Olympic Highlights
IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
The IOC Executive Board (EB) met via teleconference on 12 June to discuss the governance of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). After discussion, the IOC EB members decided unanimously to suspend all direct financial payments from the IOC to the IBU until the election of the new IBU President at the IBU Congress, scheduled to be held from 5 to 10 September 2018, and until the IOC EB has reviewed and is satisfied with the outcomes of several documents and reports by its meeting on 3 and 4 October 2018. Full press release here.
President Bach met the newly elected Philippines NOC President, Victorico Vargas, accompanied by NOC Secretary General Patrick Gregorio and IOC member Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski. The situation of sport in the country, and the preparations of Philippine athletes for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Southeast Asian Games being held in 2019 in the Philippines were addressed.
On the occasion of the 2nd Interactive Workshop between the IOC and Stockholm, as part of the Dialogue Stage of the Candidature Process 2026, the IOC President took the opportunity to meet with the newly elected Swedish NOC President, Mats Arjes, and IOC EB member Gunilla Lindberg, who is also Secretary General of the Swedish NOC. They discussed the preparations of the Swedish athletes for the next editions of the Olympic Games as well as the NOC’s and city of Stockholm’s interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games 2026.
The IOC President met IOC member and President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet and IOC member Guy Drut. They discussed preparations for these Games and the first IOC Coordination Commission meeting on 18 and 19 June.
Meetings with IOC EB member Sergey Bubka, IOC members Marisol Casado, Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski and Mamadou NDiaye as well as with IOC honorary member Vitaly Smirnov, provided an opportunity to discuss various current Olympic topics.
President Bach met the President of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Tamás Aján, also an IOC honorary member.
Speaking at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)’s Forum held at The Olympic Museum, President Bach underlined the excellent cooperation with the IF and the debut of breaking, a WDSF discipline, at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.
The President attended the 18th Gymnastics Festival in French-speaking Switzerland in Lausanne, which brought together over 7,000 gymnasts over the weekends of 8 to 10 June and 15 to 17 June.
MEMBERS
Craig Reedie, who is also President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has been awarded the prestigious Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) as part of the 2018 Queen’s birthday honours list. The award, which is the highest accolade of its kind, will be presented to Reedie for his services to sport. More details here.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
The unified Korean team’s historic joint march and women’s ice hockey team in PyeongChang are featured in "We Are One", a new documentary from the Olympic Channel. An Olympic Channel original production, the 37-minute film premiered worldwide on Wednesday 13 June 2018 on the Olympic Channel on olympicchannel.com and its mobile apps. Full details here.
INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
On 13 June in Moscow (Russian Federation), the 68th Congress of the International Association Football Federation(FIFA) chose Canada, Mexico and the United States as the hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, which by then will be played with 48 teams. Among other decisions, the Congress ratified the 2017 Financial Report and approved the budget for the 2019-2022 cycle, with an unwavering focus on football development. The 69th FIFA Congress is scheduled for 5 June 2019 in Paris (France), on the eve of the opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Full details here.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has announced a brand news programme as part of its development activities. The FINA National Aquatics Managers Programme will be launched in the course of 2018. This new programme will support the FINA national member federations in their efforts to manage and govern their organisations, and will be held five times per year in each of the continents, in the form of a two-day seminar. It will involve experts with academic and sports management background, and lecturers with experience at national, regional and international level. More info at www.fina.org
World Rugby has awarded the World Rugby U20 Championship 2019 hosting rights to Argentina. The selection was approved by the IF’s Executive Committee and reflects its mission to showcase its premier age-grade competition to a global audience. Argentina staged the event in 2010 and Rosario and Santa Fe will once again host the future stars of rugby. More details here.
WINTER IFS
Jan Dijkema was re-elected as International Ice Skating Union (ISU) President at its 57th Ordinary Congress in Seville (Spain) from 4 to 8 June. The delegates present voted on over 400 proposals. Further details here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
On 10 June, the Algerian NOC organised, in collaboration with the Department of Youth and Sport of the Province of Sétif and the School Sports League of Sétif, a day devoted to Olympic education. A NOC delegation, led by its President, Mustapha Berraf, attended the various activities. A course, hosted by teachers on education and the Olympic values, was also held. More info here.
From 4 to 7 June, the International Seminar for Sports Physiotherapists was held in Azerbaijan with the support of Olympic Solidarity, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the NOC of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation. Led by Timo Lindemann, a physiotherapist assigned by the IAAF, the seminar brought together local participants as well as those from Turkey, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia. Practical sessions were held in the sports medicine laboratory of the State Physical Education and Sport Academy. All the participants were given an IAAF diploma. Info at www.noc-aze.org.
Bahrain NOC Secretary General Abdulrahman Askar received the Japanese Ambassador to Bahrain, Hideki Ito, at the NOC headquarters in Seef. Their discussions focused on the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the NOC’s desire to take part in these Games, and support the Organising Committee to make these Games a success. Info at www.boc.bh.
The Japanese NOC organised its Sports Awards Ceremony and Olympic Concert 2018 at the Tokyo International Forum on 8 June, prior to Olympic Day. The Most Valuable Athlete Award was presented to Nao Kodaira, Olympic speed skating champion (500m) and silver medallist (1000m) at PyeongChang 2018. A Most Valuable Athlete Award was presented to two PyeongChang gold medallists: Miho Takagi (speed skating), who became the first Japanese woman to win gold, silver and bronze at the same Games; and Yuzuru Hany (figure skating), the first to defend the gold medal twice in a row. NOC Council members, Executive Board members and honorary members, as well as Tokyo 2020 partners, were also present, as were 14 athletes from 9 countries taking part in Olympic Solidarity World Programmes for Tokyo 2020. Info at www.joc.or.jp.
In Lithuania, Olympic Day 2018 enjoyed record participation of 28,000 people on 2 June in Panevėžys. Around 30 Olympians, including biathlete Tomas Kaukėnas, marathon runner Diana Lobačevskė and boxer Tadas Tamašauskas took part, as did Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Member of Parliament Gediminas Vasiliauskas. The programme featured stand-up paddle, 3x3 basketball, cycling, teambuilding activities and the finals of the Lithuanian School Games, in which 500 children competed. At the end of the day, Lithuanian NOC President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė and the Mayor of Panevėžys, R. Račkauskas, handed the Olympic Day flag to the assistant of the Mayor of Klaipėda, Arūnas Šulcas, as Klaipėda will host the 2019 edition of Olympic Day. More details here.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
TOKYO 2020
The Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020) has published the second version of its Sustainability Plan and the Plan’s guiding principle. This is the final strategic plan that will govern sustainability activities for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The guiding principle is: “Be better, together – for the planet and the people”, and Tokyo 2020 not only aims to ensure sustainable delivery of the Games, but also hopes to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Related goals, targets and measures are specified in the Plan under five themes: Climate Change; Resource Management; Natural Environment and Biodiversity; Consideration of Human Rights, Labour and Fair Business Practices; and Involvement, Cooperation and Communications (Engagement). More info here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
The Association of the National Olympic Committees (ANOC) selected three students - Abdulrahman Al-Muftah from Qatar; O Kwang Hyok from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; and Camila Gobo de Freitas from Brazil - to receive scholarships to study the Master of Sport Administration (MSA) course at the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU). ANOC has partnered with RIOU for six years as part of its commitment to delivering the best possible service to its NOCs, with the MSA providing opportunities for its NOCs to learn from international best practice. More info at www.anocolympic.org
In the year of the FIFA World Cup 2018, football will be the protagonist at the international “Sport Movies and TV 2018” Festival. Organised by the International Federation of Sports Movies and TV (FICTS), this 36th edition will be held in Milan (Italy) from 14 to 19 November. This is the final festival of the “World FICTS Challenge”, which includes 16 festivals held across the five continents. More info at www.sportmoviestv.com