Olympic Highlights 25/04/2023
IOC
PRESIDENT
IOC President Thomas Bach was in Rome on Wednesday 19 April for a meeting with the Italian Prime Minister (President of the Council of Ministers), Giorgia Meloni. The meeting took place at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome, where the two leaders discussed the upcoming Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the global geopolitical situation.
During the meeting, Ms Meloni reaffirmed her full commitment and support for the successful organisation of these Games, and emphasised the leading role her government plays in the steering committee (Cabina di Regia) for the organisation of the Games. She highlighted the importance of these Olympic Winter Games for the whole of Italy, and the great support they enjoy among the Italian people.
With regard to the geopolitical situation, Prime Minister Meloni reaffirmed her full support and appreciation for the unifying role of the Olympic Games, and sport in general, as well as for the autonomy of sport so that it can accomplish this unifying mission. President Bach thanked her for her engagement for the Games, and for sport in general. He also expressed the IOC’s great appreciation for her long-standing support and her vision for the role of sport in Italy and internationally.
Later, the IOC President also updated the Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, on the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Throughout his visit to Italy, President Bach was accompanied by IOC Members Giovanni Malagò, who is also President of the Organising Committee, Sari Essayah, who chairs the Coordination Commission, and Ivo Ferriani, who is also President of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF).
Before arriving in Rome for his meeting with the Prime Minister, President Bach had been in Milan to see the progress of the Organising Committee and to meet political leaders from the region.
At the Organising Committee's headquarters at the Allianz Tower in Milan, the IOC President met the growing team of Milano Cortina 2026. In an hour-long conversation with them, he took questions on everything from his early influences, as an Olympian, to the sustainability and future of the Olympic Games. Earlier, he had met the leadership team and discussed the progress of the preparations for the Games.
On Tuesday 18 April, President Bach had two meetings with regional political leaders involved in hosting the Games. The first was with regional leaders Attilio Fontana, President of Lombardy, Arno Kompatscher, President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Maurizio Fugatti, President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, and Cristiano Corazzari, representing Veneto. Later, President Bach met the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, who was joined remotely from Cortina by the Mayor, Gianluca Lorenzi.
The IOC President welcomed message from His Holiness Pope Francis that the Olympic Games Paris 2024 can “unite the whole world”. In his statement, His Holiness Pope Francis said that it would be a “joy to welcome the whole world” to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. He praised the power of these Olympic Games to unite the world, saying that they “may offer the opportunity, through sport, to bear witness to an authentic expression of fraternity, which the world greatly needs”. The Pope also expressed his hopes that Paris 2024 would be “an occasion for profound and fruitful encounters between people from all walks of life, belonging to different peoples, cultures and religions”. President Bach said, “I welcome the comments of Pope Francis, which echo the declaration on sport and peace jointly issued by the Vatican and the IOC last September.” The joint declaration was issued following a private audience given to the IOC President by His Holiness Pope Francis. Full news release here.
At Olympic Museum in Lausanne, the IOC President presented Switzerland’s Fanny Smith with her ski cross bronze medal from the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. There were a few hundred spectators in attendance, including the skier’s friends and family. Smith was awarded the medal after a long, complex process that ended in an agreement between Smith and her now co-medallist, Germany’s Daniela Maier, the Swiss and German Ski Federations, the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the IOC.
With the German NOC (DOSB) President Thomas Weikert, the IOC President discussed the preparations for the upcoming editions of the Olympic Games, the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement.
Also at Olympic House, the President met Olympian Yael Arad, President of the Israeli Olympic Committee. The preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement were also discussed.
The preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games, the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement were also the main topics discussed during a meeting with the President of the Polish NOC, Andrzej Krasnicki.
At Olympic House, President Bach also met IOC Members Sergii Bubka and Octavian Morariu, who chairs the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games. A number of current Olympic issues, the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement were discussed.
At Olympic House, President Bach welcomed the Olympic centennial relay participants. This event was organised from 15 to 22 April by the “Journey to the Heart of Olympism” association (AVCO) as part of efforts to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. The Franco-Swiss relay saw the participants running and cycling from Montluçon to Paris, passing through symbolic Olympic and sporting towns such as Aigle and Lausanne in Switzerland. More details here on the AVCO website.
The President also took part in the meeting of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) Executive Committee.
MEMBERS
IOC Member KhunyingPatama Leeswadtrakul who is also President of the Badminton Association of Thailand, has recently visited hilltribe young people and children living in the mountains of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, northern provinces of Thailand. While donating badminton equipment, she introduced them to the sport, teaching them how to play so that they can practise it as an exercise for good health and training.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
Original Olympian-led documentary-films produced by the IOC – The Redeem Team and 72 - A Gathering of Champions – have been honoured with a host of nominations for the industry-leading Sports Emmy Awards. Longstanding Olympic Media Rights-Holder (MRH) NBC Universal has also been recognised with 10 nominations for its dynamic coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Full news release here.
The IOC and French fashion label Lacoste have launched a collection of apparel and accessories celebrating the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, as part of their long-term licensing agreement. The limited edition Lacoste Barcelona ’92 range is now available from the online Olympic Shop. Full news release here.
A vibrant new art exhibition installed at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne offers a glimpse into just a few of the many facets, interests and stories of elite athletes: all 18 pieces are the creative work of five Olympians and a Paralympian. The artists, who have competed at various editions of the Summer and Winter Games, are part of the Olympian Artists programme, an IOC Culture and Heritage initiative. Full details here.
This year’s Earth Day theme – Invest in our Planet – highlights the importance of investing time and resources in solving climate change and other environmental challenges. The Olympic Movement is playing its part, reducing the footprint of the Olympic Games, using the power of sport to promote innovative solutions, and coming together to make sport more sustainable. Discover here five examples of how the Olympic Movement is investing in our planet.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Canoe Federation (ICF)
The ICF has signed three significant partnership agreements which will cement its presence in China and across Asia. The two-year partnerships cover sponsorship, licencing and broadcasting in one of canoeing’s fastest growing markets. Full detailed info here.
International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM)
UIPM President Klaus Schormann and Secretary General Shiny Fang were recently in Kunming (China) for a follow-up visit seven months after the announcement of the UIPM Asia-Pacific Development Centre (APDC). The APDC, part of a government expansion plan, promises to supercharge UIPM sports development in China and the wider Asian continent and support the global athlete community with a state-of-the-art and sustainable facility for training and competition. Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2023, with phase one of the project due to be completed in 2025. More info here.
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
World Table Tennis Day was celebrated on 23 April, bringing the world’s table tennis community together under the motto “Think sustainably, act now”. To mark the occasion, member associations, organisations, clubs, and table tennis enthusiasts from around the world organised events, tournaments, exhibitions, challenges and open-door sessions, inspiring people to engage with the sport. More than 400 events in over 100 countries and territories took place. One of the events held in Macao (China) was attended by ITTF President Petra Sörling, ITTF Deputy President and Olympian Liu Guoliang, and ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton. More details here.
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
To mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the UCI published a message from Afghan cyclist Masomah Ali Zada and her fellow countrywoman, journalist Benafsha Faizi. Ali Zada competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. In 2022, she was appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Faizi was part of the cycling community evacuated from Afghanistan by the UCI and various partners in 2021. A former media officer and spokesperson for the Afghanistan Olympic Committee, she is currently doing an internship with the Olympic Refuge Foundation. Read here their message about the unifying power of sport and their reminder about the continuing conflict in their country and the plight of the country’s women.
World Aquatics
The World Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) has reported the testing statistics for 2022, in partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA). In 2022, a total of 5,835 samples were collected from 1,428 individual athletes from 101 National Federations across all aquatic disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving. Full details here.
World Athletics
World Athletics and the IOC have agreed on the format for the new race walking team event that will make its debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The marathon race walk mixed relay will feature 25 teams, each comprising one male and one female athlete, who will complete the marathon distance (42.195km) in four legs of approximately equal distance. More details here. In addition, the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) Heritage Athletics Exhibition in Budapest (Hungary) was officially opened on 14 April. The exhibition celebrates the 40th anniversary of the World Athletics Championships and showcases the history of Hungarian athletics. It is open to the public for five months, closing at the end of the final day of the Budapest ‘23 World Athletics Championships (19-27 August 2023). More info here. In addition, to mark Earth Day, leading athletes from around the world contributed to a powerful new video promoting this year’s Earth Day theme, “Invest in Our Planet”. The video includes messages from 21 athletes from 13 countries and the Athlete Refugee Team, urging fans, fellow athletes and others to take action to combat climate change. More info here.
World Rowing
Upon the recommendation of the World Rowing Coastal Commission, the World Rowing Council voted to award the 2024 World Rowing Coastal Championships & Beach Sprint Finals to Genoa, Italy. Info here.
World Sailing
World Sailing has opened registrations for women's coaching, officiating and instructor clinics. These training courses are designed to broaden the skills of women in sailing as part of this year’s Steering the Course global women’s sailing festival. The courses and clinics will be funded by World Sailing and are available to member national authorities, events, class associations and sailing clubs. Full details here.
World Triathlon
World Triathlon’s Executive Board has decided to award the 2025 World Triathlon Multisport Championships to Pontevedra (Spain). It will be the second time that the home town of triathlon legend Javier Gómez Noya has hosted the event. Details here. In addition, the Organising Committee for the 2023 World Triathlon Multisports Championships in Ibiza (Spain) has received the Gold Certificate – the highest award possible – for its measures to ensure the sustainability of the 10-day event. See full details here.
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)
The WBSC marked the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by announcing the creation of the WBSC Legacy Club. The aim of the Club is to raise funds to offer more programmes focused on promoting inclusion and integration through sport around the world, which is fully in line with the WBSC 2022-2028 Strategic Plan. This Plan aims to develop and use baseball and softball as tools for education and social development around the world through innovative programmes and initiatives. Full details here.
WINTER IFS
World Curling Federation (WCF)
The qualification for the curling competitions at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 has now been completed. The YOG will see a mixed team tournament with 16 teams and a mixed doubles tournament with 24 teams. Full details here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Colombian NOC
From 19 to 23 April, the International Masters in Sports Management got under way for its 12 participants. This academic programme for sports administrators was opened in the NOC’s auditorium, in the presence of NOC President Ciro Solano Hurtado and Jordi Segui Urbaneja, Director of the Masters in Sports Management at the Catalonian National Institute for Physical Education (INEFC) at the University of Lleida (Spain). As well as listening to talks given by experts, the participants were able to visit sports venues in Bogotá and Chía. More details here.
NOC of the Dominican Republic
The NOC has called on National Sports Federations to comply with Law 122-05, which covers the regulation and promotion of non-profit associations in the country. This includes the provision that federations have to hire administrative staff with the necessary skills, and undergo regular audits so as to be transparent in how public resources are being used. More details here.
Georgian NOC
On 7 April, the NOC organised an Athletes’ Commission Forum and an Athlete365 Educational Informative Seminar. The event was supported by Olympic Solidarity. The NOC Athletes’ Commission members discussed key topics such as preparations for the upcoming qualification events and Paris 2024. Also on the agenda were educational and informative topics focusing on the resources on the Athlete365 platform. The Seminar was attended by young athletes from 13 National Olympic Sports Federations. Invited experts and speakers covered a range of issues, including clean sport, the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration, and competition manipulation. An Olympic-themed quiz was also organised, and gifts were awarded to the winners by the NOC President, Leri Khabelov. At the end of the Seminar, athletes and NOC leaders joined the campaign launched by the Peace and Sport organisation and raised a #WhiteCard.
Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)
Celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6 April, the HOC President, IOC Member Spyros Capralos, together with HOC Treasurer Antonis Nikolopoulos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Academy Giorgos Alikakos and the HOC staff, joined the campaign launched by the Peace and Sport organisation and raised a #WhiteCard. They also discussed the vital role of sport in the development of a healthier and more creative society. Info at www.hoc.gr
Moroccan NOC (CNOM)
To mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the CNOM celebrated sport’s power to bring people together, create social harmony and make the world a more peaceful place. To this end, the CNOM took part in the initiative launched by the Peace and Sport organisation, to show that sport can play an essential role in fostering peace in our communities. More info at www.cnom.org.ma.
Venezuelan NOC
The recently created Venezuelan Olympic Athletes Association (AVAO) has held its first general assembly. Almost 30 Olympic athletes gathered in the Venezuelan NOC auditorium, while others took part virtually. The assembly was coordinated by Amaranta Acosta, representative for the Americas at the World Olympians Association (WOA), with NOC President and Olympian María Soto in attendance. Alejandra Benítez was elected President of the AVAO.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PARIS 2024
The seventh annual Olympic and Paralympic Week (Semaine Olympique et Paralympique [SOP]) was held in France from 3 to 8 April. Over one million students from 8,000 schools and institutions took part in sports activities organised by Paris 2024, the French sports movement and several other institutions.
Inspired by Paris 2024’s slogan “Games Wide Open”, this year’s SOP focused on inclusion, with a view to changing society's outlook on disability by challenging clichés and preconceived ideas from an early age. Full details here. Furthermore, the Paris 2024 organisers recently unveiled the route of the Orange Night Run on the banks of the river Seine. This first marathon held in the form of a relay (“ekiden”), due to take place in the French capital on 17 June, will provide a foretaste of the experience on offer to the runners taking part in Paris 2024 Marathon for All, on 10 August 2024. On this occasion, Paris 2024 and Orange, a Paris 2024 Premium Partner, will be offering the chance to win 1,000 bibs for the Marathon for All, a unique opportunity for everyone wanting to take part in this exceptional event. The Paris 2024 Marathon for All will be the first event open to the general public in the history of the Olympic Games. Full details here.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
GANGWON 2024
Gangwon 2024 has launched its recruitment programme for the Winter Youth Olympic Games volunteers. The Organising Committee plans to recruit 2,000 volunteers, in three different categories: professionals fluent in English; those aged 19 or older; and young people aged between 15 and 18. The recruitment process is open until 31 May 2023. Full news release here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)
In his message on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the ANOCA President, IOC Member Mustapha Berraf, underlined that, this year, ANOCA is committed to preserving peace through one of the most indisputable peace-building tools, the power of sport. More info at www.africaolympics.com.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA has announced that its 2023 Play True Day digital campaign on 14 April achieved a potential social media reach of more than 161 million around the globe, almost double its previous high of 87 million in 2021, and generated nearly 160,000 social media engagements. This year’s campaign asked athletes, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations, sports federations, governments, Major Event Organisers and other stakeholders from the global anti-doping community to join WADA in building the world’s biggest team playing for clean sport: #OnePlayTrueTeam. More info here.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
The IPC has announced the names of its World Para Sports Unit Board members. The Board has been set up by the IPC Governing Board with the authority to govern the six Para sports for which the IPC serves as the international federation (Para athletics, Para dance sport, Para ice hockey, Para powerlifting, Para swimming and shooting Para sport). These sports are currently in a managed process of separation from the IPC, and the World Para Sports Unit Board will be responsible for monitoring each of the sports’ progress towards their separation. More details here.
International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG)
The ICMG has announced that, as of 31 March, the NOCs of Portugal and Kosovo had expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Mediterranean Beach Games and the 2030 Mediterranean Games, respectively. The elections for the designation of the host cities of these editions will be held on 8 September in Heraklion (Greece), during the ICMG General Assembly. More info here.
Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs (FICTS)
To mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the FICTS organised several activities simultaneously across the 20 venues of the "World FICTS Challenge" Festivals. Film screenings, meetings and workshops were on the agenda to educate young people and help them understand the power of sport while recognising the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and people’s lives across the globe. More info here.