Olympic Highlights 19/03/2024
IOC
PRESIDENT
IOC President Thomas Bach marked the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Winter Games, Chamonix 1924, this weekend, as he took part in a day of official ceremonies and cultural festivities in the legendary Alpine town at the foot of Mont Blanc.
President Bach was joined by IOC Member HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Mayor of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Éric Fournier, French Minister of Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, and Marie-Françoise Potereau, Vice-President of the French National Olympic Committee, in charge of Paris 2024 and Gender Equality – amongst other local and regional dignitaries.
“This first edition of the Winter Games was a real success among the people, and the media for its time, thanks to the determination, commitment and enthusiasm of the organisers and the people of Chamonix,” said President Bach, addressing the local population gathered at the event. “One hundred years on, the Chamonix Games are continuing to inspire people in the best possible way, through the staging of an event that left a sustainable legacy to future generations.” A number of Olympians from Chamonix joined the centenary celebrations, which culminated with the unveiling of the Olympic rings at the entrance of the 'Parc Olympique’. Read the full news release here.
Earlier in the week, at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in Lausanne, IOC President Thomas Bach accepted the 2024 Play True Award on behalf of the entire Olympic Movement. Speaking at the ceremony, the IOC President highlighted the equal partnership and cooperation between the Olympic Movement and the public authorities in promoting and defending clean sport. “This equal partnership has been at the heart of WADA and the global anti-doping framework since its foundation in 1999 at the initiative of the IOC,” he said.
In closing, the President reiterated the goal of WADA and the entire Olympic Movement in the fight against doping. “The true interest of the clean athletes is what it is all about,” he said. “The protection of the clean athletes is the ultimate goal. Tough sanctions and strong deterrence are extremely important, but they are not goals. They are essential tools to protect the clean athletes. This is what it is all about: clean athletes,” he added.
On the occasion of WADA’s 25th anniversary, the IOC President and the WADA President, Witold Bańka, had a meeting during which they discussed the excellent collaboration between their organisations to strengthen the fight against doping and protect clean athletes, as well as the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The President also met WADA Vice-President and Olympic champion Yang Yang, whom he congratulated on her recent appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
President Bach addressed the members of the IOC Advisory Committee on Human Rights – which is chaired by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Executive Director of UN Women – who were meeting at Olympic House. Recommendations to be put forward to the IOC Executive Board concerning various human rights aspects were discussed.
President Bach had also a meeting with Florian Sperl, President of the German Weightlifting Federation and member of the Executive Board of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). They discussed a number of Olympic topics, including weightlifting at the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024.
With the President of the International World Games Association (IWGA), José Perurena, the IOC President discussed the cooperation between their two organisations.
Also at Olympic House, President Bach held meetings with IOC Vice-President John Coates; IOC Executive Board members Gerardo Werthein, Emma Tehro and Kirsty Coventry; and IOC Members Uğur Erdener, Lydia Nsekera, Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, Anant Singh, Sarah Walker, Filomena Fortes, Humphrey Kayange and David Lappartient; and with IOC Honorary Members Franco Carraro, as well as Craig Reedie and Richard W. Pound. A wide range of current Olympic issues were discussed, including the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the present international situation.
HONORARY MEMBERS
IOC Honorary Members Richard W. Pound and Craig Reedie have been awarded the “2024 Play True Awards’, in recognition of their important contribution to the anti-doping movement. Pound was WADA Founding President (1999-2007), and Reedie, WADA President from 2014 to 2019. See also under “Recognised Organisations”.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
An impressive line-up of more than 600 athletes from 113 NOCs, along with the Boxing Refugee Team and Individual Neutral Athletes, competed at the first Boxing World Qualifying Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy, from 3 to 11 March, where 49 quota places for the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 were allocated. One of these was secured by refugee athlete Cindy Ngamba who made her dream come true as she secured a spot at Paris 2024 (in the women’s 75kg division). The boxer is among the 70 Refugee Athlete Scholarship-holders supported by Olympic Solidarity. The tournament was organised under the authority of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU), an ad-hoc unit created by the IOC Executive Board and tasked with organising and ensuring the delivery of the Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournaments and the boxing competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Read the full news release here. Another refugee athlete secured her qualification for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Kimia Alizadeh became the first-ever refugee athlete to secure a qualification berth for Olympic taekwondo. Alizadeh, a bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Games, where she represented Iran, is set to compete in her third Olympics after booking her quota spot at the European Qualification Tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics in Sofia (Bulgaria). Full details here.
The IOC and the City of Paris have chosen Alison Saar, a Los Angeles-based sculpture artist, to produce an artwork that will be installed in the French capital to honour the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Saar succeeds French artist Xavier Veilhan, who created The Audience (2021) for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The sculpture is an initiative of Olympic Art Visions, through which the IOC invites a renowned visual artist to create an original artwork inspired by sport and the Olympic values, to be presented in a publicly accessible space in the city hosting the Games. Full news release here.
As one of the few girls growing up in the world of African golf, Ouname Mhotsha would have liked to have female peers and mentors through her early career. Now, thanks to the IOC’s Young Leaders Programme, Ouname is launching the Thanya Monana Projects, aiming to give young girls the opportunity and support needed to flourish in golf. Read about her background and projects here.
With an equal number of quota places for male and female athletes, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are set to make history. But gender equality also means more than even numbers of athletes. Significant efforts have been made to ensure that female and male events are scheduled fairly over the 16 days of competition. A gender-balanced schedule provides the media with the opportunity to better balance their coverage – which also makes it easier for the next generation of female athletes to follow their role models on screen. Learn more here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Canoe Federation (ICF)
Last week, to mark International Women’s Day, the ICF announced that, for the first time at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will be an equal number of male and female athletes and officials at Paris 2024. This means that gender equality has been achieved for the first time among the International Technical Officials (ITOs) selected in canoe sprint and canoe slalom for an Olympic Games edition. The announcement underlines one of the ICF’s key objectives as part of its “Fit for Future” strategy to champion inclusion and gender equality in all aspects of paddle sport. Full story here.
International Judo Federation (IJF)
On 8 March, the IJF celebrated women at every level of the sport, focusing on inspiration and inclusion for a more diverse world. Go to the IJF website (www.ijf.org) to find out about the progress made in ensuring gender equality on and off the tatami. And read the message from IJF President Marius Vizer published on this occasion.
International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM)
During its meeting on 7 March, the UIPM Executive Board (EB) agreed on some key decisions. These included the revival of the UIPM Masters World Championships, the 2024 edition of which has been awarded to Gyomro in Hungary. In addition, it was decided to launch the Obstacle Laser Run (OLR) World Tour, with the aim of globalising a new format that will be used for University and Military World Championships run by the FISU and CISM respectively. Read the full details here.
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
The ISSF has announced that a new online ISSF Coaches Academy open to the whole of the shooting sport community will offer beginners’ courses (Open Online D courses) for rifle, pistol and shotgun from 2 September this year, with registration set to open on the ISSF website on 3 June. The ISSF Academy webpage is opening on 1 April 2024 (www.issf-academy.com), and will feature detailed information about the Academy, the D Courses and the overall structure of the Coach Education Programme. Full details here. In addition, the third episode of the Road to Paris 2024 is now on air. It explores the history of the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions shooting event, which debuted at the Olympic Games LA 1984.
World Aquatics
Bahrain will host the first stop of the 2024 High Diving World Cup, to take place from 21 to 22 September in Manama. It will be the first time a high diving competition and a World Aquatics event have been held in the Kingdom. The host city agreement contract was signed by World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam and Sheikh Khaled Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee. The event will also serve as a qualification tournament for the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships. More details here.
World Rowing
The Regional Government of Andalusia and World Rowing will collaborate to promote the Spanish region of Andalusia and the city of Seville as a global hub for rowing innovation and excellence. The collaboration focuses on World Rowing’s most prestigious annual international competition in the Olympic discipline of classic rowing – the World Rowing Cup series. The Regional Government of Andalusia’s annual sponsorship will strategically activate this unique environment to showcase the region’s rich rowing culture and its world-class rowing facilities to the global sports community and a wider international audience. Full info here.
RECOGNISED IFS
International Powerboating Federation (UIM)
The UIM honoured the sport’s world champions at an awards ceremony held recently in Monaco. Hosted by UIM President Raffaele Chiulli, the ceremony saw 58 world champions from the five powerboating disciplines honoured for their achievements during the 2023 racing season, while eight Aquabike pilots were recognised for their top position in the world ranking of national and international races. More details here.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Argentinian NOC
The graduation ceremony for the 2023 edition of the Managing Olympic Sports Organisations (MOSO) advanced sports management course took place on 14 March. Those in attendance included the NOC President, Mario Moccia, and programme director Silvia Dalotto. MOSO is a programme organised by the NOC with support from Olympic Solidarity. The ceremony also saw the 54 students taking part in the 2024 MOSO edition welcomed onto the programme. More details here.
Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA)
The BOA has announced the renaming of its Women in Sport
Commission to the Gender Equality Commission. The BOA President, Sandra Osborne, said that the name change, which took effect last month,
is in keeping with the 2022 decision by the IOC to rename its Women in Sport Commission as the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission. Meanwhile, the Chair of the Gender Equality Commission, Marsha Boyce, explained that the commission's mission is to promote gender equality in sport both on and off the
field of play. More info at www.olympic.org.bb.
Dominican Republic NOC
Meeting in New York (USA), the first International Congress for Dominican Sport proposed setting up a Sports Management Office, which will be decentralised from the Sports Ministry and based in New York. The Congress was organised under the auspices of the Dominican Consulate in New York, in coordination with the Dominican Sports Union in New York. Among the speakers at the Congress were IOC Member and Centro Caribe Sports President Luis Mejía Oviedo, who spoke about the Dominican Republic at the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games; NOC President Garibaldy Bautista, who discussed Olympism in the Dominican Republic, the Olympic pyramid and sports federations; and Olympian Felicia Candelario, who addressed women’s participation in sport. Full details here.
Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)
A few weeks ahead of the lighting of the Olympic flame, the HOC, during an event held at its premises, introduced the new High Priestess, award-winning actress Mary Mina, and the new composer for the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony, internationally recognised composer Dimitris Papadimitriou, and unveiled the new priestesses’ costumes. It also expressed its gratitude to its sponsors and supporters. In addition, six athletes presented the uniforms of the Greek delegation for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The event was opened by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos, with Deputy Sports Minister Giannis Vroutsis also in attendance. All the HOC sponsors and supporters and those involved in the “Adopt an Athlete on the Road to Paris” programme received special awards, which were presented by athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Games. Full info here.
Olympic Committee of Israel
The NOC marked International Women's Day at a joint conference with the Ministry of Sport held at Intel Israel. The event was attended by leading women from various disciplines, in the presence of NOC President and IOC Member Yael Arad, NOC CEO Gili Lustig and NOC Gender Equality Commission Chair Susy Yogev, alongside 150 female athletes, coaches, managers, directors and partners from various sports organisations. In Israeli sport, many programmes are being run to strengthen and enhance gender equality, out of a desire to encourage both girls and boys to take part in competitive sports. Israeli sport has set itself the goal of increasing female representation in 2024. To do this, the NOC, supported by Olympic Solidarity, has initiated the “Coaches of Tomorrow Programme”. This aims to manage the personal growth of accomplished coaches to help them move into key positions in their professional field in Israeli sport. More details on the NOC website.
Lithuanian NOC (LNOC)
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.
Paraguayan NOC
Four months before the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, students from the French International “Marcel Pagnol” School in Asunción have taken part in an athletics competition in the Olympic Park. They were joined by the team from the Paraguayan Athletics Federation and pupils from other schools in the Paraguayan capital. Members of the NOC’s Executive Committee and national sports authorities, as well as the French Ambassador to Paraguay were also present at this event, which was above all a great celebration of sport, organised as part of the “Rumbo a Paris 2024” (On the Road to Paris 2024) campaign. More info at www.cop.org.py.
Spanish NOC (COE)
Raising awareness of the importance of women in the world of sport was the main theme of the second Women and Sport Conference organised by the COE on 13 March. In addition to COE President Alejandro Blanco, the Conference was attended by pioneering women in sport and past and present Olympic athletes, who talked about their experiences and the various challenges they have faced during their sporting and professional careers, but also the progress made towards achieving gender equality in sport. More details here.
Venezuelan NOC
The NOC celebrated International Women’s Day at its headquarters through its Women in Sport Commission. Those present included female leaders, athletes, coaches, journalists, doctors and lawyers. During the event, the female presidents of Venezuelan sports federations were honoured for their work in and contribution to sport. On the same day, the French Embassy in Caracas paid tribute to Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas with a commemorative plaque to honour her career and her commitment to equality in sport. The event was held at the National Sports Institute in Caracas, and was attended by the Minister for Youth and Sport, Mervin Maldonado; the President of the National Sports Institute, Ninoska Clocier; the French Ambassador to Venezuela, Emmanuel Pineda; the NOC President, Maria Soto; and the NOC Secretary General, Katiuska Santaella.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
PARIS 2024
Representatives from all levels of government, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, the IOC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the public came together for the Paris 2024 Forum with the aim of taking stock of the six-year mobilisation for the Games. The Forum celebrated possibly one of the greatest Paris 2024 legacies – the positive changes that sport and physical activity have brought to the lives of French citizens. The measures, put in place through various initiatives linked to the Games, target schools, workplaces, cities and groups often excluded from sport and society, such as people with disabilities or from deprived backgrounds.The IOC President congratulated Paris 2024 and its partners via a video message: “By living up to the promise of Games wide open and mobilising all those involved in sport in France, Paris 2024’s vision has already come to fruition, even before the Games begin. You are leaving your mark on Olympic history. Your many initiatives and activities to promote exercise, education, inclusion, equality and a better environment are already having a tangible impact.” Read the full news release here.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
DAKAR 2026
In the framework of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026, the Organising Committee (YOGOC) decided to promote sport for girls by organising a “24 hours of women’s sport”. This was also to mark International Women’s Day, celebrated on 9 March on the island of Gorée, with the event led by Dakar 2026 General Coordinator Ibrahima Wade and the Mayor of Gorée, Augustin Senghor, who is also President of the Senegalese Football Federation. The event attracted 700 participants, including several leading figures from the worlds of sport and culture, and representatives from women’s organisations and clubs, schoolchildren and educators. As well as the actual competitions, this celebration was also an opportunity to raise awareness about how important it is for girls to practise sport, through Olympic values education sessions. Read the full news release here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
Read here the March issue of the ANOC newsletter, dedicated to the topic of safeguarding in sport and developments within the Olympic Movement to tackle this threat to sport.
Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)
The ANOCA Forum on environmental protection and the fight against climate change was held on 5 and 6 March in Algiers (Algeria). Organised by ANOCA, in collaboration with the IOC, the Algerian Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Energies, the Forum brought together participants from all 54 African NOCS. A wide range of themes were discussed, including: environmental strategy and youth in sustainable development; the IOC’s sustainability strategy; changes in environmental action at local level; Agenda 2063 – clamouring for the Africa we all want; and the way forward for African sport. The participants expressed their desire to come up with an operational plan and a concrete programme to further develop action for the African Olympic Movement and its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Full news release here.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
As part of its 2024 Annual Symposium, WADA celebrated its 25th anniversary during a Gala held in Lausanne with over 1,100 Symposium attendees and other invited guests. In his speech, WADA President Witold Bańka thanked everyone who has contributed to the work of the global anti-doping movement over the past 25 years. He also highlighted how certain stakeholder groups and individuals have been particularly instrumental to the creation, evolution and strengthening of WADA and Clean Sport, which the Agency wanted to acknowledge with the inaugural “Play True Awards,” to recognise long-lasting and significant contributions to the anti-doping movement. Full details including the names of the Award winners here. Prior to the WADA Annual Symposium, the WADA Executive Committee held its first meeting of the year in Lausanne. Full details about the Committee’s decisions here.