Olympic Highlights 10/10/2023
IOC
PRESIDENT
IOC President Thomas Bach was in Istanbul, Türkiye, for the 52nd General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) last weekend. The President addressed the General Assembly, which was presided over by EOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos, about the future of Olympic sport and particularly the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, which he told them “will be Games of a new era – the first Olympic Games inspired by Olympic Agenda from start to finish.” He told the 50 NOCs represented at the Assembly that the Games in Paris will be “younger, more inclusive, more urban and more sustainable.”
Turning to the unifying mission of the Olympic Games, and the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports, the IOC President said that support had come for the IOC’s approach from the French President Emmanuel Macron and from a wide range of groups, from the G20, from the Non-Aligned States and more recently from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Athletes’ Forum. He underlined that the conditions recommended by the IOC must be strictly applied by the International Federations and that there must be no wavering in this.
He added: “there have been some comments coming from Russia about these conditions. So let me reconfirm what we said from the very beginning, that these conditions are non-negotiable, we will not waiver. They have to be strictly applied to give this approach the credibility and support it currently enjoys among the public, the athletes and the international community. This support has to be earned day by day by strict application.” In this way, he told them: “these Olympic Games will be what millions of people around the world are hoping for: a symbol of dialogue, of peace and of human excellence.”
During his time at the General Assembly, President Bach was accompanied throughout by IOC Member in Turkey and Turkish NOC President Uğur Erdener. He held a number of meetings: with the Turkish Sports Minister, Osman Aşkin Bak; with the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu; and with many NOC Presidents, including the President of the Ukrainian NOC, Vadym Guttsait and the President of the Spanish NOC, Alejandro Blanco to whom he presented the IOC Climate Action Award. Full news release here.
Earlier in the week, the IOC President took part in an engaging two-hour Q&A session with athlete representatives during the 11th International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) held in Lausanne. In typical IAF fashion, the President took to the stage and engaged directly with the athlete representatives to answer their questions – no topics were off limits. Safe sport, the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, the participation of Individual Neutral Athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions during the qualification period, and the mission of the Olympic Games were all part of the discussion. Among other topics raised and addressed by the IOC President were: the situation of athletes from countries and regions affected by the too many wars and conflicts around the world; the digitalisation of sport, with Artificial Intelligence on the rise; the growing popularity of esports; the support of the IOC for the Olympic Community of Ukraine; the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. Read the full news release here. See also under “Commissions”.
President Bach welcomed Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn on a courtesy visit at Olympic House.
Earlier, the President welcomed a delegation from the North Rhine-Westphalia region led by its Prime Minister, Hendrik Wüst, who was accompanied by IOC Member Britta Heidemann and the candidate for IOC membership, Michael Mronz. The President gave them a tour of the Olympic Museum and Olympic House, where the Prime Minister signed the IOC’s “Golden Book”. Afterwards, he was introduced to the work of the IOC, and the current international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement were discussed.
Also at Olympic House, the IOC President hosted a Venezuelan NOC delegation led by its President, Maria Soto Gil. They discussed the upcoming Olympic Games and the challenges faced by the Venezuelan athletes in their preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, during this courtesy visit. The NOC President, who took part in the softball competition at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, and the NOC Secretary General, Katiuska Santaella, a judo Olympian at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996, were presented with a diploma and OLY pin by President Bach, before signing the Olympians Wall.
The IOC President met Mark Lazarus, Chairman of the NBCUniversal Media Group, and Gary Zenkel, President of NBC Olympics and Business. They discussed the excellent partnership between their organisations and NBC’s preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The President addressed the new IOC Esports Commission during its first meeting held at Olympic House. The main topics covered were the success of the first Olympic Esports Week held in June in Singapore and the next steps in supporting the development of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement.
President Bach also held meetings with IOC Members Karl Stoss, Britta Heidemann, Sarah Walker and David Lappartient, who is also President of the French NOC, as well as a telephone conversation with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. They discussed a broad range of current issues, including the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, the current international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement.
The IOC President welcomed to Olympic House eight Olympians living in the Canton of Vaud. Among the Olympians was one of the oldest living Olympians, William de Rham, aged 101, who competed at the equestrian event, held in Stockholm, at the Olympic Games 1956, as well as silver medallists Laurent Vial (cycling, Los Angeles 1984) and Michel Ansermet (shooting, Sydney 2000). The other Olympians were: Liliane Brede-Crosa (figure skating, Squaw Valley 1960), Hans Rudolf Zinniker (judo, Moscow 1980), Bertrand Cardis (sailing, Los Angeles 1984), Patrick Attila Ferland (swimming, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988) and Loïc Gasch (athletics, Tokyo 2020). All the athletes were presented with their OLY diploma and pin by President Bach, after signing the Olympians Wall.
At The Olympic Museum, the President attended the screening of We Dare to Dream, the independent documentary directed by Oscar-nominated refugee director Waad Al Kateab, which features five athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The documentary is produced by Joe Gebbia, the co-founder of Worldwide Olympic Partner Airbnb and a member of the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) Board, in partnership with the ORF.
From 8 to 17 October, the IOC President will be in Mumbai, India. He will chair the IOC Executive Board meeting followed by the 141st IOC Session. The President’s activities and the meetings will be covered on Olympics.com.
MEMBERS
IOC Member Karl Stoss was re-elected as President of the Austrian Olympic Committee at the recent annual general meeting of the NOC. He has been in office since 2009. More info here on the NOC website.
COMMISSIONS
On 1 and 2 October, the 11th International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) brought together over 400 athlete representatives in Lausanne to discuss the most important issues for athletes across the Olympic Movement. The two days of discussion and debate resulted in a series of outcomes, announced by the IOC Athletes’ Commission (AC). Summarising the Forum, IOC AC Chair Emma Terho said: “Over the past two days, we’ve covered topics ranging from what it takes to build an effective AC to what it means to be an Olympian. We’ve looked ahead to Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28, highlighting the huge number of programmes and initiatives in place to support athletes on their journeys. We’ve discussed how to support a safe space for us to speak openly about the issues that matter most to us as athletes and athlete representatives.” Read the full news release here including the key points that emerged from the various discussions and sessions. All the IAF 2023 updates are on Athlete365.
OLYMPIC MUSEUM
Ahead of the 141st IOC Session, to be held in India, the Olympic Museum is bringing a myriad of Olympic culture initiatives to Mumbai, Delhi, Odisha and Assam. From an Olympic film festival and a fine art photography exhibition to Olympic values educational programming with big results, these initiatives show how art, culture and education can help build a better world through sport. Find out more here.
TOP PARTNERS
On 4 October, Atos opened the Technology Operations Centre (TOC) for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Spanning a surface of 610m², the TOC is the control and command centre that oversees the technology operations for all 63 Olympic and Paralympic competition and non-competition venues. As the global IT partner and chief IT integrator working with the Paris 2024 team, Atos plays a key role in managing the TOC, which operates 24/7 throughout the Games period. Full details here.
On 3 October, Deloitte opened its new Sport Innovation Hub in Madrid, in the presence of Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish NOC, as well as representatives from the IOC, IOC TMS and OBS. Deloitte is supporting the digital transformation of the Olympic Movement and this new 1500m2 technology hub will be used for testing and operational innovations and will increase connectivity amongst Olympic stakeholders.
In the Road to Paris series, the Worldwide Olympic Partners talk about some of the essential support they will be providing to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and reveal their excitement at helping to shape an unforgettable Olympic experience for fans and athletes alike. Read the interview with Raynald Aeschlimann, the President and CEO of OMEGA, here and the interview with Eike Bürgel, the Global Head of the Olympic & Paralympic Programme at Allianz, here.
Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, P&G has chosen 20 athletes who will be honoured in the latest edition of the Athletes for Good programme, which awards grants worth USD 24,000 to charitable organisations supported by each athlete. P&G, in partnership with the IOC and International Paralympic Committee (IPC), launched the Athletes for Good initiative in 2020 to celebrate the efforts of athletes who partner with causes to serve their communities in areas such as equality and inclusion, sustainability and community impact. Full news release, including the list of recipients, here.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
The IOC has announced the winners of the inaugural Climate Action Awards, recognising the athletes, IFs and NOCs who are taking tangible steps to tackle the climate crisis. The awards, which are supported by Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partners Airbnb, Deloitte and P&G, aim to recognise effective efforts from across the Olympic Movement to reduce sport’s impact on climate, while inspiring others to follow suit. Discover the winners here.
The IOC welcomed the declaration on sports integrity adopted on 27 September by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. The declaration recognises the work of the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS), and calls upon it to pursue its transversal and multi-stakeholder approach and enhance the implementation of the highest applicable standards aimed at combating corruption and promoting a culture of good governance in sport. Read the full news release here.
The IOC has partnered with the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026 to launch a new Young Reporters programme that will provide sports reporting training to a select group of young professionals from Africa. The programme, which will run in the build-up to Dakar 2026, is aimed at creating a tangible legacy for the young generation in both the host country, Senegal, and the wider African continent, with 16 budding journalists (nine women and seven men) from six countries set to take part. Full news release here.
In a collaborative effort to enhance young athletes’ exposure to high-level volleyball competition across the Eastern Caribbean region, a joint pilot project has been launched by the IOC and the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). Supported by the Olympic Solidarity Youth Athlete Development programme, the initiative will create more opportunities for teams to qualify for continental and international age group events, such as the FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships in 2025. Full news release here and at FIVB website.
A new IOC Consensus Statement, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, highlights the risk for athletes of a syndrome affecting health and performance, caused by a mismatch between the calories eaten and burned during exercise – known as REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). Read more here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Canoe Federation (ICF)
More than 100 delegates from 35 countries took part at the ICF’s inaugural Women’s Symposium held in Dublin, Ireland, on 26 and 27 September. It focused on how to improve and increase the role of women in the global paddling community. The participants heard several keynote speakers outline some of the challenges facing women as they seek more presence in canoe sports, but also heard a vision outlined for the future. More detailed info here. In addition, following the ICF Sustainability Forum at the 2023 Canoe Slalom World Championships, the ICF has released its latest sustainability report, entitle “Whitewater Venues: Driving Urban Sustainability”. The report highlights the substantial economic, social and environmental benefits these venues offer to cities and urban areas. Full details here. Furthermore, the ICF has joined forces with digital technology giant and Worldwide Olympic Partner Alibaba to find ways to monitor and improve the sustainability of its events around the world. The ICF is taking a pioneering step by joining forces with Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of the Alibaba Group, to optimise organisational practices in support of global sustainability goals. Full news release here.
International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM)
The UIPM has announced that the 2nd FISU Modern Pentathlon World University Championships will take place in Kaunas (Lithuania) in 2024. Full details here.
International Tennis Federation (ITF)
The ITF has announced the winners of the Advantage All award at the 2023 ITF General Assembly Meeting in Cancun (Mexico). The Advantage All Reward and Recognition programme, part of the ITF’s Advantage All Gender Equality strategy, was developed to encourage national associations to adopt equality-related initiatives. For 2023, three award categories were introduced, showcasing coaching, officiating and leadership efforts. Discover the winners here. Also at the Assembly, the ITF Board of Directors have re-appointed Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde as the two ITF Board athlete representatives for the 2023-27 term. Pierce and Woodforde have served in their current role since 2015. Full details here.
World Athletics
The World Athletics Council has awarded the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, scheduled for 30 March, to Belgrade, Serbia. After hosting the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Belgrade will now host a second World Athletics Series event in two years. More info here.
World Rowing
Since 2011, the alliance between World Rowing and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been about using the power of the sport of rowing to raise awareness about the importance of protecting water across the globe. For the past 12 years, a number of actions have been successfully carried out as part of this alliance, including during the 2023 World Rowing Championships. The partnership is now entering a new phase. The strategic alliance will now be adjusted to “Healthy Waters”, with the ambition for both entities to activate and empower their respective networks and partners, and reinforce the collaboration between the WWF local offices and the now 159 World Rowing Member Federations. Full info here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Argentinean NOC (COA)
From 25 to 29 September, the 39th Session of the Argentinean Olympic Academy (AOA) was attended by 36 participants aged from 19 to 29, representing various national sports federations. The opening ceremony was attended by COA President Mario Moccia, Secretary General Victor Groupierre, AOA President Carlos Marino and other AOA representatives. In June this year, the AOA received the Athena award from the International Olympic Academy for its work in promoting the Olympic values through sport, in particular by organising these annual sessions. More details here.
Brazilian NOC (COB)
Almost 60,000 people, including thousands of children and young people who had the opportunity to experience Olympic sports and see some of the nation's sporting idols, visited the first edition of the COB Expo, held from 25 to 29 September in Sao Paulo. Organised by the COB, chaired by Paulo Wanderley, the event brought together a whole range of disciplines in one place, and featured activations, exhibitions – including 120 exhibitors – talks, panels and sports activities. There were more than 300 hours of discussions and 490 hours of educational content featuring Olympians and leading figures from Brazilian and international sport. The Olympic and Pan American national federations were also present to interact with visitors and encourage them to practise their sports. More details here at www.cob.org.br.
Cabo Verde Olympic Committee
The foundation stone for the Cabo Verde NOC headquarters was recently laid in Praia, ahead of the 2nd Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Gender Equality Forum. Alongside NOC President and IOC Member Filomena Fortes were ANOCA President and fellow IOC Member Mustapha Berraf and the ANOCA Treasurer General, Habu Ahmed Gumel, who is also the coordinator of the NOC headquarters construction project and an IOC Honorary Member. The Cabo Verde NOC is one of nine NOCs to have submitted all the required documents to benefit from this construction project. More details here on the ANOCA website.
Kosovo Olympic Committee
The NOC, in cooperation with the Ministry for Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), hosted the fifth edition of the “Sport Forum” Conference, which was held as part of the European Week of Sport 2023. “Be Active” was the motto of the Week. The conference took place in the form of a panel discussion. Along with the Prishtina 2030 Mediterranean Games, other topics discussed included the activities organised during the week and the importance of physical activity. The participants included heads of sports federations, MCYS representatives and the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at the University of Pristina, Musa Selimi. More details at www.noc-kosovo.org.
Lithuanian National Olympic Committee (LNOC)
The international women’s leadership project New Miracle has ended in Vilnius. Thirty-seven female sports managers from four countries attended the final training session, which took place in the capital of Lithuania. Initiated by the LNOC, the two-and-a-half-year New Miracle project was dedicated to promoting women’s leadership in sport, developing the skills necessary for working in sports organisations, and building useful contacts. In preparation for the project, a free training programme and an exclusive mentoring platform for female sports managers were developed, where the participants had the opportunity to get advice from experienced colleagues and improve their collaboration skills. Full details here.
Moroccan NOC (CNOM)
As part of the programme of grants to prepare for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, at the end of September the CNOM organised a third meeting for the athletes on the programme and their technical support staff. The agenda included individual assessment sessions to review Olympic preparation progress, and workshops on mental preparation, medical monitoring and communication. More details here.
Oman Olympic Committee (OOC)
The Oman Olympic Academy has launched a national programme for coaches in the country. Organised by the OOC from 24 to 28 September, the first level of the National Coach Certification Programme (NCCP) is intended to develop and enhance the capabilities of sports coaches. This programme provides the opportunity for coaches to participate in an educational programme that gives them a valuable opportunity to gain knowledge and experience and develop their skills and will have a positive impact in enhancing the performance of athletes in Oman and raising their technical level. Details here.
Paraguayan NOC
The NOC’s athletes’ commission has held its first workshop for athletes on self-knowledge and writing a curriculum vitae. The workshop was held in cooperation with the IOC’s Athlete365, platform. The topics covered included “strengths and values”, “objectives and planning” and “CVs and cover letters”. More details on www.cop.org.py.
Peruvian NOC
NOC Secretary General Eva Jenny Martínez Velazco died recently at the age of 53. An Executive Committee member since 2017, she was President of the Peruvian Gymnastics Federation from 2017 to 2020 and Chef de Mission at the Lima 2019 Pan-American Games and other regional games. She was the current Chair of the South American Sports Organisation (ODESUR) Commission for Equality and Safe Sport, and was also on the MEMOS XXV (Executive Master in Sports Organisation Management) course for 2022-2023.
Spanish NOC (COE)
The COE and the Fútbol Más Foundation have signed a cooperation agreement to promote sport, integration, and advocacy for children in vulnerable social situations. The agreement was signed at the COE headquarters by COE President Alejandro Blanco and Foundation President Gonzalo García Casamayor. Through this agreement, the Foundation becomes one of the NGOs with which sports entities or events that wish to obtain the COE’s “PLUS” sustainability label can collaborate through donations or social-based initiatives. More details here. In addition, the COE has been awarded the XII Cortes de la Real Isla de León prize for constitutional values and the defence of democratic freedoms. Awarded by town of San Fernando in Cadiz province, the prize honours the universal values of sport and recognises the COE’s contribution to defending and promoting the values of citizenship, freedom, equality, harmony and social progress. More details here.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PARIS 2024
Paris 2024 and VNF (Voies Navigables de France – the French waterway navigation authority) have come together to promote the Seine ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Etienne Thobois, the CEO of the Organising Committee, and Thierry Guimbaud, the Director General of VNF, signed a cooperation agreement aimed at better integrating the river into the organisation and staging of the Games. Cindy Leoni, the Sub-Prefect responsible for ceremonies, was also present at the signing. The aim of the agreement is to formalise the two organisations’ intentions to cooperate on the use of the river and the environmental transition, and to establish joint areas of work to prepare for and stage the Paris 2024 Games. Full details here. On the eve of the opening of the Paralympic Games ticket sales on 9 October (info here), the 2nd Paralympic Day was held at Place de la République in Paris bringing together nearly 100 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators, in the presence of the French President Emmanuel Macron. The event was organised jointly by Paris 2024, the Ministry of Sport, the French Paralympic and Sports Committee and the City of Paris. Full details here.
YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES ORGANISING COMMITTEES
GANGWON 2024
The Youth Olympic flame was lit on 3 October in Athens (Greece) ahead of the start of the Torch Tour for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, which will see the flame embark on a three-month tour of the Republic of Korea. The traditional lighting ceremony for the Youth Olympic flame was held in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. Co-President of the Gangwon 2024 Organising Committee Jin Jong-oh and IOC Member and President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos attended, as did IOC Member Hong Zhang, the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Gangwon 2024. The Torch Tour will conclude on 19 January 2024, when the Youth Olympic flame reaches the Gangwon 2024 Opening Ceremony. Full news release here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
ANOC is launching the new ANOC Newsletter. Each month, the ANOC Newsletter will address a key theme and feature important news from the Olympic Movement. This month’s theme is sustainability.
Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)
The 2nd ANOCA Gender Equality Forum was held on 2 and 3 October in Cabo Verde. Nearly 200 key decision-makers from across the Olympic Movement in Africa gathered to continue working together towards gender equality in and through sport. The theme of the forum, “From the Boardroom to the Playing Field”, reiterated the need for the Olympic Movement to address gender equality in all areas of its activities and resulted in 10 key commitments to action. The opening ceremony featured speeches from the ANOCA President, Mustapha Berraf, and the Cabo Verde NOC President, Filomena Fortes. The IOC President addressed the forum through a video message (news release here), with additional keynote addresses from Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Executive Director of UN Women and now Chair of the IOC’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights; and IOC Member Prince Faisal Al Hussein, who serves as both the Chair of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)’s Gender Equity Commission and the Vice-Chair of the IOC’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission. During the opening segment, the 2021 IOC Women and Sport Award for Africa was presented to Natsiraishe Maritsa from Zimbabwe, in recognition of her efforts to empower young girls in her country through taekwondo through her foundation, the Vulnerable Underaged People’s Auditorium. Find out more about her story here. More details about the Forum hereat www.africaolympic.com. Read also here a report about the ANOCA delegation’s visit to Hangzhou (People’s Republic of China) on the occasion of the Asian Games.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
The National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Russia and Belarus were both partially suspended by the IPC’s General Assembly in Manama (Bahrain) on 29 September. The decision by IPC members means Russian and Belarusian Para athletes can compete as individual and neutral athletes at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Full details here. Also at the General Assembly, the NPCs of Bangladesh and Kosovo, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) were ratified as new members, while Saudi Arabia became an integrated NOC-NPC. The IPC’s membership now stands at 208. Full details here. In addition, the winners of the first-ever PARA SPORT Awards were also presented in Manama, as well as the recipients of the 2021 and 2023 Paralympic Order.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA has signed a four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the World Health Organization (WHO), which will allow experts from both international organisations to collaborate and share information on issues where anti-doping and public health intersect. The MOU was signed in Geneva, Switzerland, by WADA President Witold Bańka and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The agreement provides a framework of cooperation between WADA and WHO to further their goals, specifically with regard to health promotion, the prevention of substance abuse and emerging drugs, and the promotion of clean sport. Full info here. WADA has also launched the first phase of the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards Update Process. Full details here. WADA has also published the 2024 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which enters into force on 1 January 2024. Full info here.