africa in strengthening their anti-doping capacities and capabilities, and to facilitate the implementation of their anti-doping programmes. More info here. In addition, WADA has released a new e-learning course and downloadable resources aimed at youth athletes on its Anti-Doping Education and Learning (ADEL) platform. Discover these two additions here. And read here the outcomes of the WADA Compliance Review Committee’s final meeting of 2024.