Olympic Highlights 01/05/2023
IOC
PRESIDENT
This week at Olympic House, IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed the Turkish Minister for Youth and Sport, Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, and IOC Member Uğur Erdener. Their discussions included a follow-up on the meeting with the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held on 2 April in Istanbul. Topics raised were the Olympic Movement’s humanitarian assistance to the victims of the February earthquake and refugees living in Türkiye via the Olympic Refuge Foundation. The geopolitical situation and the IOC’s position were also discussed. The Minister reaffirmed the position expressed by President Erdoğan of his full support for the unifying mission of the Olympic Movement and the autonomy of sport.
Also at Olympic House, President Bach addressed the members of the 2022 cohort of the International Coaching Enrichment Certification (ICECP) programme before presenting them with their diplomas. This programme is offered to NOCs all over the world through a partnership between the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity Department, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the University of Delaware. More than 460 participants from 120 countries and 35 sports have taken part so far.
The IOC President chaired a meeting of the International Olympic Truce Centre (IOTC) Board. Vice-Chairs George Papandreou and Fanny Palli Petralia attended by video conference. The highlights of the meeting were the presentations by Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet and Milano Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malagò, who presented their respective Olympic Truce programmes – which received full support from the Board. The 2024 IOTC Action Plan and budget were also approved by the Board.
With World Taekwondo (WT) President Chungwon Choue, the IOC President discussed the preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the humanitarian efforts by WT to support refugees through the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, and the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement.
President Bach also had meetings with IOC Members Uğur Erdener, Jean-Christophe Rolland, Mustapha Berraf and Maja Martyna Włoszczowska. They discussed a wide range of Olympic topics, including the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement.
The IOC President met Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations (UN) Secretary General and current Chairman of the IOC Ethics Commission, who was accompanied by Korean Ambassador Kim Bong-hyun. They discussed the international situation and the position of the Olympic Movement.
The President welcomed Jean Todt, Honorary President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety. They discussed various topical issues.
The IOC President presented a diploma and OLY pin to the following athletes at Olympic House who attended the ICECP Programme: Roberto Lopez (El Salvador, rowing, London 2012); Dragomir Cioroslan (Romania, weightlifting bronze medallist, Los Angeles 1984); Jennifer Song (Canada, artistic swimming, Beijing 2008); Pavels Murans (Latvia, swimming, Athens 2004); and Sello Maduma (South Africa, fencing, Beijing 2008). They all signed the Olympians Wall.
The upcoming Olympic Games were discussed at a meeting between the IOC President and International Sports Press Association (AIPS) President Gianni Merlo.
The President also met marketing consultant and former IOC Marketing Director Michael Payne.
On Saturday 29 April, the IOC President took part in the 4km “Fun Run” as part of the “20km de Lausanne”, one of the biggest mass participation sports events in Switzerland. He then took part in the annual celebration of the “Confrérie des Pirates d'Ouchy”, alongside Christophe Andreae, Mayor of Ouchy.
TOP PARTNERS
The IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have once again partnered with Airbnb to renew the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grants programme, providing athletes with the opportunity to apply for a USD 2,000 grant to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. This year, there are 1,000 grants available – double the number offered in previous years. The initiative was first introduced in 2021 by the IOC and Worldwide Olympic Partner Airbnb to support athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Airbnb has committed USD 8 million in funding to the programme, which will run for nine years. Full news release here.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
The IOC was invited to the hearing of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions. For this event, held on 25 April, the IOC provided two Olympians with the opportunity to present their views on behalf of the athletes who elected them as their representatives. Olympic silver medallist Arsen Julfalakyan from Armenia, who chairs the United World Wrestling (UWW) Athletes’ Commission, and Gaby Ahrens from Namibia, who competed in the sport of shooting at three editions of the Olympic Games and now chairs the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Athletes’ Commission, addressed the parliamentarians. Also invited from the Olympic Movement were Olympic discus champion Gerd Kanter (Estonia), who presented the view of the athletes from his region, and Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). The Deputy Minister for Youth and Sport in Ukraine, Andriy Chesnokov, the Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, and Lucy Frazer, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the United Kingdom, also addressed the parliamentarians at the PACE, as did Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in the field of cultural rights. Read the full news release here.
The IOC welcomed the announcement that a European Olympic Committees (EOC) Refugee Team will compete at the upcoming Kraków-Małopolska 2023 European Games as a result of a joint effort between the EOC and the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF). All the EOC Refugee Team athletes are Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders on the IOC Refugee Athlete Support programme, and are aiming to be part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024. Read the full news release here.
The Official Film of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 has premiered at the opening of the prestigious Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF). The 103-minute long Official Film, entitled Beijing 2022, was screened on 22 April at the Yaolai International Cinema. The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games invited renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who also spearheaded the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, to serve as the film's executive producer, along with filmmaker Zhang Heping as general consultant. The award-winning director Lu Chuan, who has extensive experience in both feature and documentary films, was invited to direct the film. The festival’s opening ceremony and red carpet event, held on 21 April at Beijing Yanqi Lake International Exhibition Centre, was attended by three Chinese Olympic gold medallists and protagonists of the film, Wu Dajing (speed skating), Ren Ziwei (speed skating) and Su Yiming (snowboarding). Full news release here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Equestrian Federation (FEI)
The 11th edition of the FEI Sports Forum took place in Lausanne on 24 and 25 April. An update on preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 was one of the main topics on the agenda. Representatives from both the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and GL Events Equestrian Sport, the company in charge of delivering the equestrian events, presented the competition dates, full schedule and maps of the venues, and explained the details of the cross country course. The panellists also discussed horse transportation, grooms accommodation, the various testing activities and visits by the NOCs. More info here.
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)
On 27 April, FIG President and IOC Member Morinari Watanabe met with the Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio, alongside gymnasts from the G7 nations, to bring a message of peace. The gymnasts presented Prime Minister Kishida with a certificate that they had all signed, which bore a simple message: "The gymnastics family wishes for peace in the world as soon as possible." Having met the Prime Minister, the gymnasts will travel to Hiroshima, the venue for this year's G7 Summit, where they will visit the peace memorial. Full details here.
International Tennis Federation (ITF)
Registration for the 2023 ITF World Coaches Conference is now open. The Conference will take place in Bogota, Colombia, from 31 October to 2 November. Held biennially, the ITF World Coaches Conference regularly attracts more than 650 coaches and experts from over 100 different countries. The theme of the 2023 conference is “player-centred coaching”. Leading experts in all areas of player development will share their knowledge and experience to help coaches meet the challenges of working at different stages of a player's career. More details at www.itftennis.com.
International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)
To mark the FIVB’s 76th anniversary on 20 April, FIVB.com took a moment to reflect on the incredible journey of the global governing body of volleyball since its establishment in 1947. Read more here. In addition, Volleyball Canada President Mark Eckert spoke to FIVB.com on how the Canada women’s national volleyball team has seen considerable improvement in its performances and results on the international stage, thanks to the sustainable programme the country’s National Federation has put in place, with valuable support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment.
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
Marking 100 days to go until the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will take place in Glasgow and across Scotland from 3 to 13 August, organisers have partnered with Love to Ride to launch the 23 Million Mile Challenge with the help of event ambassador Chris Hoy, endurance athlete Jenny Tough, world and Paralympic champion Jody Cundy and YouTuber Katie Kookaburra. Full details at www.uci.ch.
World Aquatics
The World Aquatics Scholarship Programme is now accepting applications. Selected athletes will be part of a one-year programme starting in September 2023 that puts them in an environment to help them reach their full aquatics potential. The Programme targets 100 swimmers, 20 open-water swimmers, 20 divers and 10 artistic swimming duets. World Aquatics takes into consideration continent quotas and gender equality for each annual class of scholarship recipients. Full details here.
World Athletics
World Athletics has released a new “Kids’ Athletics Day at home” toolkit for children around the world who wish to take part in Kids’ Athletics Day 2023. The toolkit has been specially designed for children who may not have access to an organised Kids’ Athletics Day activity but want to join the fun on 7 May. In order to achieve its ambitious goal of getting 400,000 children active on 7 May, World Athletics has launched a global Kids’ Athletics Day Challenge to all of its Member Federations and continental Area Associations. Full news release here.
World Triathlon
World Triathlon has formally completed the acquisition of a new office at the Maison du Sport building in Lausanne, a move that will allow the International Federation to have an even greater presence in the Olympic Capital. In November 2022, the World Triathlon Congress approved the allocation of funds to buy an office in Lausanne, where World Triathlon has been headquartered since 2011. Full info here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
French NOC (CNOSF)
The CNOSF and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) have signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to collaborate on the development of the international Olympic sports movement and consult each other regarding current issues of concern and common interest. The MoU was signed on 22 April, on the sidelines of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) General Assembly in Brisbane (Australia), by CNOSF President Brigitte Henriques and her Australian counterpart, Ian Chesterman. They agreed to work together on a range of matters, including the fight against doping and abuse in sport, the use of sport as a tool for health and well-being, best practices in the field of strategic marketing and the organisation of major sports events. More info here (CNOSF website) and also here (AOC website).
Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)
HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos welcomed a delegation from the Brazilian Olympic Committee headed by marathon runner and Athens 2004 bronze medallist Wanderlei Cordeiro de Lima. The athlete left his mark on the history of the Games as he was leading the race in Athens but got knocked down by a spectator, which cost him the chance of winning the gold medal. With Capralos and HOC Secretary General Manolis Kolympadis, he shared his memories of Athens 2004, his great joy when he crossed the finish line, and how he managed to regain speed and continue his race to fulfil the biggest dream of his life, winning an Olympic medal in the marathon. More details here.
Spanish NOC
The Spanish NOC and San Antonio de Murcia Catholic University (UCAM) have renewed their partnership ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Numerous Olympic, Paralympic and high-level athletes were in attendance for the signing of the agreement by UCAM President María Dolores García and NOC President Alejandro Blanco. With this agreement, the two institutions will continue their work in support of Spanish sport and especially the athletes, who can combine their sporting careers with higher education. More details here. The first conference on carbon and climate change – organised by the Spanish NOC and the Cadiz local government, in cooperation with the National Sports Council – was held on 26 April in Cadiz. The participants were Olympic athletes, representatives from the NOC and Cadiz local government, leaders of Olympic and non-Olympic federations, and prominent academic figures. Discussions mainly focused on the importance of raising awareness within the sports sector, public administration entities, the private sector and society at large about the need to take action against climate change, and the opportunities that blue carbon can offer. Detailed info here.
United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC)
Herbert Paul Jr. Douglas, who won a long jump bronze medal at the Olympic Games London 1948, died on 22 April at the age of 101. At 14, Douglas, a Pittsburgh native, met the legendary athlete Jesse Owens, the four-time Olympic gold medallist at the Olympic Games Berlin 1936. Owens spoke at an elementary school near the Hazelwood neighbourhood where Douglas grew up. Douglas, who remained friendly with Owens, co-founded the non-profit International Athletic Association and created the Jesse Owens Global Award for Peace.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PARIS 2024
For the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, which will take place along the Seine, Paris 2024 has announced a major collaboration with river companies that will be providing Parisian and regional boats for athletes of Olympic delegations from the five continents to parade on. As of today, 116 Parisian and regional boats have been identified to sail down the Seine on 26 July 2024. Full details here. On 27 April, Paris 2024 unveiled the routes for the Olympic Games triathlon and the route for the Para triathlon events at the Paralympic Games. Developed in collaboration with World Triathlon and the relevant public authorities, these three distinct routes are particularly demanding for athletes and will highlight some of the most beautiful monuments in Paris. Full news release here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
ANOC, in partnership with Sportall, a leading sports streaming solutions provider, has launched ANOC.tv – a new over-the-top (OTT) digital streaming platform developed to promote ANOC’s key properties and provide unprecedented opportunities for NOCs to increase viewership of their national events. The free-to-view platform will be available worldwide and will provide fans and Olympic stakeholders with live coverage and highlights of the upcoming Bali 2023 ANOC World Beach Games and other ANOC events, including the ANOC General Assembly and ANOC Awards. ANOC.tv will also serve as a free platform for the NOCs to establish their own OTT channels. Info here.
Organización Deportiva Suramericana (ODESUR)
The ODESUR Evaluation Commission for the 4th South American Youth Games visited the city of San Luis, Argentina, from 25 to 27 April. Chaired by José Luis Echeverry, the Commission began its visit with the Games Bid Committee presenting its progress report. Also on the Commission’s agenda were inspections of hotels and sports venues located in the city. The Evaluation Commission will prepare a report that will be sent to the ODESUR Executive Committee for analysis. The decision as to whether San Luis will be selected as the host city for the 2025 South American Youth Games is due to be taken on 8 May. More details here.
International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG)
Organised by the ICMG and the NOC of Montenegro, the Oran 2022 Mediterranean Games Debriefing Seminar was successfully held in Podgorica (Montenegro). Among the more than 60 participants on site and virtually, there were representatives from both the NOCs affiliated to the ICMG, the IFs and delegations from the Oran 2022, Heraklion 2023 and Taranto 2026 Organising Committees. A special forum was also organised for the NOC representatives, IFs and ICMG experts to exchange views, with the aim of bringing about the improvements and changes that need to be made in organisational matters and the Mediterranean Games sports programme. At the centre of everyone’s priorities was the participation of the best Mediterranean athletes in the Games and the Mediterranean Games’ inclusion in the IFs’ Olympic qualification rankings. Full details here.