Olympic Highlights
IOC activities
President
On 2 November at Lausanne Cathedral, IOC President Thomas Bach attended a public memorial service for IOC Member Patrick Baumann, who died suddenly at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. Many representatives from the sports and political authorities were present with Patrick Baumann’s family. Alongside the IOC President, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) President Horacio Muratore, Lausanne Mayor Grégoire Junod, Canton of Vaud State Councillor Philippe Leuba and Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Public Safety and Sport Guy Parmelin gave speeches in tribute to their colleague and friend, Patrick Baumann. More details here on www.fiba.com.
IOC President met with the recently elected President of the International Biathlon Union (IBU), Olle Dahlin, and received a full update on all areas addressed by the IOC Executive Board during its meetings on 12 June and 4 October 2018. President Thomas Bach said: “The IOC appreciates the very good progress made in the critical areas of good governance, ethics and the fight against doping. I received a strong undertaking from the IBU President to see these reforms through to full implementation. On this basis, we are looking forward to excellent and close cooperation with the IBU for the benefit of biathlon and the athletes.” Based on his meeting with Olle Dahlin, the IOC President confirmed that all IOC restrictions against IBU are now lifted. Read the full news release here.
With Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Sports Federations (ASOIF), the President broached various Olympic topics such as preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and good governance among the IFs.
President Bach awarded the Olympic Cup to the World Union of Olympic Cities – an association of former and future Olympic host cities – in recognition of its work to ensure the long-term legacy of the Olympic Games. The award ceremony took place during the 5th edition of the Smart Cities and Sport Summit – an initiative of the Union – in Lausanne. The Olympic Cup was presented to Grégoire Junod, President of the World Union of Olympic Cities and Mayor of Lausanne. Read the full news release here.
The President held a meeting with the President of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS), IOC Member John Coates, and attended part of a round table.
A meeting was also held with IOC Executive Board member Ser Miang Ng, with whom President Bach discussed various Olympic topics.
Other Olympic news
The IOC is currently conducting additional analyses on the samples collected from the Olympic Games London 2012. This programme, which uses the latest scientific analysis methods, aims to test samples for all substances prohibited in 2012. As the International Testing Agency (ITA) is now operational, the IOC has delegated results management to the ITA, which will therefore review all the test results and notify the athletes concerned. Read the full news release here.
international sportS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced that marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe has been appointed UN Environment Advocate for Clean Air and will campaign against air pollution worldwide. She joins the other IAAF Advocate Haile Gebrselassie, with whom she will work to raise awareness of the health threats caused by air pollution air. Last May, the IAAF pledged its support for UN Environment’s BreatheLife campaign, launching a programme to introduce air quality monitors in athletics stadiums worldwide. Radcliffe and Gebrselassie are the first IAAF Advocates for this initiative. More details here.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has announced that former NBA and US national team superstar Kobe Bryant has been appointed as global ambassador for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, which will be held in the People’s Republic of China. In his 20-year career, Bryant won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and two Olympic gold medals with the USA. Bryant joins Yao Ming as an ambassador for basketball’s biggest competition. More details here.
Following the women’s team final of the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) confirmed the list of the first nations to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The list is online in the "Event Files" section of the page devoted to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Furthermore, in the setting of the 48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Doha, Qatar's national anti-doping commission and the FIG Anti-doping, Medical and Scientific Commission are co-operating closely in delivering an on-site information and consciousness-raising operation for gymnasts, their coaches and entourage following WADA's Outreach Programme on anti-doping. More details here.
At its 46th Congress, held in New Delhi (India), the International Hockey Federation (FIH) honoured those who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey. The FIH Honorary Awards ceremony took place on 1 November and was attended by delegates representing well over 100 National Associations. There were 12 recipients of the FIH President’s Award, which recognises individuals or National Associations that have excelled with initiatives, projects or programmes that have contributed over a long period of time to the enrichment of the sport at international level. Among the winners was the IOC President, who was selected thanks to his longstanding support for both the sport and the Federation. Some 250 delegates from all over the world gathered in New Delhi for the FIH Congress, where key strategic decisions have been made for the development and governance of hockey globally. More details here.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has announced the 2019 calendar for the FINA Swimming World Cup. The 31st edition of this competition will include seven legs: Tokyo (Japan) from 2 to 5 August; Beijing (People’s Republic of China) from 8 to 10 August; Singapore from 15 to 17 August; Eindhoven (Netherlands) from 27 to 29 September; Budapest (Hungary) from 3 to 5 October; Kazan (Russian Federation) from 1 to 3 November; and finally Doha (Qatar) from 7 to 9 November. The format of the competition (length of the pool, number of events) will be discussed and finalised in Hangzhou (People’s Republic of China), where the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) will take place from 11 to 16 December 2018. More info at www.fina.org
The new International Triathlon Union (ITU)’s Athlete’s Committee has been announced. It is made up of five men and five women from eight countries who were elected by their peers last month and will serve for two years. The Chair will be elected in the coming days and will take a seat on the ITU Executive Board at its next meeting in Luxor (Egypt). More details and the list of Committee members can be found here.
At the final of the Women’s World Championships being held in Yokohama (Japan), the President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), Ary S. Graça Fᵒ (right in photo), met Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul (left), IOC Member in Thailand. During a meeting, which was also attended by four Presidents and a First Vice-President of the confederations, the recent developments in volleyball worldwide and the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were discussed by the two leaders. More details here.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced that the 2019 World Baseball Softball Congress will be hosted by Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture (Japan), in collaboration with the Baseball Federation of Japan (BFJ) and the Japan Softball Association (JSA). The Congress will take place on 20 and 21 November 2019, following the second edition of the major international baseball flagship Premier12 – a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualifier. More info here.
Winter Ifs
The International Ski Federation (FIS) has re-launched its official website www.fis-ski.com. With simplified navigation and a focus on competitions and live timing, the new website will highlight what is most important to FIS stakeholders. The FIS data will be presented in a modern format, while the editorial elements will have a sleek new display. More info here.
NATIONAL Olympic COMMITTEES
The Albanian NOC organised a sports administration course from 25 to 27 October in Tirana. The course brought together 20 participants, 35 per cent of whom were women, and whose average age was 24½. The subjects addressed over the three days included the Olympic Movement, sports management, strategic planning, sports marketing, fair play, good governance, sports activity management, sports medicine, sports justice and finance. Another (level III) course will be organised from 14 to 16 November. More info at www.nocalbania.org.al.
The Argentinian NOC’s Women in Sport Commission organised, together with the Canadian Embassy in Argentina, the 5th Women in Sport Meeting, hosted by the Honorary Chair of the Commission and First Vice-President of the NOC, Alicia Masoni de Morea, who spoke about the history and evolution of the place of women in the Olympic Movement, and the IOC Gender Equality Review Project. The other speakers were: Teresa Tham, head of public health in Canada and head of the Canadian delegation at the Women20 Summit, who dealt with the Canadian Government’s health policies; Susan Greinig, head of the IOC’s Safeguarding Officer, who recalled IOC protocol in cases of violence, harassment and abuse; and Patricia Sangenis of the NOC’s Medical and Scientific Commission, who addressed the topic of health among young girls and adolescents. More info at www.coarg.org.ar.
The NOC of Bahrein reports that the Bahrain Swimming Association is in the process of announcing the first-ever Bahrani professional water sports academy. The academy will be the only one of its kind in the country, and will specialise in swimming, water polo, diving and other water sports. There will be various programmes – both for beginners and to identify young talents and develop their skills so they can join national teams through special training courses in a professional environment. More info at www.boc.bh.
On 24 October, the Brazilian NOC opened its doors to schoolchildren and teachers from the Rio de Janeiro municipal school system. Over 70 children aged 6 to 9 from schools in Jacarepaguá were able to learn about the Olympic Movement through fun cultural and sports activities at the NOC headquarters. The children also had an opportunity to meet the Brazilian team’s mascot, Ginga the jaguar. The NOC open-doors initiative is a joint one supported by the NOC Transform programme and the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Secretariat of Education. More details here.
A sports development seminar recently brought together presidents, board members and administrative managers from sports federations in El Salvador. This seminar was organised by the NOC of El Salvador in coordination with the German Embassy and took advantage of advice from sports analyst Oliver Scheer. Technical managers and federation coaches were able to take a sports technique analysis course, which focused on high-level sport in particular. More details here.
On 30 October, Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco met Defence Minister Margarita Robles at the Ministry in Madrid. Disseminating the values of Olympism and promoting high-level sport among the Spanish armed forces were some of the priorities defined at this meeting. Indeed, many athletes belonging to the armed forces have been part of the Spanish delegation for the Olympic Games. More details here.
The Estonian NOC has just launched the “TOGETHER – Our Champions” campaign, which celebrates athletes who won national titles in 2018, on the 100th anniversary of Estonia. The focus of the campaign is on the unique national championships medals designed especially for the Estonian centenary, and in total over 22,000 medals will be awarded to athletes of all sports at Estonian championships this year across various age divisions. The medal design, which was chosen in a national vote, depicts Estonia’s national tree – the oak – symbolising national character, traditions and continuity. More details here.
An online interactive handbook to help NOCs to develop and organise Olympic festivals in their country was recently launched in Prague at a conference organised by the Czech NOC. The launch of this handbook concludes a two-year project entitled Sport Parks Inspired by the Olympics. The project was co-financed by the European Union’s Erasmus + programme and coordinated by the Czech NOC in collaboration with the IOC. It was developed in coordination with seven NOCs (Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands and Slovenia) and one regional authority in the Czech Republic, South Bohemia. The manual was launched by Czech Olympic coordinator Jana Janotová at the Global Sport Events Go Local conference which was attended by over 90 participants from 13 countries. The handbook is available at www.sportparks.com. More details here.
Recognised organisations
On 24 and 25 October, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) held its second Global Education Conference in Beijing (People’s Republic of China), which was graciously hosted by the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) in partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Under the theme “Innovation, Harmonisation and Cooperation”, the Conference brought together over 150 participants from over 70 countries. At the end of the Conference, the participants were presented with a declaration surmising the key themes to emerge – which will be published shortly – aimed at advancing the Clean Sport movement. It includes such principles as ensuring that the athletes’ voice is engaged and that their rights are protected; that the International Standard is developed, implemented and supported by Anti-Doping Organisations (ADOs); that ADOs work together to provide easy access to education tools; and that ADOs continue to collaborate on best practices to further resources and goals; and advance education. More details here.
The last Council meeting in 2018 of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) was overshadowed by the sudden death of Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General, IOC Member and ASOIF Council member last month. After the meeting, the Council members attended a memorial service at Lausanne Cathedral. The ASOIF Council announced that a new Governance Support and Monitoring Unit (GSMU) is now operational in an effort to help IFs move towards better governance by 2020. Composed of the ASOIF President and three external experts, the GSMU aims to help IFs evolve from the adoption of principles and rules to tangible performances in good governance. The Council also endorsed the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration, which was adopted by the IOC Session in October. More details here.