Olympic Highlights 20/09/2024
IOC
PRESIDENT
On 14 September, the IOC awarded the prestigious Olympic Cup to the people of France, at a magnificent ceremony in Paris to celebrate the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. More than 70,000 spectators gathered on the Champs-Élysées and around the Arc de Triomphe to honour the 300 French athletes who won Olympic and Paralympic medals. This celebration, which was broadcast live on French TV and watched by over 10 million people, also paid tribute to all the French people – volunteers, professionals and supporters – whose contribution was key to the success of these Games.
At the foot of the Arc de Triomphe, IOC President Thomas Bach presented the Olympic Cup to a group of four volunteers and supporters representing the people of France, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, Organising Committee President Tony Estanguet, representatives of the various authorities involved in the Paris 2024 organisation, and the President of the French National and Olympic Sports Committee, David Lappartient. Addressing the thousands of spectators watching the ceremony, the IOC President stressed the importance of the public to the success of these Games: “The French public were a real Olympic public. You embraced the Olympic values. You fell in love with the Olympic Games, and we fell in love with all of you.”
Before the ceremony on the Champs-Élysées, another symbolic inauguration took place: that of the Olympic rings on the Pont d'Iéna, an iconic Paris monument that played a central role in the Games festivities. On this occasion, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo announced that the Olympic rings will remain on the Pont d’Iéna, which is now partly pedestrianised, thus maintaining this link between Parisians and the legacy of the Games.
In a more intimate, but equally symbolic, setting at the Petit Palais, Mayor Hidalgo presented the Grand Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris, the capital's highest distinction, to President Bach for his essential role in the organisation of the Paris 2024 Games. “Your career as an athlete, during which you won a medal at the Montreal Games in 1976, is testament to your determination and endurance,” said Mayor Hidalgo. “But as President of the IOC, you have been able to go beyond that, thinking about how the Olympic Games could make a positive contribution to the world, in the humanist spirit of Pierre de Coubertin.” Read the full news release here.
A few weeks earlier, at an official ceremony held at the Elysée Palace in Paris, President Bach awarded the Olympic Order in gold to the French President Emmanuel Macron in recognition of his unstinting support for the success of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and his attachment to the Olympic ideal espoused by Pierre de Coubertin. Read the full news release here.
The IOC President also attended the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, alongside International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President and IOC Member Andrew Parsons and Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games President Tony Estanguet. The following day, President Bach visited several competition venues.
At Olympic House, the IOC President met the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif. They discussed the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, in particular the preparations for the ice hockey tournament.
During a telephone conversation, the IOC President and Chinese NOC President Gao Zhidan discussed a number of Olympic topics, including the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the success of the Chinese delegation.
Also at Olympic House, President Bach held a meeting with the former German Ambassador to the United Nations, Christoph Heusgen, who is now Chair of the Munich Security Conference. The two men discussed the current geopolitical situation.
The IOC President welcomed the members of the Swiss Association of Municipal Police Chiefs to Olympic House for their General Assembly. He thanked them for their collaboration during sporting and Olympic events.
During meetings with IOC Members, the President discussed in particular the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Honorary Members
IOC Honorary Member Raja Randhir Singh was elected President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for a four-year term (2024-2028) at the 44th OCA General Assembly held in New Delhi (India) on 8 September. More info here on the OCA website.
IOC Honorary Member Julio César Maglione has been honoured for his services to the Uruguayan NOC, of which he has been President for 37 years. At a special ceremony, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou and Sports Secretary Sebastián Bauzá presented him with a Uruguayan flag as a national tribute to his lifelong devotion to sport and humanitarian values.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
Seven candidates will compete in the election for the presidency of the IOC at the 143rd IOC Session held from 18 to 21 March 2025 in Greece. The candidates (in alphabetical order) – Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Lord Sebastian Coe, Kirsty Coventry, Johan Eliasch, David Lappartient, Juan Antonio Samaranch and Morinari Watanabe – officially announced their candidacies by the deadline of midnight on 15 September 2024. The candidates will present their programmes, in camera, to the full IOC membership on the occasion of a meeting to be held in Lausanne in January 2025. Full news release here.
As the world marks the International Day of Peace on 21 September, the IOC reflects on how the Olympic Games Paris 2024 showcased sport’s ability to bring people together and foster a culture of peace. Full details here.
The IOC, through its newly launched Olympism365 Innovation Hub, has recognised five community projects which are contributing to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in innovative ways. Thanks to a new annual initiative called the Ignite365 Awards, each organisation will receive an initial grant of USD 10,000 to boost their projects. In addition, they will benefit from training designed to meet their specific needs, as well as engagement and networking opportunities. Discover the Ignite365 Award winners for 2024 here.
Building on the success of Paris 2024’s Impact 2024 international legacy programme, the IOC has announced additional funding totalling USD 450,000 for 10 sport-for-development projects across Africa, with the aim of expanding this legacy beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Through this initiative, the IOC will ensure continued funding for the most innovative and impactful projects that have been supported by Paris 2024 and the French Development Agency (AFD) in Africa. The IOC’s investment will be delivered through the “Sustained Insight and Impact” initiative, launched in March 2024. Discover here the 10 selected projects, which were also part of the Impact 2024 international programme.
If the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2018 put the county of PyeongChang on the world map, the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024 helped to keep it there, while accelerating its progress towards being a global hub for winter sports. To mark the fifth anniversary of the launch of the region’s project to host the YOG, Olympics.com hears from key figures involved in ensuring the long-term benefits for PyeongChang and the Republic of Korea. Find out more here.
Celebrations were held in Nanjing to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chinese city hosting the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Ten years ago, the YOG Nanjing 2014 kickstarted the Olympic careers of multiple Olympic champions from this summer’s Olympic Games Paris 2024. Amongst them were the fastest man this year, 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles, and basketball gold medallist Napheesa Collier (both from the USA); Japanese judoka Hifumi Abe; Brazilian beach volleyball duo Ana Patricia and Duda; and Chinese table tennis star Fan Zhendong. Find out more here.
Four-time Canadian gymnastics Olympian Ellie Black has won the Paris 2024 Fair Play Award. The award, a joint initiative by the IOC and the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), recognises athletes who exemplify the spirit of fair play, sportsmanship and respect for others. Learn more here about why Black has been awarded this distinction.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
FIBA's Executive Committee members recently met in Singapore where they were welcomed by IOC Vice-President Ser Miang Ng. The following key topics were discussed: the success of the basketball and 3x3 tournaments at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the FIBA Basketball World Cups in 2026 and 2027; and the eFIBA Season 3. More info here. Also in Singapore, eight outstanding contributors to international basketball around the world were officially inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2024. Details here.
International Equestrian Federation (FEI)
The FEI has introduced the Be a Guardian initiative, which calls upon members of the equestrian community to fully commit to their duties as “guardians” of FEI horses. The initiative was launched a few days before the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The term “guardian” marks an evolution in the FEI's narrative of the horse-human partnership, chosen to better represent the human role in caring for horses and to underscore each individual's responsibility for ensuring horse welfare. Full new release here.
WINTER IFS
World Curling
World Curling has announced that Monaco has become its newest member association, bringing the total number of members to 74, following approval from the World Curling Board. The Monegasque Skating Federation, in charge of curling, currently has approximately 20 members dedicated to curling. More info here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Albanian NOC
The NOC has announced that the Albanian team won its very first Olympic medals, at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. These were two bronze medals won by freestyle wrestlers Chermen Valiev and Islam Dudaev, in the 74kg and 65kg categories respectively. In Paris, Albania was taking part in the Olympic Games for the 10th time.
Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA)
Cherise Slocombe and Tremayne Griffith will represent Barbados at the International Olympic Academy (IOA)’s 65th International Session for Young Olympic Ambassadors in Olympia, Greece, next year. Slocombe, a tennis player, has served for the past two-and-a-half years as an administrative assistant at the Barbados Tennis Association, and she has completed her International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 2 coaching certificate. Griffith holds a first-class honours degree in sports sciences from the University of the West Indies, as well as Level 1 World Athletics and Badminton World Federation coaching certifications.
Slocombe and Griffith were chosen based on their performance and involvement at the 4th National Session for Young Participants (NSYP), held by the National Olympic Academy of Barbados in August with the theme “The Athlete in Modern Society: Inspiring and Fostering Unity”. As part of its collaboration with the IOA, Olympic Solidarity offers partial financial assistance towards the participation of candidates in this International Session.
More details here. In addition, the BOA recently announced the appointment of educator and sports administrator Janelle Denny as the NOA's new director. She succeeds Vaneisha Cadogan after the latter’s five years of dedicated service. Details here.
Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC)
The Taiwan Road Running Sustainability Forum, organised by the CTOC Sports and Environment Committee in collaboration with National Tsing-Hua University, National Cheng Kung University and the road running community, was held in Taichung on 30 August. This forum was initiated by the Taiwan road running community in 2021. At this year’s edition, Wang Shuli, a member of the CTOC Sports and Environment Committee, spoke about how Chinese Taipei Olympic gold medallists Lin Yuting and Lee Yang had highlighted in an interview that environmental sustainability is a key issue affecting global development.
Experts from other countries in attendance included Alexandra Criscuolo of the New York Road Runners, who spoke about her environmental sustainability efforts at the New York City Marathon, and Claire Poole, founder of Sport Positive, who mentioned the four major challenges of sports sustainability: adequate funding, the administrative capacity of the organisation, the professionalism of members, and prioritising sustainability work. More info at www.tpenoc.net.
Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC)
Organised by the SF&OC, the 2024 Olympism Camp brought together a total of 90 secondary school students and athletes from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macao. Inaugurated in 2013, the camp aims to enhance young people’s understanding of Olympism, encouraging them to practise these values in their daily lives, thereby having a positive impact on society. The three-day programme, partially funded by Olympic Solidarity, included sports experience sessions, team-building exercises and a seminar about the National Games. Detailed info here.
Thirty-one secondary school pupils who participated in the "Youth Tianjin Exchange Programme" recently shared their experiences during a visit to Tianjin. Held in July, the programme was co-organised by the SF&OC and the Federation of District Sports Associations of Hong Kong and funded by the Youth Development Commission. In Tianjin, the young participants visited a number of sporting facilities and took part in a variety of sports sessions. More details here.
Israeli Olympic Committee
Over the past year, the NOC has been leading a national initiative among sports federations, athletes and fans to promote sustainability in sport in Israel and to help adapt to the climate crisis. As part of this effort, the NOC signed the United Nations' "Sports for Climate Action" agreement, with funding support from Olympic Solidarity; mapped the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its activities; and decided to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of the Olympic delegation for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by planting a climate forest in the city of Sderot.
The trees will be planted by Olympic athletes together with the local community, in a joint project being carried out by the NOC, the Sderot Municipality, the Ashkelon Coastal Environmental Unit, the Good Energy Initiative NGO and the Jewish National Fund, with the aim of strengthening and revitalising the local community and developing social and climate resilience in the spirit of the Olympic values. Info at www.olympicsil.co.il.
Lithuanian NOC
Following the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Deputy Director for Olympic Sport Agnė Vanagienė, writing in the NOC’s monthly publication “Olimpinė Panorama”, reflected on the Lithuanian delegation’s Olympic adventure in the French capital and the challenges the country’s 51 athletes had to overcome to make the Games so special. Info at www.ltok.lt.
Oman Olympic Committee (OOC)
The OOC Board of Directors held its third meeting of 2024, led by OOC Chair Khalid bin Muhammad Al-Zubair. Among the main items on the agenda were the latest developments regarding the draft amendments to the OOC statutes, and the OOC Museum project. In this respect, it was noted that work on the museum is proceeding according to schedule, with an expected opening by the end of this year. The museum project is receiving partial funding from Olympic Solidarity. Full details here.
Portuguese NOC
José Manuel Constantino, the NOC President, passed away on 11 August at the age of 74 while he was in Paris for the Olympic Games. Elected for the first time in 2013, he was re-elected in 2017 and 2021. He previously led the Portuguese Sports Institute. He had extensive experience in education, both at university and primary level, spanning 30 years. In the 1960s, he was a football player for Leões de Santarém.
In the 1980s, he became technical secretary of the Board of Sport Algés e Dafundo, and later served as an advisor to the Board of the Portuguese Weightlifting Federation. He received honorary doctorates from the University of Porto and the University of Lisbon. More info here on the NOC website and also here on the website of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).
Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC)
The 36th Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, one of the world’s most prestigious open-water swimming events, saw over 2,800 swimmers from five continents take part in its unique course connecting two continents (Europe and Asia) on 25 August. Organised by the TOC and sponsored by Samsung Türkiye, the race was held in coordination with the Istanbul Governorship and in cooperation with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, along with 26 public, private and non-governmental entities. More details here at www.olimpiyat.org.tr
Organising Committees for the Olympic Games
Milano Cortina 2026
Volunteer recruitment for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 is now open, with the Organising Committee aiming to recruit around 18,000 “Team26” volunteers through an online application process on its website, milanocortina2026.org. Full details here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
International Olympic Academy (IOA)
The IOA has launched a new educational initiative entitled "The International Elite Sports Personnel Development Programme: Enhancing International Sports Management Skills 2024". This programme has been developed through the collaboration of the Sport Authority of Thailand and the National Olympic Academy of Thailand and is specifically designed for officials from various sports federations.
The course will encompass a comprehensive curriculum that integrates lectures on key topics such as the management and bidding processes for major sporting events, governance challenges within Olympic and sports organisations, Court of Arbitration for Sport issues and environmental sustainability. Educational visits to historically significant locations in Greece, including Athens, Olympia, Delphi and Epidauros, are also planned. More info about the course programme here.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
The IPC and World Health Organization (WHO) were joining forces to highlight the transformative impact of assistive technology on sport during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The "Equipped for Equity" campaign emphasised the crucial role of assistive technology for Paralympic athletes to advocate for concerted global action to improve access to these essential health products. Full details here at the WHO website. The IPC has also announced that Seoul, Republic of Korea, will host the 22nd IPC General Assembly in mid-September 2025. More details here.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA has launched the Preliminary Phase of its Athlete Council election. Eight athletes will form WADA’s Athlete Council Group 2 for 2025-2027. All eligible athletes’ commissions of IFs that are Signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code have been invited to present candidates for the election by 25 October 2024. Detailed info here.