Olympic Highlights
IOC ACTIVITIES
PrEsident
During its meeting in Lausanne, the IOC Executive Board (EB) took a number of far-reaching decisions for the future of the Olympic Games.
The IOC EB approved the principles of the candidature process for the Olympic Winter Games 2026 as presented by the IOC Vice-Presidents. The proposal builds on changes introduced by Olympic Agenda 2020 and the findings of the Olympic Winter Games Strategic Working Group. It aims to respond to an ever-changing environment. It was highlighted that the benefits of such a new process would result in further significant bid cost reductions; greater involvement of IOC Members; increased flexibility and tailoring to the needs of a city/region; and positioning the IOC as a proactive and supportive partner of cities. The candidature process for the Olympic Winter Games 2026 will be submitted to the IOC Extraordinary Session to be held on the occasion of the 2024 Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members and Summer Olympic International Federations on 11 and 12 July.
With regard to the 2024/2028 Candidature Processes, the IOC Vice-Presidents presented the recommendations in which it was emphasised that having two excellent Candidate Cities for the Olympic Games 2024 that are technically completely in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 and enjoy very high support across all areas of society presents a unique opportunity. The Vice-Presidents recommended a joint award of the Olympic Games 2024 and the Olympic Games 2028. The existing legal and procedural frameworks would allow for such a decision. The EB approved the principle of awarding both the Olympic Games 2024 and Olympic Games 2028, and submits this proposal to the IOC Extraordinary Session which will take place on the occasion of the 2024 Candidate City Briefing. Read the full press release here.
The EB approved the event programme and the athlete quotas for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, following the recommendations of the Olympic Programme Commission. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women. The decision marks a key milestone in the evolution of the Olympic programme by introducing youth and urban innovations, significantly improving gender equality, and reducing the overall number of athletes, hence reducing the Games’ footprint. Tokyo 2020 was consulted throughout the process and, together with the IOC, it was agreed that there should be minimal impact on additional venues and athletes, or on the overall competition schedule. The full details of the decision and the full programme of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are available here.
In another decision regarding the Olympic programme, the EB approved a proposal for a new process to accelerate the finalisation of the event programme for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The new process allows for a decision to be taken in late June 2018, just four months after the closing of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, and a year before the equivalent decisions were taken for PyeongChang 2018.
The EB also approved the overall composition of the sports programme for the Olympic Games 2024 to include all 28 sports on the programme of the Olympic Games Rio 2016. With regard to the inclusion of weightlifting, the EB decided that this will be contingent on the International Weightlifting Federation demonstrating to the Executive Board by its meeting in December 2017 that it has addressed, or has put in place plans to address, the massive problem of doping in the sport and ensure the integrity in this and every regard within its own and the administration of each of its member National Federations.
With regard to good governance, the EB approved the Rules for the Application during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 of Articles 7, 9 and 10 of the Code of Ethics and of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions.
On the protection of clean athletes, the EB received an update on the main activities related to anti-doping the IOC is following and working on. It was reported that the IOC, WADA and the Winter IFs have set up a Pre-Games Task Force for appropriate testing to be performed ahead of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. The Task Force will determine the level of testing required for all athletes who may compete in the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. It was emphasised that it is important for all athletes from countries and sports at risk to be tested at least once. There were updates on the ongoing work by the Schmid Commission and the Oswald Commission.
Meetings with IOC Vice-President John Coates and IOC EB Members Anita L. DeFrantz, Angela Ruggiero and Sergey Bubka as well as IOC Member Richard W. Pound were also on the agenda this week. Discussions were centred about the preparations for the next Olympic Games, WADA reforms and other topics of mutual interest.
With the President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), Ingmar De Vos, the meeting focused mainly on preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Channel.
President Bach met the President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Narinder Dhruv Batra, during the FIH Board meeting held at the FIH headquarters in Lausanne. The preparations for the tournaments at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 were discussed.
President Thomas Bach met Olympic gymnastics champion Li Ning from China. Ning Li won six medals, three of them gold, at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984; and he lit the Olympic cauldron for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008. The two men, who served together on the IOC Athletes’ Commission, discussed the role of sport in society as well as the next editions of Olympic Games.
The President attended the 7th edition of the Panathlon Family Games, organised by the Panathlon-Club Lausanne. This event attracted thousands of participants, who had the chance to try out various sports.
With the Japanese fencer, Yuki Ota, President Bach signed the IOC Sports Department’s Olympians Wall. Ota won two silver medals at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
The International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) President and Secretary General, Stefan Kannewischer and Klaus Meinel respectively, spoke with the President about the excellent partnership between the two organisations and the development of sports practice.
The IOC President welcomed the Chairman and CEO of Agence France Presse, Emmanuel Hoog. The excellent cooperation between the two institutions and other topics of mutual interest were addressed.
international SPORTS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) 2018 World Junior Championships will be held in Toronto (Canada). It was at its recent meeting in Australia that the BWF accepted a bid by Badminton Canada to host the tournament in November 2018, featuring the World Junior Mixed Team Championships followed by the individual World Junior Championships. It will be the second time that this event has been staged in the Pan-American region, as the 2016 edition was held in Lima (Peru). Full info here.
As part of its commitment to protect athletes, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) will develop a "Duty of Care Code" which sets out all the policies and procedures regarding misconduct in the gymnastics world, ranging from prevention and education to reporting, investigation and sanctions. Thus, at its first meeting, held in Lausanne on 31 May and 1 June, a working group set up by FIG President Morinari Watanabe to review the FIG’s existing rules established the principles of a Duty of Care Code, providing a series of supporting procedures which are intended to serve as the acceptable standard when adopting and implementing safeguarding policies. It will be the responsibility of each member federation to adopt and implement such policies. The group based its work on the recommendations to IFs from Olympic Agenda 2020, which provides a framework outlining the key components required for athlete welfare. Read the full news item here.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) recently published the general conclusion of a research project on the mental aspects of diving. Author Emily Pattinson, a Professor at Winchester University (Great Britain), had presented her initial finding at the last FINA World Aquatics Convention in December 2016. She is also a contributor to the FINA Aquatics World Magazine. She based her research on that single chance/moment to perform to the highest standards and how a single mistake can cost a whole competition. FINA fully supports research and studies that can improve the sport, in particular when the athletes' performance is at the heart of the research. Info at www.fina.org.
At its 2 June meeting in Dusseldorf (Germany), the Board of Directors of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) took a number of decisions. Future editions of the junior world championships were allocated. The ITTF Ethics Commission was fully established, and the ITTF Code of Ethics will come into effect on 1 July 2017. Detailed info here.
Following the announcement of World Sailing's sustainability strategy in November 2016, the IF has appointed a leading group of experts to its first sustainability commission, which will be chaired by Mike Golding, one of the world's most accomplished and successful offshore sailors. Golding will lead a group of independent experts, thought leaders and distinguished sailors. The announcement was made on 5 June, World Environment Day. Detailed info here.
nationaL olympiC comMITTEES
The Colombian NOC’s Ethics Committee met for the first time on 8 June at the NOC headquarters in the presence of NOC President Baltazar Medina, accompanied by Secretary General Ciro Solano Hurtado and member Ana Edurne Camacho. To carry out its mission, the Ethics Committee, which had been elected on 10 March in Bogota, will have at its disposal – among other things – the code of ethics adopted by delegates from national sports federations at the NOC’s last general assembly. Read the news here.
Alejandro Blanco (photo) has been elected as President of the Spanish NOC for the fourth consecutive time. He has headed the NOC since 2005. The election was held during the Extraordinary General Assembly on 31 May at the NOC headquarters. The Assembly also ratified the appointment of Isabel Fernández as 1st Vice-President, Victoria Cabezas as Secretary General and Víctor Sánchez as Treasurer. Read the news here.
The NOC of Guatemala has organised the second training course for (national level) coaches in view of the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. As for the previous course held in December 2016, the aim was to provide technical tools to coaches across the country to attract potential sporting talent to the high level. This three-day seminar was attended by over 150 sports professionals. Read the news here.
In recognition of the outstanding performance and achievements of Hong Kong athletes in multi-sports games and world and Asian championships, the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) presents incentives to its member associations each year. This year’s ceremony was held on 8 June at the Olympic House in the presence of Timothy Fok, IOC Member and SF&OC President; Karl C. Kwok, Chairman of the Membership Affairs Committee; and Lam Tai Fai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute. A total of 277 medals were won by Hong Kong athletes in 2016. More info on www.hkolympic.org.
The Turkish NOC concluded this year’s Olympic Day celebrations with a memorable event organised in Samsun, which saw 500 young people take part in a variety of fun and engaging sporting activities. With the approach of the Deaflympics, taking place in Samsun from 18 to 30 July, there was particular focus on promoting the participation of deaf children in sport. The deaf children in attendance were able to meet Oli, the mascot of Sports Culture and Olympic Education Project, and together said “Olympic Day” in sign language. Every year, the NOC organises a series of activities to celebrate Olympic Day and promote fitness, well-being, culture, education and the Olympic values among Turkey’s young generation. This year, almost 3,000 youngsters took part in the celebrations across the country organised in cooperation with the councils of each city. Info at www.olimpiyat.org.tr.
Kiev celebrated Olympic Day with an event organised at the country’s principal sports venue, NSC Olympiysky, which hosted over 4,500 sport fans as well as star Olympic athletes, celebrities and governmental representatives. #OlympicDay on the way to PyeongChang 2018 was the motto of the celebration, which was opened in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kyrylenko, Deputy Head of the Sport and Youth Parliamentary Committee Mykola Velychkovych, Sports Minister Ihor Zhdanov and Ukraine NOC Vice-President and IOC Member Valery Borzov. Organised by the Ukraine NOC, the Ministry of Sport and Youth and Kyiv State Administration, the event offered to the kids and their parents activities from more than 30 national sports federations and clubs as well as the Olympic Day Run. Two dozen of Ukraine’s Olympic and Paralympic medallists and national team athletes participated in various activities on site, with 2018 Olympic team athletes. The event in Kiev was a formal opening ceremony for the nationwide celebrations, which will be organised by the NOC’s local departments in the coming weeks all over the country. Read the full story here.
The Venezuelan NOC HQ hosted a press conference on training courses for swimming coaches. These courses are endorsed by FINA, the Venezuelan Swimming Federation, the NOC and the National Water Polo League. Over 80 coaches have signed up to follow these courses.
organisING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PyeongChang 2018
The South Korean organisers have ticked off another milestone on the journey to hosting the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 with the official handover of the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) on 5 June. Located in the heart of the Mountain Cluster in the Alpensia resort, the IBC will serve as the primary base of operations for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the rights-holding broadcasters. From there, nearly 4,000 hours of images will be transmitted across the world, showcasing the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to billions of viewers. Full press release here.
Tokyo 2020
The Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) has agreed an overall approach governing the division of roles and allocation of costs for the Tokyo 2020 Games with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), the Japanese Government, and local governments of the seven prefectures and four other cities hosting events. The parties also agreed to set up a Management Committee for Collaborative Projects (name TBD), which aims to further reduce costs while optimising resources. Press release here. Tokyo 2020 welcomed Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd (Recruit) as a Tokyo 2020 Official Partner of its sponsorship programme. The company has been allocated the category “Human Resources and Online Study and Learning Services.” Its addition brings the total number of Tokyo 2020 domestic partners to 43, including 28 Official Partners. Press release here.