Lithuanian NOC News
10 December 2024 - Find here the latest news from the National Olympic Committee: events, courses, general assemblies and elections, trophies and much more.
10 December 2024 - An international training course took place as part of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in Birštonas from 18 to 26 November. Organised by the LNOC, the course has been made possible through the support of Olympic Solidarity. It brought together representatives of NOCs and Olympic Academies from 17 countries, as well as members of the European Olympic Academies and university professors. Speaking about the training in Birštonas, Kasparas Šileikis, Director of Olympic Education at the LNOC, reminded attendees that this was the fourth such course organised by the LNOC. The LNOC was also one of the first NOCs to translate the OVEP programme in 2017, and the first to start organising training courses for local educators. Since then, 5,000 educators have taken the training and some 250 training sessions have been held. Info at www.ltok.lt
20 September 2024 - 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.
25 June 2024 - The Olympic Movement’s 100th Anniversary Walking Challenge, which had been taking place for more than three months to commemorate the centenary of the Olympic Movement in Lithuania, ended on 7 June, on the eve of the celebration of Olympic Day. Organised by the LNOC with the sustainable mobility platform and mobile app Walk15, and supported by Olympic Solidarity, the challenge attracted 22,510 participants from 60 countries around the world. The overall goal was to walk around the Earth 100 times in 100 days. But this was already achieved halfway through the challenge, with the participants having reached the total of 11.3 billion steps or 8 million kilometres between 29 February and 7 June. More details here. In addition, the sixth season of the Dreams & Teams project, funded by the LNOC and the British Council in Lithuania, ended with a ceremony held at the Republic of Lithuania President's Office. The project, which has been running since 2017, is aimed at developing students' leadership and teamwork skills through sports activities. More info at www.ltok.lt.
17 June 2024 - For the second time, the city of Šiauliai hosted the Olympic Day celebration, which this year was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Lithuanian Olympic Movement. Organised by the LNOC, the Lithuanian Olympic Fund and Šiauliai City Municipality, the event involved more than 100 different sports and entertainment activities. Around 20,000 people are estimated to have attended the event during which they had the opportunity not only to try various sports, but also to meet and talk to Olympians. 2024 Olympic Day began with a traditional symbolic torch relay. More details at www.ltok.lt
12 June 2024 - Nearly 400 children were in attendance in the courtyard of the Lithuanian President's Office on 31 May for the Olympic Picnic, which has already become a traditional event. For the third year in a row, on the initiative of Lithuanian First Lady Diana Nausėdienė and the LNOC, children from pre-school establishments were invited to the active, sporty event to welcome the summer. The event was also attended by LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė and Olympians Laura Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė and Mindaugas Griškonis, who gave a welcome speech and led a sports exercise. The Lithuanian President, Gitanas Nausėda, greeted the children and joined in the activities together with the First Lady. More info at www.ltok.lt.
03 June 2024 - On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Movement in Lithuania, LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzineviciute gave an interview published on the LNOC website and in which she talked about the participation of Lithuania at the Olympic Games and the changes in Olympic sport over the century. Full interview here.
22 April 2024 - Exactly 100 days before the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the Olympic departure gate was opened at Vilnius Airport. From now on, passengers will have the opportunity to learn about Lithuania’s Olympic history and symbolically pedal a bicycle to Paris. The project is the fruit of cooperation between the LNOC and Lithuanian Airports. An educational wall celebrating Lithuania’s Olympic centenary achievements will be set up in the area near gate A-15, which will also feature a piece of street art. To celebrate the centenary of the Olympic Movement in Lithuania, passengers will be invited to ride a bicycle on a special LTeam platform in Vilnius, and symbolically reach the Olympic city of Paris by cycling 2,000km together. Full details here.
02 April 2024 - Last week marked the end of this year’s first sports administration training organised by the LNOC, with the support of Olympic Solidarity. Two dozen sports administrators improved their knowledge and skills by working with experienced trainers on the topics of time management, communication, personal branding and social media. The participants also learnt about LNOC activities, the work at the Olympic Games and the opportunities offered by the IOC's Athlete365 programme. Together with Olympic Solidarity, the LNOC organises three free training courses on sports administration a year. At the moment, training for coaches is underway, while an advanced management course will be held in August. Full info here.
25 March 2024 - Representatives of five NOCs (Poland, Türkiye, Slovenia, Greece and Lithuania) gathered in Vilnius to put the finishing touches to the International Dual Career Project Olympic Committees for Dual Career. The initiative has resulted in a free training platform that is already operational. The project was funded by the European Union. A survey among 500 athletes from all five countries was carried out to find out about athletes’ needs. The platform will offer training for athletes on human resources, mental health, branding, communication and marketing. Full info here.
19 March 2024 - To mark the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian athletes making their debut at the Olympic Games, the LNOC has invited Lithuanians from all over the world to join the Olympic Movement's 100th Anniversary Walking Challenge. More than 13,500 participants have already joined the challenge by logging in to the #walk15 mobile app. The challenge invites participants to walk in support of one of 28 Olympic sports, 27 of which are sports in which Lithuanian athletes have competed over the past 100 years, plus breaking, which will be making its Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Lithuanian World Community, which unites 55 Lithuanian communities from different countries, has also joined the initiative. The challenge, which started on 27 February, will last for 100 days, i.e. until 7 June. The 50 most active participants will receive awards on 8 June as part of Olympic Day in Šiauliai. More details at www.ltok.lt.
11 March 2024 - To mark International Women’s Day and the centenary of the Olympic Movement in Lithuania, the country’s female Olympic medallists were honoured. During a ceremony held at the President’s Office, they were welcomed and congratulated by President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė. The athletes were also presented with a commemorative limited edition book entitled “Baltic Women on the Olympic Games Awards Podium”. LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, who competed in five Olympic Games and won gold (in shooting) at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000, presented the First Lady with a book signed by the Olympic medallists. Full info here. In addition, the LNOC’s Fair Play Awards ceremony recently took place at the LNOC headquarters in Vilnius. The awards were presented by LNOC President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, and by Lithuanian Fair Play Committee President and Olympian Austra Skujytė. The awards honoured the winners in six categories: Lifetime Achievement, Fair Play, Young Athlete as a Role Model for Peers, Fair Play Project, Fair Play Organisation, and this year's new category, Fair Play Promotion. Check out the list of winners here.
04 March 2024 - For the past five years, the LNOC has been organising sports administration training courses for coaches and managers, and an advanced management course, with the support of Olympic Solidarity. These courses are led by Agnė Vanagienė, LNOC Deputy Director for Olympic Sport, who is the only IOC-certified facilitator in Lithuania and has been running the courses for five years. Only 20 participants are selected for each course, which ensures the quality of the training and gives the participants the opportunity to open up and reveal their talent, demonstrate their strengths, socialise and get to know others. More info here.
27 February 2024 - A few weeks ago, an international training course, part of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), was held in Vilnius, bringing together 20 participants from 20 different countries. This was the second international OVEP training course organised by the LNOC in Lithuania; the first was held in 2019. OVEP training events have been organised in Lithuania for eight consecutive years, as the LNOC was one of the first NOCs to have the programme translated into a local native language and, with the approval of the IOC, to offer a multi-level training course to educators in its country. Full info here.
**15 January 2024 - **The 2023 best athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sport have been honoured at the Lithuanian Sports Awards ceremony. This year's awards also marked other important occasions for the Lithuanian Olympic community to be celebrated in 2024: the 35th anniversary of the LNOC, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the centenary of the Olympic Movement in Lithuania. A total of 11 awards were handed out at a recent event organised by the LNOC, the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. Full details about the ceremony and the winners here. Organised by the LNOC and funded by Olympic Solidarity, the Advanced Sports Management course – which came to an end last December – was attended by two dozen experienced administrators from sports organisations. Over six sessions, they learnt about strategic planning, team dynamics and communication. More details here. In addition, pre-school and general physical education teachers were recently honoured and awarded at the President’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania. The ceremony highlighted the significant contribution of these educators in promoting physical activity in Lithuania. More info here.
13 november 2023 - The Olympic Month project, organised by the LNOC for the fifth year in a row, has attracted record interest. A total of 2,800 primary school classes, or over 55,000 pupils from all Lithuanian municipalities, took part in this 2023 edition. The children were invited to exercise, interact with Olympians and deepen their knowledge on physical activity, healthy nutrition, quality rest and emotional health. Placed under the patronage of the First Lady of the country Diana Nausėdienė, the project aims to promote physical literacy, to help pupils discover healthy lifestyles and physical activity as a fun and rewarding activity, and to introduce them to the Olympic values and principles of respect, friendship and excellence. Full details here.
10 October 2023 - The international women’s leadership project New Miracle has ended in Vilnius. Thirty-seven female sports managers from four countries attended the final training session, which took place in the capital of Lithuania. Initiated by the LNOC, the two-and-a-half-year New Miracle project was dedicated to promoting women’s leadership in sport, developing the skills necessary for working in sports organisations, and building useful contacts. In preparation for the project, a free training programme and an exclusive mentoring platform for female sports managers were developed, where the participants had the opportunity to get advice from experienced colleagues and improve their collaboration skills. Full details here.
16 June 2023 - This year, the Olympic Day celebration was held in Panevėžys, the capital of Aukštaitija Region. Organised by the LNOC, the Lithuanian Olympic Fund and Panevėžys City Municipality, the 2023 edition involved more than 100 different sports and entertainment activities. More than 30 Olympic athletes took part in the celebration alongside thousands of other participants. For example, they competed in stand up paddle boarding, 3×3 basketball, the Lithuanian Olympic Mile, children’s 500m, 5km and 10km run, and breaking. Almost 2,000 participants accepted the challenges. The 2023 Olympic Day started with a traditional symbolic torch relay. Full details here.
06 June 2023 - A sports administration training course was recently organised by the LNOC in cooperation with Olympic Solidarity to enable managers to deepen their knowledge with the help of experienced trainers. During the three-day course, 15 sports administrators studied time management, communication and social media. The LNOC training is an opportunity not just for sports managers to improve their knowledge, but also for athletes to gain competences that could help them with the next stage of their careers. The LNOC and Olympic Solidarity have been organising sports administration training courses for managers since 2014. More info here.
03 April 2023 - For the sixth time, the LNOC invited two dozen sports coaches to a free training session on sports administration. This year's programme focused on emotional intelligence and conflict management. Participants included former basketball player Donatas Slanina, Olympic athletics coach Irina Krakoviak-Tolstika, and the coach of the Lithuanian U-23 rugby team, Dovydas Taujanskas. Organiser Agnė Vanagienė, LNOC Deputy Director of Olympic Sport, talked about preparation for and participation in the Olympic Games, and shared her experience working in the field of sports management. Topics including psychology, influencing, conflict management and emotional intelligence were all discussed during this training course funded by Olympic Solidarity. More info at www.ltok.lt
16 February 2023 - New Miracle, an international project on women’s leadership in sport, is continuing. The first international workshop took place at the beginning of February in Bratislava (Slovakia), with 26 participants from Lithuania, Latvia, Italy and Slovakia. The main topic was good governance, and the keynote presentation was given by IOC Member Danka Barteková who talked about the IOC’s practice. The New Miracle project is a unique LNOC initiative joined by four other European NOCs (Italy, Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia). The second international workshop will take place in Riga, Latvia, from 23 to 25 April. Full details here.
23 January 2023 - On 10 and 11 January, in five European countries, over 100 aspiring and experienced sports managers launched a unique women’s leadership in sport project called New Miracle. Project New Miracle is a unique initiative by the Lithuanian NOC, with four other European NOCs (Italy, Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia) joining it. The Foro Italico University of Rome has become the project’s academic partner. In preparation for this project, a free training programme and an exclusive mentoring platform for novice sports managers will be created, whereby project participants will have the opportunity to get advice from experienced colleagues and improve their collaboration skills. Full info here.
12 December 2022 - Awards for the Most Active Lithuanian Physical Education Teachers were recently presented at a ceremony held at the offices of the Lithuanian President. Initiated by the NOC of Lithuania, the aim of the awards is to honour teachers who make a significant contribution to promoting physical activity in Lithuania. Their work includes organising and conducting lessons, applying innovative methods to the education of the younger generation, working with educational institutions and organising local, national and international events. During the ceremony, the laureates were congratulated by First Lady Diana Nausėdienė, Vice-Minister of Education, Science and Sport Linas Obcarskas and the NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė. Full details here.
23 November 2022 - For the eighth year, the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC) and the Lithuanian Olympic Fund organised a Sports Film Festival. From 3 to 10 November, seven films were screened in Vilnius. Alongside LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, who is also an Olympian (photo), many Olympic athletes attended the opening ceremony. The Festival opened with Visions of Eight, a film dedicated to the Olympic Games Munich 1972, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Also present at the screening were the Israeli Ambassador to Lithuania, Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, and Lithuanian Olympic athletes who took part in Munich 1972, including swimmer Birutė Užkuraitytė-Statkevičienė and track-and-field athlete Rimantas Plungė. More info at www.ltok.lt.
7 November 2022 - For the fourth year in a row, the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC) invited Lithuanian primary school children to take part in the Olympic Month project, which lasted throughout the month of October. In total, as many as 2,700 primary school classes, i.e. more than 50,000 primary school children across Lithuania, exercised with 22 Olympians and athletes, learned the basics of healthy eating and cooked their own healthy meals with famous chefs and nutritionists, learnt cooperation methods from Lithuanian sports teams, and broadened their knowledge of emotional health. The project is under the patronage of the country's First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė. The organisers are the LNOC, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and the Ministry of Health. More info here at www.ltok.lt.
4 October 2022 - The fifth season of the Dreams & Teams project was officially presented at an event in Kaunas. Organised by the British Council in Lithuania and the NOC of Lithuania since 2017, the project is aimed at using sport to develop the competencies of the 21st century. The event brought together former and future participants in the project ‒ secondary school students and educators. The programme included a discussion attended by the project's long-term participants, educators and Olympian swimmer and 2022 European bronze medallist Andrius Šidlauskas. The participants also took part in a quiz and various practical leadership- and cooperation-building activities. More details here.
12 September 2022 - The Lithuanian NOC has just published the last story of the second season of its HeForShe campaign, which promotes gender equality in sport. Modern pentathlon coach Vilma Juchnevičiūtė talks about what it means to be the only girl in the boys’ water polo team, the breakthrough and the most important lessons from her first coach, Jonas Čirūnas. Today, Vilma herself is a children's coach in modern pentathlon, and her work is guided by the approach and values that Čirūnas instilled in her. Full details here.
08 July 2022 - Over 20,000 participants, including dozens of Olympians, celebrated Olympic Day 2022 at Kaunas Santaka Park. Organised by the Lithuanian NOC (LNOC), the Lithuanian Olympic Fund and Kaunas City Municipality, the 2022 edition involved more than 100 different free sports and entertainment activities for the city residents and guests. All the participants were greeted by LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė. This year, the symbolic Olympic flame was carried by six athletes from Kaunas, from Town Hall Square to the stage in Santaka Park. After a 500m run for children, the traditional 1,988m Lithuanian Olympic mile – the distance of which marks the re-establishment of the LNOC in 1988 – was run, followed by the 5 and 10km events. A record number of runners – around 2,000 – took part in the races. More info at www.ltok.lt.
06 July 2022 - The 8th Lithuanian Children’s Games, the largest physical activity project for kindergarten children in Lithuania, organised by the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC), attracted a record number of participants with 44,000 participants all over Lithuania. More than 400 pre-school establishments organised their own sports festivals, and the final phase was marked by the organisation of 10 major sports festivals. The final stage saw the attendance of the project patron, the country's First Lady Diana Nausėdienė; LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė; and 12 Lithuanian Olympians and top athletes. An average of 600 spectators were present at each festival. More info at www.ltok.lt.
14 June 2022 - More than 300 children played sports and celebrated Children's Day in the Courtyard of the Lithuanian President's Office. The event was organised by the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, and the Lithuanian NOC (LNOC). The President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, the First Lady, LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė and Olympic silver medallist rower Mindaugas Griškonis greeted the participants and joined them in 13 different entertainment and sports activities (see photo). The activities included a special exercise prepared by a physiotherapist, as well as activities to promote healthy eating and lifestyles. Symbolic awards were handed out to culminate the festivities, where all participants were declared winners and received medals. More info at www.ltok.lt.
11 April 2022 - The Lithuanian NOC has published the third feature piece as part of the second season of its HeForShe campaign, which promotes gender equality in sport. This time sailing is at the core. It tells the story of the friendship between Captain Rimantas Gutauskas and Kristina Ramonienė (photo) who, together with her husband, decided to learn to operate a yacht 12 years ago. Full details here. In a message published on the occasion of the IDSDP, the President of the Lithuanian NOC, IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, underlined that sport is a strong force for change and unity, before inviting us to look at sport from a wider perspective and use this powerful tool to create a better and healthier society. Message posted on www.ltok.lt.
18 March 2022 -The Lithuanian NOC (LNOC) last month honoured the winners of the 27th Lithuanian Fair Play Awards. The LNOC President, IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, and the President of the Lithuanian Fair Play Committee, Olympian Austra Skujytė, presented the awards in six categories ‒ “Lifetime Achievement”, “Fair Play Act of the Year”, “Fair Play Act of a Young Athlete or Youth Team”, “Young Athlete - a Role Model for Peers”, “Fair Play Project” and “Fair Play Organisation”. More info here. In addition, the NOC has published the latest feature piece as part of the second season of its self-initiated HeForShe campaign, which promotes gender equality in sport. It tells the story of the “ironmamas”, shining a spotlight on Agnė Šniukienė, the head of Ironmama triathlon club, which brings together strong, ambitious women, her namesake, Agnė Klimaitienė, and their respective families. More details here.
7 January 2022 - At the end of 2021, the Lithuanian Sports Awards honoured the best Lithuanian athletes. Hundreds of guests gathered in Vilnius to congratulate Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their coaches. This annual event has been organised since 1994 by the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC), the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The winners of the awards for Olympic sports were selected by the Lithuanian Sports Awards Council, while fans were also invited to vote. Full details here, including the list of the winners.
20 December 2021 - From 2 to 9 December, the Sports Film Festival took place in Vilnius and Kaunas. Organised for the seventh year by the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC) and the Lithuanian Olympic Fund, the Festival was placed under the theme “Stories brighter than a medal”. Nine exclusive films, including six documentaries and three feature films, were presented to the public. The programme content was put together by Edvinas Pukšta, who is probably Lithuania’s most well-known film critic and reviewer. At the opening of the Festival, well-known athletes and Olympians were joined on the red carpet by the LNOC President and IOC Member, Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, and by celebrities from the world of culture and entertainment. Full details here.
13 December 2021 - The second edition of HeForShe, a project promoting gender equality in sport, was presented during the Sports Film Festival in Vilnius on 7 December. The Lithuanian NOC launched the United Nations project HeForShe in Lithuania a year ago, with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė serving as the initiative’s patron. With this project, men are invited to express their support for women and, together with them, actively aspire for equal gender opportunities, and be a united and visible driving force for change. The new edition kicked off with the story of Dalia and Artūras Katuliai, who are passionate hockey players and cofounders of the Ice Hockey Academy in Vilnius. Full info here.
05 November 2021 - Organised for the fifth time by the Lithuanian NOC, the LTeam Conference recently brought together professional athletes, their coaches, leaders of clubs and federations, sports specialists and fans of active lifestyles. The First Lady of the country, Diana Nausėdienė, opened the Conference, while NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė greeted the participants. During the Conference, insights and experiences were shared by Olympians, sports physicians, sports psychologists, lawyers and communication specialists. Full details here.
25 October 2021 - Initiated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Ministry of Health and the Lithuanian NOC (LNOC), the Olympic Month project for primary school pupils – which is in its fourth year – started on 4 October. Over the course of four weeks, pupils will get acquainted with four topics: physical activity, healthy eating habits, emotional health and cooperation. More than 30,000 children engaged in exercise throughout the first week, accompanied by several athletes. The project will engage children in activities during both classes and breaks, as well as at home with their parents. This year, 1,900 classes from all over Lithuania are taking part in the project. More info here. In addition, from 4 to 6 October, a training course for advanced learners of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) brought together 19 educators, who further enhanced their knowledge of Olympic education through a series of engaging practice-based activities. In the last three years, over 30 training sessions for teachers have been held in 10 cities in Lithuania, where over 1,200 educators have been trained to implement the OVEP. More info here. Furthermore, the Best Lithuanian Physical Education Teachers Awards were presented during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace. The 10 winners were congratulated by First Lady Diana Nausėdienė, the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Jurgita Šiugždinienė, and LNOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė. More info here.
02 July 2021 - This year, the Olympic Day festival in Lithuania lasted for a record-breaking six days. During this time, sports fans were able to try out more than 50 different sports activities. The President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, lit the Olympic Day flame at the beginning of the festival, with Lithuanian NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė also in attendance. Some athletes who will compete at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 carried the flame from the NOC to the festival site in Vilnius. During the celebration of Olympic Day in Vilnius, for the first time, sports activities were available from Monday to Friday at dedicated sports bases, namely in the venues used by Olympians for training. The festival included breakdance and skateboarding demos, as well as a 500m run for children, the Lithuanian Olympic mile (1,988m) and 5 and 10km running competitions. More details here.
23 April 2021 - The annual Olympic Education Forum, launched six years ago by the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC), was held in a virtual format for the first time. The event was attended by 1,300 participants, including educators, coaches, and representatives of municipalities and the sport and education sectors. The participants were welcomed by the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė; the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Jurgita Šiugždinienė; and LNOC President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė. The topic of the Forum was “Physical Literacy: a Different Point of View”. Two discussions were held in the course, during which experts spoke about the importance of physical literacy for quality living and the environment that should be created for the development of physical literacy. The presentation of all the speakers – local and foreign experts – had one thing in common: the emphasis on physical literacy as a necessity to be studied in the same way as languages, mathematics or other subjects. More info at www.ltok.lt.
16 April 2021 - In March, the Lithuanian NOC launched its “New Miracle” project while discussions on promoting women's leadership and gender equality in sport were encouraged by the IOC that same month. This leadership-driven project will create and implement a free training programme for young or novice sports managers and an exclusive mentoring platform where the project participants will have the opportunity to consult with experienced colleagues. On this occasion, the NOC magazine “Olympic Panorama” talked about the road towards equality with Olympic champion, IOC Member and NOC President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė (photo). More info at www.ltok.lt.
08 March 2021 - The NOC of Lithuania (LNOC) and the Lithuanian Olympic Fund have successfully held their second mass virtual sports event. Over 2,000 participants joined the LTeam Winter Festival 2021 from 17 to 21 February. They were able to choose from a number of sports and disciplines: jogging, cycling, skating, skiing, Alpine skiing and snowboarding. LTeam athletes, friends and partners had prepared 14 different virtual training sessions specially for the Festival, which will be also available on the LNOC and LTeam YouTube accounts for those who could not try them during the Festival. In addition, there were more than 2,000 photos or videos posted on social media by participants. Info at www.ltok.lt.
01 February 2021 - The NOC of Lithuania (LNOC) held a remote conference on the “Olympic Values Education Programme: Opportunities and Tools”. This was one of the series of teacher training sessions of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) taking place for the third year. The participants were welcomed by the country’s First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė. Furthermore, on 15 December, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the Law on the Ratification of the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol. This will ensure the legal protection of the Olympic symbol (the Olympic rings) in Lithuania. In addition, in the framework of the HeForShe campaign, the former President of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė, who was The Patron of this campaign, spoke in an interview to the magazine Olympic Panorama, about the importance of gender equality in society, saying that: “equality is a common goal for both women and men” and that “gender equality is one of the most important human rights.” More info at www.ltok.lt
14 December 2020 - Through its Olympic Education Programme, the Lithuanian NOC is conducting two successful projects. For three years, the Dreams & Teams project has enabled over 1,700 students from different schools in the Klaipėda region to develop their leadership, teamwork and cooperation skills via sport. This ongoing project is organised by the British Council in Lithuania together with the NOC. Every year, the participants have the opportunity to meet and talk with an Olympian. This spring, they remotely met Olympic champion, NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, and during the final stage of the project they talked about leadership with the cyclist Gediminas Bagdonas (see photo). The second project, The Olympic Month, is organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Ministry of Health and the NOC. It is a unique project, now in its third edition, and is aimed at primary school students with a view to promoting children’s physical activity, introducing them to the principles of a healthy lifestyle, and helping them learn to recognise their emotions and have quality rest. This year, the project has attracted 62 per cent more schools (1,374) than last year. In total, 26,267 children from 447 educational institutions were engaged in activities while also meeting with Olympians, who shared experiences and tips with them. More info at www.ltok.lt.
30 November 2020 - The NOC of Lithuania has shared its fifth and final story for the HeForShe Lithuania campaign. This one is about the Jansonas family (photo) which includes three sports – handball with Tadas, the father; volleyball with Astas, the mother; and football with Romualsa, the son. In this video, we learn that the “Formula of Happiness in the Family of Sports Coaches is Equal Distribution of Work and Mutual Support.” More info at www.ltok.lt
30 October 2020 - In the framework of the HeForShe campaign, the NOC of Lithuania has published a fourth video on the theme “Love for Football and the Value of Equality in the Family of a Lithuanian and an American”. This video relates the story of Heraclio Ulises Perezas, an American who moved to Lithuania to be with his beloved Justina Lavrenovaitė-Perez, a football referee and coach. Today, the couple (see photo) coach girls to play football, and live their personal lives based on their own rules. HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equality established by UN Women. More info at www.ltok.lt.
16 October 2020 - During its General Assembly Election Session held in Vilnius on 9 October, the NOC of Lithuania (LNOC) re-elected Olympic champion and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė as its President. Lilija Vanagienė, President of the Lithuanian Skating Federation, Saulius Galadauskas, President of the Lithuanian Sports Masters Association, and Naglis Nasvytis, President of the Lithuanian Yachting Union, were elected as LNOC Vice-Presidents. The LNOC Secretary General and Treasurer, respectively, are Valentinas Paketūras and Darius Čerka, President of the Lithuanian Volleyball Federation. More info at www.ltok.lt.
10 july 2020 - This year, the Lithuanian NOC celebrated Olympic Day by organising two runs – a virtual one and a festive one – of the Lithuanian Olympic mile, the length (1,988 meters) of which symbolises the re-establishment of the Lithuanian NOC. The virtual run was attended by more than 3,000 Lithuanians from 31 countries on the five continents. The festive run was attended by Olympians, NOC staff and partners and sport-loving politicians and celebrities, who organised a united symbolic run in Vingis Park in Vilnius (photo). Everyone who ran recorded their result using a running app and shared it on social networks with the hashtag #OlimpinėDiena2020. Info at www.ltok.lt.
29 june 2020 - In the framework of the HeForShe campaign, the NOC of Lithuania published a second video about rugby player Austėja Minkevičiūtė (right in photo). In this video, the Lithuanian women’s team player and children’s rugby coach tries to discard the stigma surrounding rugby and encourages girls to try playing the sport. HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equality established by UN Women. More info at www.ltok.lt.
As part of the festive events on 23 June, held on the official website of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), athletes were seen live answering questions from fans, taking part in an intellectual quest, conducting workouts and presenting awards to the most active sports enthusiasts. All the events were accessible online, and the programme included exciting sports. Full details here. As part of the Olympic Country programme, the ROC has announced the launch of its #SEMYAZASPORT contest. The main aim of the contest is to unite families in their desire to take part in sports, lead an active lifestyle and be part of the Olympic Movement. The contest will run from 17 June to 5 July. Full info here.
16 march 2020 - To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March in Vilnius, the Lithuanian NOC presented and launched the United Nations project HeForShe for the advancement of gender equality. The event was attended by former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė; the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Algirdas Monkevičius, NOC Vice-President Saulius Galadauskas; and prominent figures from the sports community. During this campaign, the stories of five top athletes and the men supporting them, whether husbands, colleagues or friends, will be told through videos. Among other things, the project seeks to remind people that women’s sport, like gender equality, is a shared objective, and to draw more attention to women’s team sports. More details on www.ltok.lt.
07 february 2020 - On 27 January, the Lithuanian NOC launched an international training course on“Values education through sport: applying the OVEP [Olympic Values Education Programme] 2.0methodology”. The course brought together 28 participants from Lithuania, Germany, Estonia, Israel, NorthMacedonia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Besides sharing experiences, theparticipants sought to understand aspects of the contemporary world in which young people are living, and thechallenges they face. The course is partly funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, which supportseducation, training, youth and sport in Europe. More info at www.ltok.lt. In addition, on 29 January, during the final event of the "Towardsgender balance with media” project organised by the Lithuanian NOC, the situation of gender equality inLithuania was discussed. The event was attended by representatives of sports federations, journalists, publicrelations specialists, athletes and members of the Lithuanian Olympic team (LTeam). The first event of the projecttook place in April 2019, in Druskininkai. The Lithuanian NOC developed the Recommendations for Lithuanian Media onSports Topics and Athlete Portrayal based on national cases and the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2018 GenderPortrayal Guidelines, in collaboration with the Lithuanian Sports Journalists’ Federation. More info at www.ltok.lt.
11 November 2019 - A new initiative by the NOC of Lithuania was presented for the first time at the “LTeam Conference” last month. Lithuanian athletes will be able to get legal assistance to defend themselves against sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination. All the services for them will be free, and total confidentiality will be ensured. Additionally, athletes will have representatives to defend their rights and interests in all pre-trial investigations, as well as in all judicial and non-judicial institutions. These legal services cover everything from consultations to help collecting evidence. This also includes the preparation of claims for damages, the preparation of complaints to the office of the equal opportunities inspector, the preparation of statements of initiation of pre-trial investigation and representation in courts and law enforcement agencies. More info on www.ltok.lt.
22 October 2019 - As part of version 2.0 of the IOC’s Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), the Lithuanian NOC will organise an Olympic values education training course from 27 January to 4 February 2020. The project developed by the NOC has been joined by eight partner organisations: the Estonian Sport and Olympic Museum; the German Olympic Academy; and the NOCs of North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Three participants from each partner country will be chosen to take this course, which is funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. More details here.
28 June 2019 - In Lithuania, the 2019 Olympic Day attracted a record number of people. Around 28,000 people, including prime minister Saulius Skvernelis and the Lithuanian NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, participated in the celebration on 2 June in Panevėžys. Some 30 Olympians tried out new sports or challenges, alongside many families. The programme included a wide variety of sports activities, numerous prizes and a concert. More info at www.ltok.lt
13 June 2019 - Lithuanian NOC President and IOC Member Daina Gudzineviciute (right of photo) hosted the President of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), Marco Maria Scolaris, during his visit to the NOC headquarters. The two leaders talked about this sport, its development in Lithuania and its first Olympic appearance at the Games in Tokyo in 2020. More details here.
18 June 2018 - 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.