Background - Fit for the Future strategic framework

Pause and Reflect consultation

Fit for the Future was designed to ensure our strategic process is grounded in reflection, dialogue and shared ownership. It began with an intentional moment to pause and reflect, starting with the IOC Members, to take stock of the evolving environment and the long -term role of the Olympic Movement.

Building on this foundation, the process was then broadened to listen carefully to the many voices of our Movement. These different perspectives helped to surface key opportunities and challenges , shaping our strategic direction that is both forward-looking and rooted in the collective experience of our Movement.

As the process evolved, a clear emphasis emerged: the need to focus our efforts on what we stand for, our core. This implies making more deliberate choices about where we lead and where we concentrate our efforts, bringing greater clarity and coherence to our role.

The consultation reinforced the fact that the Olympic Movement cannot be everything to everyone. Clarity is required on where the IOC seeks to advocate, convene and implement, ensuring that resources and attention are directed towards the areas of highest impact and value. This focus provides the foundation for continued evolution and in essence how the Olympic Movement delivers impact, strengthens its core product, and unlocks new opportunities for growth and engagement. At its core, this evolution is driven not by the IOC alone, but by the collective strength of our Movement.

Priority areas

Building on the consultation and the opportunities and challenges identified, a set of key priority areas emerged as the most critical topics for the future of the Olympic Movement.

These reflect the topics that were most consistently raised across stakeholder groups, while also capturing areas where perspectives diverged and important choices lie ahead.

Across all stakeholder groups, 12 consistent learnings emerged:

Focus on what we stand for, our core

The Olympic Movement cannot be everything to everyone and must concentrate efforts where it can have the greatest impact.

Strengthen the Olympic brand

A more unified and consistently applied Olympic brand is needed, with stronger central stewardship.

Place athletes at the centre of the Olympic Movement

Athletes should be empowered not only as beneficiaries, but also as drivers of decision making, engagement, storytelling and impact, supported by stronger and more equitable funding.

Strengthen autonomy, ethics and good governance

Trust is built on clear ethics, transparency and consistent accountability, while ongoing efforts to address political pressures, manage conflicts of interest and ensure more harmonised enforcement further enhance credibility.

Expand reach and access to the Olympic Games

As large a population as possible should be able to view the Olympic Games, while Olympic content should be more accessible year -round, across formats and geographies, addressing fragmentation in rights, platforms and distribution.

Safeguard political neutrality and promote unity

In an increasingly polarised environment, maintaining political neutrality remains essential. At the same time, sport can be used as a platform to promote peace and unity.

Enhance collaboration across the Movement

Stronger alignment, clearer roles and shared accountability are needed to unlock collective impact, including revenue opportunities.

Elevate the Olympic Games as a compelling and sustainable proposition delivering lasting value

Games delivery should be simplified to contain cost and reduce complexity and risk, while legacy models must add long-term value for host communities and stakeholders.

Enhance commercial and revenue models

Policies and revenue programmes must evolve to meet market demands, enable highly competitive return on investment (including leveraging digital engagement and data), flexibility and diversified opportunities.

Leverage technology and data

Innovation, data and AI offer significant opportunities to enhance decision -making, engagement and delivery.

Win and retain younger audiences

Sustained relevance requires digital-first content, shorter formats, athlete- and creator-led storytelling, and selective esports integration.

Harness sport as a driver of broader impact

The Movement must use its platform more effectively to deliver meaningful benefits for athletes, communities and society, positioning sport as a force for positive change.

Working Groups

To translate insights from the consultation s into a strategic direction, dedicated groups were mobilised across the five strategic pillars. These included nine thematic working groups, complemented by existing commissions and the Executive Office of the President, ensuring both focused analysis and alignment at the highest levels of the organisation.

Each working group was led by and composed of IOC Members, ensuring strong ownership and direct involvement in defining the strategic direction.

To reflect our commitment to an athlete‑centred Olympic Movement, all working groups included athlete representation, ensuring that athlete perspectives were embedded throughout the process.

The working groups were tasked with focusing on the most critical topics emerging from the consultation, with clearly defined remits to deepen analysis, develop targeted proposals and inform the strategic direction shared below. In doing so, they carefully considered where the IOC is best placed to act directly, where it should play a convening role, and where it can most effectively advocate to drive broader change across the Olympic Movement.

In parallel, existing governance bodies were actively engaged, including the Executive Office of the President, the Athletes’ Commission, the Future Hosts Commission and the Olympic Solidarity Commission. This broader mobilisation ensured coherence, alignment and leadership engagement across all priority areas.

Across the five pillars, discussions on key priority areas were led by the respective groups, including: