Olympic Highlights

IOC ACTIVITIES

PrEsident

IOC President Thomas Bach took part in the fifth European Evening of Sports organised by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in Brussels (Belgium). Speaking to Olympic Movement and EU representatives, the IOC President presented the main challenges and opportunities for sport in Europe. “It is only through cooperation between sports organisations and other stakeholders that sport can make the world a better place. We should not lose sight of the social role of sport,” said President Bach. He urged the European Commission, when considering competition law, “not to equate commercial sports business, and its purely market-based approach, with the wider sports movement”. IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge and IOC Executive Board Member Sergey Bubka were also present and a number of other IOC Members.

Beforehand, the IOC President met with EOC interim President Janez Kocijančič, with whom he discussed the excellent collaboration between the two organisations and the upcoming editions of the Olympic Games.

From Brussels, the President flew to New York (USA) where he took part in an official signing ceremony for a long-term technology partnership between the IOC and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), whose Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich also participated. Intel will join The Olympic Partner (TOP) Worldwide Sponsorship Programme, becoming a Worldwide TOP Partner through 2024. Intel will work with the IOC to reimagine the future of the Olympic Games, with new levels of fan interaction through leading-edge technology. Speaking on this occasion, the IOC President said: “As a result of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC is forging ground-breaking partnerships. Intel is a world-leader in its field and we’re very excited to be working with the Intel team to drive the future of the Olympic Games through cutting-edge technology,” before adding that “thanks to our new innovative global partnership with Intel, fans in the stadium, athletes and audiences around the world will soon experience the magic of the Olympic Games in completely new ways.” For Brian Krzanich, “through this close collaboration with the Olympic family, we will accelerate the adoption of technology for the future of sports on the world’s largest athletic stage”. Read the full news story here.

In Washington, President Thomas Bach was received by the US President, Donald Trump, who had invited him to the White House in a phone call last year. President Trump reaffirmed his support to the candidature of Los Angeles for the Olympic Games 2024.

While in Washington, the President attended a lunch hosted by IOC Member Luis Alberto Moreno, who is also President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

During his visit to the United States, the President was accompanied by IOC Member and USOC President Lawrence F. Probst, and IOC Executive Board Members Anita L. DeFrantz and Angela Ruggiero.

Back in Lausanne, the President took part in Olympic Day celebrations at The Olympic Museum in the presence of numerous personalities from the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Vaud and the City of Lausanne as well as from the International Sports Federations. On this occasion, President Bach expressed his thanks to “the Swiss, Cantonal and local authorities for their support and collaboration and especially their hospitality to all of the Olympic Movement’s stakeholders”.

Before the evening event, the President participated in the IOC Olympic Capital Commission meeting.

IOC Honorary Member Phillip Walter Coles has donated items to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne. He gave the Australian delegation tracksuit and uniform that he wore at the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964 as well as two replicas of the canoes with which he competed at the Games. The ceremony took place in the presence of the IOC President and numerous personalities.

MembERS

IOC Executive Board Member Ser Miang Ng has been awarded the “Olympia” honorary distinction by the International Olympic Academy (IOA). The award was presented by IOA President Michael Fysentzidis at the opening ceremony of the 57th International Session for Young Participants organised in Athens (Greece). (See also the Recognised Organisations section.)

honorarY MembERS

Lambis V. Nikolaou represented the IOC at the opening ceremony of the 57th Session for Young Participants in Athens.

OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS

The 8th IOC Athlete Career Programme (ACP) Forum was held in Beijing from 15 to 17 June in cooperation with the Adecco Group. Recognising that combining sport with education or work has become increasingly challenging for athletes, the 87 Forum participants from over 30 countries wrapped up three days of discussions and exchanges determined to overturn this trend. The Forum concluded with an updated ACP strategy and new objectives for 2020. This athlete-centred event, organised by the Chinese NOC and the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, brought together Olympic and other athletes, IOC Athletes’ Commission members, including Kirsty Coventry, career counselling experts from the Adecco Group, and representatives of NOCs and their athletes’ commissions, the World Olympians Association, Visa China and Toyota, as well as the Deputy Mayor of Beijing. The Forum featured numerous presentations, panel discussions, break-out sessions and impromptu experience-sharing among participants, as well as a special sport and cultural programme. Full press release here.

On 20 June, World Refugee Day, the IOC celebrated the courage, perseverance and hope of the 65.6 million refugees and other displaced people across the world, and how sport can contribute to their healing and social inclusion. To bear witness to this ability to face up to adversity, you can find on www.olympic.org the stories of several refugees who have shown examples of this hope and resilience sparked by sport. Full press release here.

Staff from both Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and Olympic Channel Services (OCS) took part in the celebration of Olympic Day. OBS and OCS invited their teams to participate in a day of fun sporting activities and were provided a healthy lunch at a fitness centre, located just outside Madrid (Spain), reinforcing the importance of regular exercise and balanced nutrition in maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. The event brought together 173 OBS and OCS employees, to take part in over 38 individual activities.

international SPORTS FEDERATIONS

SUMMER IFS

Dutch international Koen Ridder (photo) is the new Chair of the Athletes’ Commission of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Ridder replaces Belgium’s Yuhan Tan, whose four-year term on the Commission ended in May. Germany’s Marc Zwiebler is the new Vice-Chair. Ridder was chosen as Chair by fellow Commission members after the Athletes’ Commission election, which concluded at last month’s BWF Sudirman Cup in Gold Coast (Australia). He will represent athletes on the BWF Council for the next two years until the end of his four-year term. Read the news story here.

On 18 June, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) celebrated its 85th anniversary. House of Basketball, FIBA’s headquarters in Mies (Switzerland), hosted the third edition of the FIBA Open, an annual event held during the weekend closest to FIBA's anniversary. Since 2015, the FIBA Open has brought together basketball players and fans from across Switzerland and neighbouring France. This year, 520 players in 130 teams took part. Read the news here. In addition, FIBA’s official website is now FIBA.basketball (formerly FIBA.com). FIBA recently officially launched the domain name “.basketball”. Read the news here.

A press release from the International Cycling Union (UCI) has announced that the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) held its second meeting of the year on 22 June in Geneva (Switzerland). The Council approved the 2018 UCI WorldTour calendar. A range of other topics were also addressed by the PCC, including race safety and security and the organisational requirements for both organisers and teams which have been developed in recent years. More info at www.uci.ch.

On 19 June, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) launched FEI Campus, a unique and free e-learning gateway for everyone with a love of horses and equestrian sport, wherever they are in the world. FEI Campus is an FEI Solidarity project. The content and courses have been crafted by equestrian experts and are designed for everyone, including those looking for invaluable horse training and stable management tips, educational programmes on veterinary needs and equine behaviour and judging certification. One of the key goals of this important development tool is to make it less expensive for current and future FEI officials from across the world to receive education, meaning that they will be able to follow courses without the costs of travelling and accommodation. Although FEI Campus cannot replace practical courses, it will also help reduce education costs for the National Federations. More info on www.fei.org.

The hockey family celebrated Olympic Day on 23 June by organising numerous activities for young and old alike. This year, more than 50 national associations in every continent set up programmes on and around Olympic Day: Afghanistan, Australia, Bolivia, Botswana, China, Cameroon, Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Vanuatu and Zambia – to name only a few. Read the full news story here. Throughout the day, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) published a series of videos of Olympians sharing their favourite Olympic memories. Details on www.fih.ch.

United World Wrestling (UWW) has launched a Referee Education Development Programme to review the current system and implement a new format to adapt to the needs of the referees. UWW President and IOC Member Nenad Lalovic has appointed an Expert Group, composed of members from the Referee, Technical and Coaches Commissions, to work on the pathway and content of the programme. The main focus is to provide educational programmes and enhance the level of expertise for the next generation of referees officiating at major events, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. As part of this education programme, the first Referee and Coaches Educator Course will take place sometime in October/November 2017. This event aims to create an exchange platform and further develop the competencies of referees and coaches. More info at www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

Six new young talents from Guyana, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Zambia joined the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Scholarship Programme between April and May this year. These swimmers joined the Spire Institute sports complex in Geneva, Ohio (USA), with one common objective: to qualify for the 17th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, this summer. Read interviews with these young swimmers here on www.fina.org.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has created a new department to set up its new events system. This department will market the new FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, which will promote the sport worldwide. It will also deal with innovative properties and disciplines like snow volley and street volley. Read the news here. In addition, on a trip to the USA, FIVB President Ary S. Graça F° held several meetings with USA Volleyball (USAV), during which the importance of the two organisations working together to help the future of the sport was discussed. Read the news here.

The President of the World Karate Federation (WKF), Antonio Espinós (left in photo), recently went to Japan to assess the progress of the sport in the country and hold meetings with the highest authorities in light of karate being staged at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Meetings were held with the President of the Olympic Games Organising Committee, Yoshiro Mori (right in photo), and Japanese NOC President and IOC Member Tsunekazu Takeda. More info at www.wkf.net.

Winter ifs

Under the banner of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Solidarity programme, the Icelandic Ski Association hosted a summer training camp for cross-country skiers from 8 to11 June. The initiative aimed at bringing athletes aged 12 and above together for a fun and effective training camp on roller skis. Some 25 girls and boys from all over the country participated in the camp, which included the presence of the national cross-country team. Read the news story here.

nationaL olympiC comMITTEES

The Afghanistan NOC celebrated Olympic Day at the NOC headquarters on 22 June. More than 400 female and male athletes of 40 sports disciplines took part in the programme held for this Day. Taekwondo, boxing, hockey, karate and other athletes demonstrated their performances to an audience. The Olympic Day message was peace and education for women in Afghanistan. The programme was a great success. 

The Word Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), together with the NOC of Argentina and the Argentinian Secretariat for Sport, Physical Education and Leisure, organised the 2nd Anti-Doping Education Symposium for Latin American countries on 13 and 14 June in Buenos Aires. Delegates from 14 countries took part: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Puerto Rico. These countries signed the “Buenos Aires Declaration”, which puts anti-doping education at the top of the agenda. The participants included Alicia Morea, Vice-President of the Argentinian NOC; Javier Mac Allister, Secretary of Sport; Rob Koehler, Deputy Director General of WADA; María José Pesce, Director of the WADA Latin America Regional Office; and Luis Calvimonte, Chair of the National Anti-Doping Commission. More info at www.coarg.org.ar.

For the Olympic Day celebrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, over 500 children aged 10 to 12 were able to learn about and practise numerous sports in the Kosevo Olympic Stadium in Sarajevo. They were assisted by the country’s Olympians. The NOC of Bosnia and Herzegovina set up at the stadium the facilities to practise 10 Olympic sports [or disciplines]: javelin, table tennis, hurdles, badminton, judo, archery, shooting, shot put, beach volleyball and football. For each sport, Olympians who have competed at the Summer or Winter Games were there to guide the children, introduce them to their discipline, and encourage them to practise it and also to speak to them about their clubs and encourage new vocations. Read the full news story here.

On 23 June, the Chilean NOC celebrated Olympic Day by organising various activities in the centre of the capital, Santiago, opposite La Moneda Palace. A historical museum allowed visitors to admire national sporting artefacts, such as the racket belonging to tennis player Marcelo Rios with which he became world no. 1. Demonstrations in various Olympic disciplines were offered by athletes on the Chilean team, such as weightlifter Arley Méndez, wrestler Andrés Ayub, fencer Paris Inostroza, and karate athlete Rodrigo Rojas. NOC President Neven Ilic, Sports Minister Pablo Squella, Governor of the Region of Santiago Claudio Orrego and Deputies Jaime Pilowsky and Tucapel Jiménez actively took part in the event. Read the news here.

On 18 June, Olympic Day celebrations kicked off with a 7km run in San Andrés Park in Bogota. Hundreds of people took part in this activity, supported by the Colombian NOC, before receiving their participation certificate. Read the news here. Several days later, on 23 June, various activities were organised across the country. At the High Level Centre in Bogota, 300 people, including athletes, coaches, federation presidents and civil servants took part in physical activities and demonstrations of several sports, such as karate, taekwondo, judo, fencing and wheelchair basketball. In the cities of Medellin, Cali, Santa Marta and Armenia, hundreds of people celebrated the Day by participating in several sporting activities. Read the news here.

On 22 June, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco joined the Minister for Employment and Social Security, Fátima Báñez; the Minister for Health, Social Services and Equality, Dolores Montserrat; and the President of the Catholic University of San Antonio in Murcia (UCAM), José Luis Mendoza, for a presentation of the first International Women, Business and Sport Chair of the UCAM. This Chair will focus its first actions on the food industry, cultural management and digital transformation. Its activities will also centre on research into equal opportunities for social diversity, and on the study of professional and family development, all to promote women’s leadership in public and private sectors. Read the news here.

More than 10 cities around the country marked Olympic Day in Georgia by organising sports activities and events with the active involvement of thousands of people of different ages. The 2017 edition was organised by the Georgian NOC and its regional organisations. Major cities, including the capital Tbilisi, held a mass Olympic Run along with other sports activities involving amateur athletes from different parts of Georgia. Among the Run participants were Olympic champion and NOC President Leri Khabelov and NOC Vice-Presidents, together with NOC staff members, as well as Olympic champion Vakhtang Blagidze, who was celebrating his 63rd birthday on Olympic Day itself. Special NOC prizes and certificates were awarded to the winners. In the Imereti region, state school pupils prepared a special performance at the Niko Nikoladze Museum with the slogan “For Georgian Sport”. More info at www.geonoc.org.ge.

The Ciudad de los Deportes [City of Sports] in Guatemala hosted the 29th Olympic Day Run on 18 June. Thousands of Guatemalans came together with their families and friends, responding to the call of the Guatemalan NOC. In total, 8,000 runners took part in the 4, 8 and 12km races, kicked off by Olympic athletes José Amado García, José María Raymundo and Mayra Carolina Herrera alongside NOC officials. All the runners receive an Olympic t-shirt and certificate signed by the NOC President. Info at www.cog.org.gt.

The Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) has celebrated Olympic Day by recognising this year’s sporting achievements that have inspired the next generation of Jordanian athletes. More than 600 guests from across the sporting community attended for a celebration of sport that received considerable TV coverage. The ceremony was held in Al Hussein Youth City. The 2017 IOC Trophy “Sport beyond borders” was awarded to Nuqul Group, which worked closely with the JOC as volunteers to develop the new sporting strategy - a first of its kind for Jordan. More info at www.joc.jo

The Mongolian NOC successfully celebrated Olympic Day on 23 June at the Burte Chono Plaza in front of its office. The event was organised with the close cooperation of the national sports federations of karate, football, volleyball, badminton, baseball-softball, table tennis and athletics. Alongside NOC President Demchigjav Zagdsuren, Olympic medallists and government representatives attended the celebration. More than 120 young talented athletes from sports middle schools and orphans participated in the friendly football match, and mini volleyball and badminton competitions. A performance show in karate was organised, and participants also had the opportunity to take part in the fun athletics relay.

The Nepalese NOC launched a week-long celebration of Olympic Day 2017. At a ceremony held on 17 June, NOC President Jeevan Ram Shrestha underlined that the various programmes organised in the country in coordination with 25 sports associations will help to promote the Olympic values. Bishnu Gopal Shrestha, Chair of the NOC’s Sport for All Commission, said that sports and cultural activities as well as charity programmes would be run throughout the week. Over 5,000 people are expected to take part in this year’s Olympic Day celebrations in Nepal. Info at www.nocnepal.org.np.

In the middle of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, the NOC of New Zealand organised an Olympic Day devoted to winter sports, particularly curling, in Auckland on 21 June. Over 100 12-year-old schoolchildren learned about the secrets of this Olympic ice sport and perhaps discovered a new vocation at a curling morning organised at Paradice Ice Rink in Auckland. Volunteers and Olympians from the New Zealand Curling Association taught the children how to play this sport and gave them so key tips. Info at www.olympic.org.nz.

The NOC of Slovakia presented the IOC Trophy 2017 “Sport beyond borders” to Tomas “Kid” Kovacs during its Gala Evening on 9 June. The NOC decided to award Kovacs with the trophy to acknowledge his continuous work with children from socially deprived families and minorities in Slovakia. He started this initiative 10 years ago with the vision of creating a boxing club that will be a second family to these kids and he continues his work towards creating the Tomi Kid Academy. The award was presented by NOC President Anton Siekel and the oldest Slovak Olympic champion (boxing) from Helsinki 1952, Jan Zachara. More info at www.olympic.sk.

The Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) concluded its memorable 2017 Olympic Day celebrations with a wrap-up video capturing the highlights of this year’s events. The TOC’s Olympic Day activities ran from 30 April to 6 June and reached over 3,000 children across Turkey, including Syrian refugees. Children took part in a wide range of fun and engaging outdoor activities aimed at educating them on healthy lifestyles, the environment, nutrition, ethics in sport and the Olympic values. More info at www.olimpiyat.org.tr.

In Uruguay, Olympic Day celebrations are being held throughout the month, with an official ceremony on 20 June at the Uruguayan NOC headquarters in Montevideo in presence of the NOC President, IOC Honorary Member Julio César Maglione. Many sports activities have been organised for over 4,000 participants in a young and festive atmosphere of playing and discovering different sports. Organised in coordination with the national federations, these activities include sports competitions, chances to meet Olympians and various workshops. Read the news here and info at www.cou.org.uy.

The main activity of the Venezuelan NOC to celebrate Olympic Day was held on 25 June in a park in the “Paseo Los Ilustres” district in Caracas. More than 500 children took part in sports activities (fencing, indoor football, rink hockey, mini tennis, karate, taekwondo, judo, athletics, roller sports, etc.) and activities linked to the Olympic rings and the Olympic values. Numerous high-level athletes were present on this Day and took part in the various activities on offer. Info at http://covoficial.com/.

organising committees for the Olympic games

PyeongChang 2018

The PyeongChang Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (POCOG) has unveiled K-pop sensation Taeyang as the latest Korean celebrity to become an honorary ambassador for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. The 29-year old first rose to stardom in 2006 as part of the boy band Big Bang, who won the Best Worldwide Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. He was also the first Korean artist to enter Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential musicians under 30. Read the full news story here.

Organising committEes for the youth olympic games

Buenos Aires 2018

The Organising Committee of the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 unveiled a 55-metre high mural of Olympic judo champion Paula Pareto, whose nickname ‘La Peque’ means ‘Little One’. The mural stands proudly in Villa Soldati, the home of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Village. To celebrate the unveiling, Paula first visited some of the 200 pupils at the neighbourhood school who took part in the project by creating their own artwork for the judoka’s visit and got to meet her in person to ask questions to their Olympic hero and hear about her own personal challenges she has overcome to become a successful athlete. The pupils then joined Paula to see the finished mural followed by a judo clinic to hone their skill. Read the full news story here.

Recognised Organisations

On 18 June on the hill of the Pnyx in Athens, IOA President Michael Fysentzidis declared open the work of the 57th International Session for Young Participants. Some 153 young people from 88 countries are taking part in this Session until 1 July. The main theme is “Governance in Sport and the Olympic Movement” and the special subject is “Ethics, Education and Governance in the Olympic Movement”. During the ceremony, the National Olympic Academy of the Republic of Korea received the “Athena” honour, while Gordon Tang, President of the Singapore Windsurfing Association, received the “Athlon Megalis Choregias” award in recognition of his support for the IOA’s work. Read the news here.

The Association of Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) joined forces with the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), an ARISF member, for World Environment Day on 5 June. At the Italian Grand Prix on the Mugello circuit, various activities were organised to celebrate this day, including the recovery of surplus food for people in need; the distribution of 30,000 kits for proper waste management; the promotion of public transport and car-pooling; and environmental education and activities to engage the fans. ARISF President Rafaelle Chiulli (left in photo) was present in Mugello alongside Kattia Hernandez of the FIM Environment Commission. Read the news here.

The 5th International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation (CSIT) World Sports Games ended on 18 June with a spectacular closing ceremony in the Palladium Concert Hall in the Latvian capital of Riga. Almost 4,000 athletes, coaches and supervisors from 36 countries came to Latvia and participated in 15 official CSIT championships and eight demonstration sport activities. The next edition of the Games will take place in Tortosa (Spain) in June 2019. More info on www.csit.tv.

The International Federation of Sports Movies and TV (FICTS) actively participated in the celebration of the Olympic Day. The FICTS promoted a series of screenings, meetings and events linked to the culture of Olympism in 16 sites of the Festivals of the “World FICTS Challenge” located in France, Brazil, Spain, Islamic Republic of Iran, People’s Republic of China, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Uganda, Czech Republic, Serbia and Sri Lanka.