Olympic Highlights 31/08/2026 unlisted
IOC
PRESIDENT
IOC President Kirsty Coventry was in Lima, Peru, last week, to attend the Panam Sports General Assembly. In her keynote speech at the opening of the General Assembly, she highlighted the important efforts of Panam Sports under its President, IOC Member Neven Ilic, to modernise in a fast-changing world. She highlighted the alignment between the strategic directions of Panam Sports’ “Forward Together” and the Olympic Movement’s “Fit for the Future”. “With ‘Fit for the Future’, we have set the course for our Olympic Movement. With ‘Forward Together’, you are shaping the next chapter for Panam Sports. The names may be a little different. But the responsibilities are the same. The spirit is the same,” she said. “Because the future of sport is not something that simply just happens. It is something that we have the honour to shape – through the decisions we make, through the values we protect, and through the athletes we support.”
During her stay, President Coventry also joined the Panam Sports Executive Committee and met the members of the Panam Sports Athletes’ Commission.
Ahead of the General Assembly, President Coventry was welcomed by the President of the Republic of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, at the Government Palace in Lima. The two leaders spoke about the preparations for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, and President Fujimori reiterated her government’s full support for their success. The IOC President was accompanied by IOC Member Neven Ilic.
IOC Member in Peru Cecilia Tait hosted President Coventry throughout the visit. During her stay, the IOC President also met the IOC Members attending the General Assembly: Neven Ilic, Nicole Hoevertsz, Damaris Young, Paula Pareto, Tricia Smith, Bernard Rajzman, Luis Mejia Oviedo, Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira and Gunilla Lindberg. Read the full news release here.
Before going to Lima, President Coventry welcomed a delegation from the Bulgarian NOC led by its President, four-time Olympian Vessela Letcheva, as part of a courtesy visit to Olympic House. It was their first official meeting since the NOC elections in March 2025. Discussions focused on a range of Olympic topics, including the upcoming Olympic Games, the IOC’s Fit for the Future process and the NOC’s new leadership strategy, in particular in the areas of good governance and athlete representation. During the visit, NOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Radoslav Yankov, who competed in snowboard at four consecutive Olympic Winter Games, signed the Olympians Wall. Read more details on the Bulgarian NOC website.
OLYMPIC MUSEUM
French judoka Teddy Riner, the most successful Olympic athlete in the history of his sport, has donated the uniform he wore during the medal ceremonies at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the Olympic Museum. His name had already been etched into the steps of the Olympic Museum park as the final torchbearer of the Paris 2024 Olympic torch Relay. The donation ceremony took place on 28 August at the Olympic Museum, alongside the Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam 2026, held from 28 to 30 August 2026. Details here.
OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
The IOC is deeply saddened by the passing of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, a three-time Olympian in sailing and Norway’s flagbearer at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. A great supporter of the Olympic Movement, King Harald V declared open two Games editions in Lillehammer: the 1994 Olympic Winter Games and the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. His legacy will continue to inspire generations across the Olympic world. More info here as well as here at the World Sailing website.
With less than two years to go until the LA28 Olympic Games, the press accreditation process for media professionals wishing to cover the Games will open on 31 August. The application period will end on 23 October 2026. Full details here.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)
FIBA and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are celebrating 25 years of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) with a report highlighting the success of this global basketball development and community outreach programme. The programme was created in 2001 to identify and elevate the world's most promising young players, while also promoting values and community engagement, and securing positive pathways in sport. Learn more about it here.
International Hockey Federation (FIH)
The FIH organised a National Associations Summit in Louvain-La-Neuve (Belgium) on the sidelines of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, an event which has been breaking new ground with record audiences. More than 30 National Associations, Continental Federations, partners and special guests took part in the summit. Hockey leaders unanimously expressed their full support for the IOC’s Fit for the Future initiative, emphasising that hockey must remain relevant and that hockey players need to be empowered to move the sport forward. Launched by FIH President Tayyab Ikram – who also chaired the event – the summit saw updates given on the FIH’s Empowerment and Engagement Strategy and the new FIH Strategy, and included dedicated sessions on women in hockey and on sustainability. The FIH Hockey Stars Awards were also presented to the 2025 winners. Full report here. The first ever FIH Athletes’ Forum took place on the sidelines of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. Bringing together members of the FIH Athletes’ Committee, athletes and young athletes participating in the FIH Young Ambassadors Programme, the forum, which was attended by IOC Member Kim Bui, provided an important platform for open dialogue on issues that directly affect athletes, both during and after their sporting careers. Full details here.
International Judo Federation (IJF)
On the eve of the Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam 2026, an impressive IJF delegation, led by its President Marius Vizer, was welcomed at Olympic House by IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper and IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey. Former Olympians stood alongside athletes who remain active today, some already with Olympic experience and others still building their path towards the LA28 Olympic Games. They all added their signatures to the Olympians Wall before receiving their certificate of recognition. Full details here. Read also here about the Olympians Wall signing by two other remarkable figures of judo. In addition, on the occasion of the inaugural event in Lausanne, the IJF and Swiss Judo signed the contract to host the 2028 World Judo Championships. Held only weeks before the LA28 Olympic Games, the championships will be a major milestone on the road to LA28 and will form part of the Olympic qualification process. Learn more about it here.
World Sailing
World Sailing has announced the lead Race Official appointments for the LA28 Olympic Sailing Competition. Discover them here.
World Taekwondo
At the 2026 Poomsae Belgian Open, held in mid-August in Brussels, the President of World Taekwondo, Chungwon Choue, presented Anne Rogge with a commemorative plaque in honour of her late husband Jacques Rogge, IOC President from 2001 to 2013 – in recognition of his support for taekwondo’s inclusion on the Olympic programme and his lasting contribution to the international sports community.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
Argentinian NOC
A sports administration course was organised jointly by the NOC and the Argentinian Skating Confederation as part of an Olympic Solidarity-supported programme. Nearly 60 leaders, coaches and representatives from the Argentinian skating community took part in the training course, which was designed to strengthen the management capabilities of sports organisations and promote professional, effective governance. After an initial training and assessment stage held online, the participants spent two days at the NOC headquarters, with sessions dedicated to practical tools, experience sharing and strategic thinking around sports administration. More details here.
Dominican Republic NOC
During the week of 17-21 August, the NOC hosted two NOC Games Preparation Forums for the Spanish- and English-speaking NOCs. The Forums were delivered jointly by the IOC, LA28, Panam Sports and ANOC in order to equip the Chefs de Mission and NOC staff responsible for the management of Games delegations with a comprehensive update on planning, operations and key policy developments related to LA28. The delegates engaged in active discussions, exchanged experiences and explored common challenges and cooperation opportunities in Games preparation. The NOC Forums form part of Olympic Solidarity’s capacity-building programmes, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional development among NOCs. Detailed info here.
Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC)
The JOC hosted a workshop for board members of sports federations on safeguarding in sport to drive its mission to ensure that sport remains a safe place for all, built on protection, respect and accountability. The workshop addressed the concept of sports safeguarding as an integrated system of policies, instructions, procedures and preventive practices aimed at protecting sports participants, enhancing their physical, psychological safety and well-being. Participants also examined the sports safeguarding systems that should be implemented within sports federations, including the roles and responsibilities of safeguarding officers, the creation of safeguarding focal points and specialised committees, alongside the importance of offering clear, safe and confidential reporting channels. Info at www.joc.jo
Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC)
The SNOC has appointed Goh Kee Nguan as Chef de Mission to lead Team Singapore at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) from 19 September to 4 October this year. A member of the Board of the Singapore Olympic Foundation, Goh served as CEO of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee. He was also a member of the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. He will be supported in his role by Aleksandar Đurić and Fariza Zabir, who will serve as Assistant Chefs de Mission. Đurić is an Olympian who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in canoeing at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. Zabir is a physical education teacher and a former national floorball player. Full info here.
Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC)
Thousands of swimmers bridged two continents once again along the 6.5km course of the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race between Asia and Europe. The 38th edition of the event – which has been organised by the NOC since 1989 – took place on 23 August, bringing together 2,500 swimmers (1,250 domestic and 1,250 international swimmers) from 64 countries. The event was attended by senior officials including Minister for Youth and Sport Osman Aşkın Bak, Deputy Governor of Istanbul Ünal Kılıçarslan and TOC President Veli Ozan Çakır. This year's race also served as a powerful call to action in favour of zero waste, clean water, healthy seas, safe sport and climate action. The initiative’s message of sustainability and environmental responsibility will be carried forward to COP31, which is taking place in Antalya this November. Full info here.
ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
LA28
The second ticket drop for the LA28 Olympic Games closed on 20 August, with total Olympic ticket sales from both drops combined having passed six million, organisers confirmed on 21 August. They also confirmed a first-come, first-served sale for 2027 with all purchase limits lifted, now that Drop 2 and the Visa presale have closed. Full details here.
Utah 2034
The Utah 2034 Organising Committee is mourning the death of Colin Hilton, the President and CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Hilton was part of Utah’s Olympic story for decades. His work helped carry the legacy of the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games forward through the venues, programmes and relationships that continue to serve athletes and communities across the state. He brought that same experience to Utah 2034, where his knowledge of the venues and the people behind them was an important part of the work to prepare for the Games’ return. Full news release here.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
The “ANOC Digital Accelerator Webinar 16: Milano Cortina 2026” will be held on 3 September. During the webinar, ANOC and IRIS Sport will present key communication trends, standout performances and major insights from Milano Cortina 2026, based on data from the ANOC Social Media Dashboard. The session will also feature case studies from the NOCs of Kazakhstan and Czechia. More details here.
Panam Sports
From 23 to 28 August in Lima (Peru), host city of the 2027 Pan American Games, Panam Sports Week brought together sports leaders from across the Americas for five days of strategic dialogue, forums, governance and collective action. The week opened with “Forward Together”, a consultation session featuring roundtable discussions centred on the future of sport across the Americas. Full report here. The second day was dedicated to two of the Olympic Movement’s most pressing priorities: gender equality and athlete safeguarding. The programme included the Women in Sport Forum and a series of safe sport presentations. Details here. The week continued with a meeting of the Panam Sports Executive Committee, followed by the General Assembly during which the Argentinian city of Rosario was chosen as the host city for the 2029 Pan American Junior Games. The continent’s representatives to the ANOC Executive Council were also elected, with Renzo Manyari of Peru, María José Alcalá of Mexico, and Alicia Masoni de Morea of Argentina emerging as the winners. Details here.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
WADA and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) have awarded a grant to the International Observatory on the Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies (Obvia) for a scientific research project aimed at identifying emerging AI technologies that can be applied to anti-doping. Read the full details here. WADA has also published its Independent Observer team report regarding the anti-doping programme at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.