Olympic Highlights 27/09/2024
IOC
PRESIDENT
This week, IOC President Thomas Bach was in New York (USA) for the Summit of the Future and the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).
Addressing world leaders during the Summit of the Future, President Bach thanked them wholeheartedly for including sport in the Pact for the Future. The landmark document was adopted by the 193 UN Member States on Sunday 22 September.
“Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the adoption of the Pact for the Future,” said the IOC President during the plenary session. “In particular, I would like to thank you for recognising the role of sport as an important enabler – and indeed, accelerator – to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The recent Olympic Games Paris 2024 illustrate in an excellent way how the IOC is contributing to the SDGs through sport.”
The inclusion of sport in the Pact for the Future is another milestone in the IOC’s work with the UN, at which the IOC has the status of Permanent Observer. In 2015, in a historic moment for sport and the Olympic Movement, sport was officially recognised by the UN as an “important enabler” of sustainable development and included in the UN’s Agenda 2030. Please find here the full speech by the IOC President. Read the full news release here.
At the Summit of the Future and the high-level debate of the 79th UN General Assembly, the IOC President met more than 30 heads of state and government and the UN Secretary-General. In all these meetings he received congratulations and praise for the success of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and their resounding message of peace and solidarity. During his time in New York, he was accompanied by IOC Member Luis Alberto Moreno, who is the IOC’s Permanent Observer to the UN.
In a meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the IOC President congratulated the UN and him personally on the adoption of the Pact for the Future and thanked him for his support for the peace mission of the Olympic Games and the IOC.
With the President of the UN Security Council and Prime Minister of Slovenia, Robert Golob, the IOC President discussed the contribution of sport to peace. Slovenia currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Golob expressed his full appreciation for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and their contribution to peace through the participation of athletes from the territories of 206 NOCs and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, including Individual Neutral Athletes wiwith a Russian or Belarusian passport.
This contribution of sport to peace is fully in line with the objectives of the signature event the Security Council hold on 25 and 26 September in New York, to which the Prime Minister of Slovenia invited the IOC President to deliver a speech. A high-level open debate of the Security Council on “Leadership for peace” was convened as part of the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item.”.
Upon meeting Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the IOC President thanked him for his commitment to the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016. The federal government is working closely with the city of Rio to maintain the legacy of the Games.
The IOC President also met with South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa. The two leaders discussed the importance of the non-politicisation of sport and its unifying mission.
The IOC President addressed the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
With the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, President Bach discussed India’s interest in hosting the Olympic Games in 2036.
Chile’s interest in hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games was discussed in a meeting between the IOC President and the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric.
With the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the IOC President spoke about the preparations for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 and the follow-up to the Sport for Sustainable Development Summit, held on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The IOC President also met with Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the Interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and attended an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s membership of the UN. Noble Peace Prize laureate Prof. Yunus is strongly connected to the Olympic Movement. He received the Olympic Laurel during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Wang Yi, Special Representative of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and Chinese Foreign Minister, and the IOC President spoke in their meeting about China’s success at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the strong and longstanding cooperation between the IOC and China.
President Bach discussed the implementation of the joint IOC-UN-Habitat memorandum of understanding with the organisation’s new Executive Director, Anacláudia Rossbach. Initial joint projects in Ghana and Australia (Brisbane) have already been announced, and additional projects in four cities are being prepared and will be announced shortly.
While in New York, the IOC President received the Prince Albert II Leadership in Post-Conflict Development Award from the Foundation for Post-Conflict Development (FPCD), under the patronage of IOC Member Prince Albert II of Monaco. The prize recognises excellence in diplomacy, particularly efforts that contribute to peace and post-conflict development. Read the full news release here. The IOC President also agreed on a memorandum of understanding with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The partnership will focus on using the power of sport to promote young leaders in the field of environmental protection. It builds on the IOC’s existing Young Leaders Programme, which empowers young talents to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities.
At the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit, at a fireside chat hosted by IOC Member Laura Chinchilla, President Bach discussed the peace mission of the IOC, sport as an important enabler for the UN SDGs, the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic Esports Games. Concordia is a global convener of heads of state, government officials, C-suite executives, and leaders of non-profits, think tanks and foundations, which aims to find cross-sector solutions that address the biggest challenges of our time.
While in New York, the IOC President met Katrina Adams, the former professional tennis player and now tennis executive who was the Global Winner of the IOC’s 2023 Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Champions Award. The President thanked her for her continued work to empower women in and through sport.
The IOC President also hosted a dinner, to which IOC Members present in New York were invited. Gerardo Werthein, Kirsty Coventry, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Luis Alberto Moreno, Laura Chinchilla, Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud and Johan Eliasch attended.
From New York, President Bach will go to Colorado Springs before continuing his trip to Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Asunción (Paraguay).
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
The IOC has announced the winners of the Climate Action Awards 2024. Supported by Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Deloitte, the IOC Climate Action Awards reward innovative projects from NOCs, IFs and athletes that are aimed at reducing the environmental impact of sport while inspiring the wider Olympic Movement to take action. The announcement was made by the IOC and Deloitte during Climate Week NYC – an annual event that brings together business leaders, decision-makers and civil society to drive action to address climate change. Discover the 2024 winners here.
Nominations for the 2024 edition of the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Awards are now open until 23 October 2024. Any coach, active or retired, whose athletes have participated in at least one edition of the Olympic Summer or Winter Games is eligible. The two winners will be announced in November in Lausanne. Full info here.
The participants in MEMOS X (Executive Master’s in Sport Organisation Management) in French, from four continents and almost 20 countries, presented their professional projects in public in the Olympic Museum auditorium on 24 September. The day ended with the presentation of certificates of participation by Professor Jean Camy, who founded the MEMOS programme. MEMOS is supported through one of the Olympic Solidarity NOC Management programmes. More information can be found here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC)
Caixa and Loterias Caixa have been announced as BOC “master sponsors” until the end of 2028. The investment will cover the development of national sport and the preparation of Team Brazil athletes for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. Caixa Chairman Carlos Vieira and BOC President Paulo Wanderley signed the contract at the Caixa headquarters in Brasilia, with many Olympic athletes and the heads of Brazilian National Federations in attendance. The partnership includes tie-ins with BOC institutional events, Team Brazil social media and Olympic athletes. More details here.
Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC)
The CTOC, in conjunction with its Peace through Sports Committee, held the 2024 Olympic Sport for Peace Forum on the International Day of Peace, 21 September. The 120 participants emphasised the power of sport, which is not only about competition but also serves to connect people and promote peace. During the Forum, Professor Lin Jia-He of the National Chengchi University Institute of Law and Professor Hsu Mei-Chich from Kaohsiung Medical University discussed the topics of "Fair Play and the Resolution of Sports Disputes" and "Gender Issues and Equity in Sport". Info at www.tpenoc.net.
Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)
The Olympians and Paralympians of Athens 2004 and Paris 2024 were honoured by the HOC in a memorable celebration at the Panathenaic Stadium, with an enthusiastic crowd in attendance. The event, entitled “Athens 20 Years After”, commemorated the two-decade mark since the Olympic Games Athens 2004 and the victory of Greece’s national football team at Euro 2004. The awards for the 2004 Olympians and Paralympians were presented by HOC Secretary General Emmanouil Kolympadis, International Fencing Federation Interim President Manolis Katsiadakis, and Vasiliki Millousi, Deputy Regional Governor of Sport for Attica. A parade of volunteers and key contributors from the Games followed, with the Organising Committee receiving special recognition. The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic athletes were honoured by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos and Greek Paralympic Committee President Giorgos Kapelakis. Full details here.
Spanish Olympic Committee (COE)
The COE paid tribute to the more than 250 journalists and photographers from 50 Spanish media outlets who were on site in Paris to cover the sporting exploits and achievements of the Spanish athletes at the Olympic Games. At a special ceremony, the CEO presented a commemorative diploma to all accredited members of the press and a commemorative badge to each media outlet, in recognition of their dedication and professionalism. More info here. In addition, members of the Spanish delegation who competed in Paris were received at the Senate, in recognition of their performances and commitment and for setting a positive example in Spanish society. Details here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
Discover here the WADA webinar schedule for October 2024. In addition, WADA has published version 10.0 of the Technical Document for Sport-Specific Analysis (TDSSA), which will enter into force on 1 January 2025. The TDSSA is a mandatory Level 2 document that must be implemented by all Anti-Doping Organisations that are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code. Full details here. In addition, WADA has published the 2025 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which was approved by WADA’s Executive Committee during its meeting on 12 September 2024 and enters into force on 1 January 2025.