Olympic Highlights 30/04/2024

IOC

PRESIDENT

On 25 April, IOC President Thomas Bach chaired a remote meeting of the IOC Executive Board (EB) from Olympic House in Lausanne. The EB discussed the current international situation, the upcoming editions of the Olympic Games and various Olympic institutional issues. The agenda also included the composition of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024 which will be announced on 2 May, and a report from the IOC Ethics Commission. IOC EB member Nenad Lalovic was present in Lausanne.

The President of the Sudanese NOC, Ahmed Abu Elgasim Hashim, was in Lausanne to report on the dire humanitarian situation in his country. Meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach, President Hashim reported on the terrible conditions in his country and also highlighted the grave situation for the Olympic Community and for sport in the country, with the NOC headquarters destroyed and sporting infrastructure badly damaged. He also told President Bach that many members of the Olympic Community were trapped in the country’s capital, Khartoum, because of the escalating and unpredictable violence there. President Bach expressed sympathy on behalf of the entire Olympic Movement. “I was deeply moved on learning about the scale of the tragedy unfolding in Sudan,” he said. “As a sports organisation, we must acknowledge the limits of what we can do. We are fully activating our partnership with the UN system, and in particular UNHCR, to offer our contribution to the aid effort with regard to the Olympic Community in Sudan. We are committed to immediate ‘ad hoc’ help to those in extreme need and will also strengthen our support for the Sudanese athletes who have the chance to represent Sudan at the Olympic Games Paris 2024." Full news release here.

President Bach also received the President of the NOC of Haiti, Hans Larsen. The situation of sport in the country and the preparations of Haiti’s athletes for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 were among the main topics discussed. President Larsen reported on the dire situation in the country caused by violence and crime. He also highlighted the problems for the Olympic community, the NOC and the athletes in their preparations for the Games. President Bach expressed his sympathy for all those suffering in the current situation in Haiti. He committed that the IOC will continue to help athletes from Haiti, both in the country and abroad, to train and make sure that Haiti is properly represented at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

President Bach attended the opening of the Liaison Office of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), whose President is IOC Member Kee Heung Lee, at the Synathlon, located at the University of Lausanne campus. Also present at the ceremony were IOC EB member Nenad Lalovic, IOC Members Seung Min Ryu, Ingmar De Vos, Morinari Watanabe and Jae Youl Kim.

President Bach spoke to the representatives of the seven Olympic Solidarity international offices during a meeting at Olympic House. He thanked and congratulated them for their commitment to implementing the various Olympic Solidarity continental programmes for the next plan 2025-2028. Also present was IOC EB member Robin Mitchell, Chair of the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission.

The President presented a diploma and an OLY pin to the following ICECP new graduates: Kareem Ennab (Jordania, swimming, London 2012); Aleksandra Shelton (Poland, fencing, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016); Dirk Van Tichelt (Belgium, judo, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and a bronze medallist at Rio 2016); Ona Carbonell (Spain, artistic swimming, a silver and bronze medallist at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020). Yiech Pur Biel, a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016 and an IOC Member, who is currently serving an internship with USOPC, was also presented with a diploma and an OLY pin. They all signed the Olympians Wall.  

President Bach and Jean Todt, the United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety and Honorary President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), spoke about the importance of ensuring clean and safe mobility for everyone to practise sport.

The IOC President welcomed Nestlé Executive Vice President, Global Head Human Resources & Business Services, Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch on a courtesy visit to Olympic House.

On 27 April, the President took part in the 4km” Fun Run” organised as part of the Lausanne 20km event, one of the largest public sports events in Switzerland.

Meetings with IOC Members Anant Singh and Yiech Pur Biel were also held this week. The upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the geopolitical situation were among the various Olympic topics discussed.

Members

IOC Executive Board member Nicole Hoevertsz has been appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. She was awarded the royal decoration on the occasion of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The award is presented to people who have done special things for their community or country.

TOP PARTNERS

Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Coca-Cola has unveiled “Celebrate Everyday Greatness” as its theme for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, while also announcing its global roster of athletes for Team Coca-Cola. The Celebrate Everyday Greatness campaign is designed to champion life’s everyday moments – both big and small – that can turn into something great and will be featured across a range of Coca-Cola brands to engage fans ahead of the Games. Read the full news release here.

OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS

Paris 2024, as the first Olympic Games fully aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020, promise to be spectacular Games that are more responsible, more sustainable and more inclusive. The organisers have laid out a cutting-edge plan to halve the Games-related carbon footprint compared to previous Games, with innovative solutions for energy, food, venues, transport and digital services. To celebrate Earth Day 2024, find out here the five ways in which Paris 2024 is working to do more with less while creating a lasting legacy.

The IOC and Laureus Sport for Good have announced a ground-breaking collaboration that will see both organisations each invest USD 1 million into a two-year programme to advance youth education and employability through sport in Africa. The IOC and Laureus are working with key African sport and social development institutions to address the fact that one in four young people in Africa are not in formal education, employment or training. This aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Aspiration 1, which are focused on inclusive growth, quality education and full and productive employment for all. Full news release here.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS

SUMMER IFS

International Basketball Federation (FIBA)

The FIBA Central Board has met at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, FIBA's headquarters, in Mies, Switzerland. During their first meeting of 2024, the Board members discussed key topics including the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 and Olympic Basketball Tournaments Paris 2024; FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournaments; 3x3; FIBA Academy; and eFIBA Season 2. Full details here.

International Canoe Federation (ICF)

The ICF has highlighted the sustainability of Olympic venues during the canoe sprint and canoe slalom qualification process for Paris 2024. The Sea Forest Waterway hosted the Asian canoe sprint qualifier in April – three years after staging races during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. It was the latest Olympic venue to be used on the road to Paris 2024 after the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre, Lee Valley White Water Centre, Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Sydney International Regatta Course and Deodoro Olympic Whitewater Stadium all staged Paris 2024 qualification events. Full story here.

International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)

After the last of four events in the 2024 Apparatus World Cup series, the FIG confirmed the lists of men's and women's artistic gymnastics individual quota places for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 that were obtained by apparatus athletes during this series. Full info here. Qualifiers from the 2023 Pan American Games were also confirmed and the men's artistic gymnastics host country place was reallocated. For more info on the Olympic qualification process, click here.

NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES

Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC)

In response to the goal of "net-zero carbon emissions" by 2050, the Sport and Environment Committee of the CTOC has actively participated in environmental sustainability initiatives. And, for the first time, the CTOC advocated the "Sustainable Future, Youth Together" environmental education activity during the 2024 National High School Games. an exhibition emphasised that many of the items provided at sports events actually incorporate energy-saving and carbon-reducing elements. In addition, the environmental sustainability mascot, A-Song, was invited as the spokesperson; and an interactive Q&A with the participants was held at the exhibition site. The CTOC, in conjunction with the IOC, has also issued the “Campaign to Save Climate Agenda”. Full details here. Furthermore, CTOC President Lin Hong-Dow received the prestigious Order of Brilliant Star, First Class (Special Grand Cordon) from Chinese Taipei President Tsai Ing-Wen, in honour of his outstanding contributions to sports development. President Tsai emphasised his unwavering dedication, not only to achieving remarkable results in Olympic Games, but also to advising the government on enhancing the sports landscape. Full info here.

Dominican Republic NOC

The NOC has informed us of a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Association of Pan American Sports Confederations (ACODEPA) in Santo Domingo. ACODEPA had requested the support of the NOC and the Organising Committee of the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026. The meeting aimed to strengthen the friendship and collaboration between the various Pan American sports confederations and the Olympic Movement in the Dominican Republic and its sports federations. Also of note is that the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader Corona, was awarded the Grand Collar of ACODEPA, its highest honour, in recognition of his contribution to the development of sport. More info here.

Hungarian NOC

In collaboration with the Hungarian University of Sports Science, the NOC launched the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in February. The training course is made possible through the support of Olympic Solidarity, In the first phase, a total of 336 educators from all over the country participated in the training in 14 workshops, with over 220 schools and thousands of students joining the programme nationwide. The free, one-day training aims to provide educators with insights into Olympic education topics and it prepares them to apply the programme’s teaching methods in practice at their own schools. All the participants received OVEP school project plans, which they will have to use in their schools back home and implement “Olympic Days” or “Olympic Weeks” as extracurricular activities. These activities will be monitored, and 500 students will be chosen based on school projects to take part in an OVEP theme event to be held on 20 June in Budapest. More details here.

Paraguayan NOC

The NOC and the Paraguayan Cycling Federation have signed an agreement with Spanish cyclist Carlos Coloma to promote the development of cycling in Paraguay. The agreement aims to create model schools to train the future generations of Paraguayan cyclists, providing opportunities to compete at international level. Coloma competed in mountain biking at three Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016), and won a bronze medal in Rio. This agreement will draw on his experience to design the schools. More info at www.cop.org.py.

Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC)

The finalists of the 2024 Singapore Sports Awards (SSA) were revealed on 23 April by the SSA selection committees. Organised by the SNOC and Sport Singapore, the 2024 SSA will honour the most deserving individuals and teams in sport for the year 2023. The winners will be announced at the SSA presentation ceremony on the evening of 3 June. Full details here, including the list of finalists.

Spanish NOC (COE)

For the fourth consecutive year, the COE headquarters hosted a Symposium on Sudden Death, attended by prominent figures in medicine, sport and journalism. The programme featured three round tables and addressed the issue of sudden death from various angles: amateur sport, elite sport and young people’s sport. Before concluding the event, COE President Alejandro Blanco and former Spanish national football manager Vicente del Bosque awarded commemorative prizes to various personalities in different fields. More details here.

ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES

PARIS 2024

Exactly three months before the Games begin, the Olympic flame has been handed over, transitioning from its Greek origins to the French stage, signifying the next chapter in its journey towards Paris. The ceremony, hosted by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, unfolded in Athens' iconic Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the first Olympic Games of the modern era in 1896, embodying a message of peace and unity. The handover ceremony concluded the 11-day Greek stage of the Olympic Torch Relay and culminated with the lighting of the Panathenaic Stadium cauldron by the high priestess. Using the flames from the cauldron, the high priestess lit a final torch, passing it to Hellenic Olympic Committee President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos. He then presented the torch to the President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, Tony Estanguet, marking the official transition and beginning the final countdown to the Opening Ceremony of the Games in Paris on 26 July. The event in Athens was witnessed by thousands of spectators and numerous dignitaries. With the Greek stage over, the Olympic flame boarded the historic French three-masted ship, Belem, the following day on 27 April. The voyage across the Mediterranean then began. On 8 May, the flame will arrive in the port of Marseille, the oldest city in France, founded some 2,600 years ago by Greek sailors, heralding the start of celebratory festivities in the host nation. Read the full news release here.

On 24 April, Paris 2024 formalised its cooperation with three associations engaged in the national food solidarity sector by signing a cooperation agreement through the “Terre de Jeux 2024” programme to fight food waste and redistribute surplus food. The associations are the French Food Bank Federation, Les Restos du Cœur and Chainon Manquant. In signing this agreement, Paris 2024 is demonstrating its desire to make use of all unconsumed food. Read the full press release here.

RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS

International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

On 22 April, the IPC moved into its new headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Following five years of extensive renovations that made the site one of the most accessible office spaces in Germany. Team IPC moved into Dahlmannstrasse 2, the former State Representation building. Resulting from significant efforts by the State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, the IPC’s new headquarters boasts an array of accessible and inclusive features. Learn more about it here.

International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG)

On 20 April, the ICMG Executive Committee met in Rabat, Morocco, in the presence of the Director of the National Education and Sports Ministry from Morocco, Abderrazak El Akari. The agenda points of this first meeting of 2024 included the progress of preparations for the Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026, the ICMG cooperation with the International Testing Agency, and the partnership between the ICMG and Eurovision. Full report of the meeting here.