Olympic Highlights 10/12/2024
IOC
PRESIDENT
This week, the agenda of IOC President Thomas Bach included a meeting of the Executive Board (EB) and the 13th Olympic Summit.
At the IOC’s invitation, leading representatives of the Olympic Movement met on 7 December for the 13th Olympic Summit, which was held at Olympic House in Lausanne. Chaired by the IOC President, the Olympic Summit discussed several topics of interest to the Olympic Movement, including the successful hosting of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the Olympic Esports Games, the Olympic AI Agenda, athlete protection and the excellent financial position and outlook of the IOC. With a view to the upcoming presidential election, the IOC President invited all seven candidates to join the Summit. You can read the full text of the Summit communiqué here.
From 3 to 5 December, the EB discussions focused on the activities of the Olympic Movement, the IOC commissions and the IOC administration, together with the final report from Paris 2024 and reports from the Organising Committees for the upcoming Olympic Games, as well as updates on Olympic esports and the Olympic AI Agenda.
The IOC Ethics Commission has published the candidates’ presentation and voting regulations for the election of the next IOC President after they were approved by the IOC EB. The two documents cover the regulations for candidates’ presentations to IOC Members on 30 January 2025 and the voting regulations for the 144th IOC Session in Greece. Full details here.
According to independent research on the Olympic Games Paris 2024, presented at the IOC EB, a record 84 per cent of the potential global audience followed the Games. This equals around five billion people. Some 78 per cent of those surveyed said they believe the Olympic Games are more important than ever in a divided world. Three out of four people also believe that the IOC was successful in “bringing the world together in peaceful competition” and in “building a better world through sport”. Overall, 85 per cent of spectators rated their experience as “excellent” or “good” for the ticketed events, with 95 per cent doing so for the free events. The full report outlining these figures was presented to the IOC EB. Full details here.
The IOC Coordination Commission for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 chaired by Pierre-Olivier Beckers delivered its final report during the EB meeting. The Paris 2024 Organising Committee was represented in the meeting by its President, Tony Estanguet, and Chief Executive Officer, Etienne Thobois. Their presentation included the successes and challenges of the Games, their impact, the next steps in the dissolution of the organisation, and the legacy for the Olympic Movement and the host country. The IOC Final Report on Paris 2024 provides an overview of Paris 2024, including the positive impact and legacy for the host community; achievements in sustainability; engagement; and the experience of the Games. It also describes the key elements of successful Games delivery. Full news release here.
With the countdown to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 nearing the one-year-to-go mark, the Organising Committee team outlined progress made during 2024 in several areas of organisation, including progress on venues. The Organising Committee also summarised recent important developments in stakeholder engagement, highlighting the support garnered from the Italian government and regional public authorities, which is essential to the successful delivery of the Games, as demonstrated by Paris 2024. More info here.
The Organising Committee for the Olympic Games LA28 outlined the work done over the last 12 months in areas that include development of the venue masterplan, continued commercial success, ongoing expansion of the Organising Committee team and growing engagement with local communities. Read more here.
The IOC EB has also approved a key step in shaping the programme for the Olympic Winter Games French Alps 2030. Learn more here. In addition, the IOC’s French Alps 2030 Coordination Commission Chair, Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant, reported to the IOC EB on the steps taken by French stakeholders towards organising the Games. Detailed info here.
The EB was briefed on the progress towards the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032. The IOC’s Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission Chair, Kirsty Coventry, reported that, under the leadership of President Andrew Liveris and CEO Cindy Hook, the Organising Committee team continues to make steady and positive progress as the planning process gains momentum, with over seven years remaining until the Games. Read more here.
Following a report by the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026, Kirsty Coventry, the EB confirmed the events and athlete quotas. For the first time in the history of the Summer YOG, full gender equality will be achieved – not only in the overall athlete numbers but also across every sport, discipline and event. Full news release here. The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will also be the first to include the participation of a Youth Refugee Olympic Team, following this decision by the EB. More details here.
The Dolomiti Valtellina project in northern Italy has been recommended by the EB to host the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2028 (YOG). The proposal will now go before the 143rd IOC Session in Lausanne on 30 January 2025, when the IOC membership will vote on it. The EB also approved an initial sports programme for these YOG. Read more here.
Based on the recommendations of the IOC Members Election Commission the EB adopted a number of proposals to be put forward to the 144th Session in March 2025. Full details here.
Following a proposal of the IOC Session Evaluation Commission, chaired by Ser Miang Ng, Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) has been put forward by the EB to host the IOC Session in 2027. The decision will be subject to a vote by the IOC Members during the 144th IOC Session. More info here.
The IOC President had a meeting with World Sailing President Quanhai Li, whom he congratulated on his recent re-election. The forthcoming Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 were also discussed. Later, he welcomed the members of the board of World Sailing, who were meeting at Olympic House.
President Bach welcomed the President of the Estonian Olympic Committee, Kersti Kaljulaid, to Olympic House. He congratulated her as the Estonian NOC’s first female president, having previously served for five years as President of Estonia. They also spoke about the current geopolitical situation and its impact on sport, the IOC’s sustainability and refugee programmes and the recently published Olympic AI Agenda.
The IOC President received IOC Member Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, who is also President of the NOC of Bhutan and Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). They discussed various topics linked to sports development in the country and in Asia, as well as Olympic Solidarity programmes and the preparation of athletes for their participation in the Olympic Games.
President Bach met IOC Member Giovanni Malagò, who is also President of the Italian NOC and of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. They reviewed the progress of preparations for these Games.
President Bach also met with the OCA, represented by OCA Vice-President Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam, and the Chair of the OCA Advisory Board, IOC Member Ser Miang Ng.
President Bach also held a number of meetings with representatives of the Olympic Movement, on the sidelines of the Olympic Summit, to discuss various Olympic topical issues.
President Bach spoke on the phone with the German double Olympic champion figure skater Katarina Witt. They discussed some projects undertaken by Ms Witt’s Foundation, involving Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympics athletes.
President Bach was also present at the Olympic Golden Rings Awards ceremony held at Olympic House. The awards celebrate excellence in Paris 2024 broadcast coverage. The President praised the invaluable role of Olympic Media Rights Holders in connecting the world through sport and sharing inspiring stories of Olympic athletes. See also under ‘Other Olympic News’.
President Bach officiated the grand opening of the Olympic Museum’s new exhibition “Fashion and Sport, From One Podium to Another”, co-produced with the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in Paris. The exhibition pays tribute to the fashion designers of the interwar years and takes a look at the growing influence of sport on contemporary fashion. It was also one of the highlights of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad, having been presented last year at MAD in the lead-up to the Games.
The IOC President addressed the graduates of the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) Class of 2024, who were gathered at the Olympic Museum. Congratulating the diploma recipients, the President reminded them that the sports world needed people like them, who were living their passion through the IOC’s mission to make the world a better place through sport.
On 7 December, at the invitation of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the IOC President attended the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
TOP PARTNERS
The IOC, in collaboration with Alibaba.com, has officially launched the first phase of the Athlete365 Business Accelerator programme which aims to empower current and former elite athletes to transfer their skills into successful business ventures. Building on the success of previous editions, this year’s Athlete365 Business Accelerator has attracted applications from hundreds of athletes worldwide, showcasing a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. Notably, 41 per cent of applicants identify as female and 10 per cent are Paralympians, with participants from across Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Africa. Full news release here.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
With over 100 submissions from broadcasters around the globe, the IOC announced the winners of the 2024 Olympic Golden Rings Awards. The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of Olympic Media Rights Holders (MRHs) in delivering the magic of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which were watched by over half of the world’s population. The ceremony recognised 10 MRHs with awards across 12 categories, reflecting innovation, creativity and excellence in Olympic broadcasting. Full news release including the list of the winners here.
Prof Roald Bahr, a former Norway national team volleyball player and coach, has been appointed Senior Advisor to the IOC Medical and Scientific Department. Prof Bahr will take up his post on 1 January 2025 and succeed Prof Lars Engebretsen, who will retire in December 2024, after having led the Scientific Activities since 2007. Full details here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
Meeting in Mies (Switzerland), the FIBA Central Board approved the reports on this year's 2024 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournaments and the Paris 2024 Olympic basketball tournaments for both men and women. It also approved extended qualifying tournaments for the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup and the Olympics pre-qualifying tournament for LA 2028. Among other topics discussed were the FIBA World Cups bidding process, the 2025 FIBA Continental Cups qualifiers and eFiba. Read more here.
International Canoe Federation (ICF)
The ICF has strengthened its collaboration with timing and scoring provider IMAS with a new two-year contract that affirms the strong partnership between the two parties, which share the goal of promoting and developing paddle sports across the world. The agreement was signed at the ICF Congress in Antalya, Türkiye, in November. Full news release here.
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
The ITTF has firmly stepped into the Esports arena, concluding the first-ever ITTF World Esports Table Tennis Championships with a spectacular Final Stage in Helsingborg, Sweden, on 27-28 November. Aligned with the IOC’s vision, the ITTF World Esports Championships has positioned table tennis as a key player in the competitive gaming landscape, engaging new audiences and solidifying its role in the digital sports revolution. In conjunction with the competition finals, the ITTF hosted an Esports Summit to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration. The summit featured presentations from key industry players, including the IOC, game publishers and Esports associations, alongside insights from the United Nations Environment Programme and academic institutions. Read more here.
International Tennis Federation (ITF)
Italy will host the Davis Cup Final 8 from 2025 to 2027. In 2024, 157 nations competed across all levels of the competition, with the world’s top eight teams vying for the title of World Champions in a Final 8 which saw Italy victorious for their second consecutive year. Full details here.
International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)
The FIVB, FIVB Volleyball Foundation, IOC Olympic Solidarity, Qatar Foundation (QF), Qatar Volleyball Association, and the Qatar Olympic Committee joined forces to deliver a series of impactful events. These initiatives were designed to promote women’s sports, foster inclusivity and enhance community engagement. The events were centred around the landmark collaboration between QF, the FIVB and the Volleyball Foundation. At the heart of the activities in Doha was the inspiring “Women in Sports: Creating Pathways” seminar. Panels explored a variety of themes including ‘The Global Success of Women in Volleyball’, ‘Breaking Barriers: Women Athletes’ and ‘Creating a Sustainable Future for Women in Sports in Qatar’. Read more here. Schoolchildren (mainly girls) from across the nation gathered for a two-hour introductory volleyball session. They also had the opportunity to interact with some Olympians. Full details are available here. These events were held alongside the West Asian U20 Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship, a historic milestone as the first-ever junior female beach volleyball event to be held in the Middle East, supported by Olympic Solidarity as part of the IOC Youth Athlete Development Programme. Info here.
World Athletics
Olympic champions Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo have been named World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2024 ceremony held in Monaco on 1 December. At the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Hassan from the Netherlands scored an Olympic hat-trick, while Tebogo from Botwwana, also an Olympic scholarship holder, claimed the first ever gold medal for his country. Full list of other awards recipients here.
World Sailing
World Sailing has delivered two training courses in the Middle East to support coaches and race officials taking the next step in their careers, and to promote the development of competitive sailing in the region. The first of the two workshops was held in Aqaba, Jordan, where nine participants – six men and three women – completed a Technical Course for Coaches Level 1. It was organised with support from Olympic Solidarity and in cooperation with the Royal Jordanian Marine Sports Federation. As part of Steering the Course, its plan to support women in sailing, World Sailing also held the first all-female Race Management Clinic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in cooperation with the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in Jumeirah. It brought together 20 women from Algeria, Greece, Iran, Morocco, the UAE and the United Kingdom. More details here. The Portuguese venue of Vilamoura Sailing has been selected to host the 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships, which will take place from 12 to 20 December. The championships will also feature sustainability initiatives, with a strong commitment to reducing environmental impact. More info here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
NOC of Argentina
The 11th edition of the Advanced Course in Sports Management (MOSO – Management of Olympic Sports Organisations) has just concluded in Argentina. Over nine months of training, participants developed and presented case studies, shared their experiences, studied the academic materials provided, analysed their own institutions and devised innovative solutions to the challenges they face daily in sports management. The was organised by the NOC under the auspices of Olympic Solidarity. More details here.
Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC)
To echo the IOC and the Olympic Games Paris 2024’s calls for sustainable development, the CTOC, along with its Athletes’ Commission, Sports and Environment Commission, Peace through Sport Commission, Gender Equality Commission, Education Commission, and the Chinese Taipei Olympian Association, co-hosted a beach cleanup event on November 30th entitled “Joining Hands with Olympians and Asian Games Athletes to Protect Our Blue Ocean and Earth.” The event aimed to raise awareness of environmental protection, equality, education and the Olympic spirit through practical actions, bringing together Olympians, Asian Games athletes, sports enthusiasts and the public. Led by numerous outstanding athletes, the event saw the participation of more than 150 people, including students accompanied by their teachers and parents. Info at www.tpenoc.net
Dominican Republic NOC
The NOC’s Women and Sport Commission concluded its 2024 series of conferences with a meeting in late November in San Juan de la Maguana. Aimed at students and teachers from the Urania Montás campus of the Salomé Ureña Higher Institute for Teacher Training, the event was attended by around sixty people. Speakers shared their insights and reflections on the importance of gender equality and sport as key tools for social and educational development. Over the past year, the NOC Women and Sport Commission has conducted an ongoing programme of conferences in various provinces across the country on the theme “Empowering Women in Sport”. More info here.
British Olympic Association (BOA)
Olympic champions Bryony Page (trampoline) and Eve Muirhead (curling) have been re-elected to the BOA Athletes’ Commission for a second term following an election last month. They are joined by Olympic bronze medallist Lewis Richardson (boxing), two-time Winter Olympian Charlie Guest (Alpine skiing) and Tokyo 2020 Olympians Emily Muskett (weightlifting) and Jessica Piasecki (athletics), who have been elected to serve their first term on the Commission. Full details here.
NOC of Israel
The 2024 Annual Athletes’ Forum celebrated the conclusion of the most successful Olympic Games in Israeli sports history. Organised by the NOC Athletes’ Commission (AC), the Forum brought together 60 Olympic athletes from a wide range of sports, spanning generations – from athletes competing at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 to members of the Paris 2024 delegation. Opening remarks were delivered by NOC President and IOC Member Yael Arad and CEO Gili Lustig, and then by Chair of the AC Yakov Toumarkin. The Forum provided an opportunity to express gratitude to the outgoing AC members (Shahar Zubari, Linoy Ashram, Nufar Edelman, Yuval Filo, Hanna Minenko, Andi Murez and Ilana Kratysh) and to welcome the newly elected members (Girmaw Amare, Maayan Davidovich, Peter Paltchik, Maor Tiyouri, Shelly Bobritsky, Denis Loktev, Gili Cohen, and Nina Amir). The Forum was financed through the NOC Athletes’ Commission Activity grants for 2024, an Olympic Solidarity programme. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
Lithuanian NOC (LNOC)
An international training course took place as part of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in Birštonas from 18 to 26 November. Organised by the LNOC, the course has been made possible through the support of Olympic Solidarity. It brought together representatives of NOCs and Olympic Academies from 17 countries, as well as members of the European Olympic Academies and university professors. Speaking about the training in Birštonas, Kasparas Šileikis, Director of Olympic Education at the LNOC, reminded attendees that this was the fourth such course organised by the LNOC. The LNOC was also one of the first NOCs to translate the OVEP programme in 2017, and the first to start organising training courses for local educators. Since then, 5,000 educators have taken the training and some 250 training sessions have been held. Info at www.ltok.lt
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
MILANO CORTINA 2026
On 6 December, the Milano Cortina 2026 organisers announced a full calendar of test events for the upcoming winter season, which will be used to test venues and operational readiness for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games taking place in just over a year’s time. Full details here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
International Olympic Academy (IOA)
The IOA hosted the 4th General Assembly of the International Camel Racing Federation (ICRF) at its premises in Ancient Olympia. Delegations from 63 countries attended the GA, chaired by ICRF President Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Al Saud, with the attendance of IOA President Isidoros Kouvelos. During a workshop on the Olympic values held on the first day of the assembly, IOA Director Makis Asimakopoulos explained the IOA’s role in promoting Olympism as a way of life and integrating the Olympic values into modern societies worldwide. In addition, the IOA Dean, Konstantinos Georgiadis, explained how educational programmes based on Olympic principles can transform societies and shape future generations. Full details here.
International Sports Cinema and Television Federation (FICTS)
As part of the cultural programme of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the FICTS will launch several initiatives in the Games regions. They will culminate with “Sport Movies & TV - Olympic Emotions”, which will take place throughout the Games period, from 5 February to 15 March 2026, in agreement with the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026. Museums, libraries, cultural spaces and local institutions will become the stage for promoting Olympic and sports culture. The events are part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad. Full info at www.sportmoviestv.com
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) and Foundation Board met in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), where members discussed and took decisions on several matters that are key to strengthening the global anti-doping system. The ExCo approved recommendations from the Working Group set up to implement the observations of the Cottier Report concerning the Chinese swimming cases. More details here. The Board approved WADA’s latest Strategic Plan (2025-2029), under the theme “Going further together”. Full details here.