International Olympic Committee : News

Registration opens for the 2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport

5/3/2013 3:00:00 PM

The speakers will provide evidence-based information on how to prevent injuries and other health problems in sport. This includes a multidisciplinary perspective on epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology and injury mechanisms.

Save your place now and register here

One of many highlights promises to be the opening lecture by the dynamic pairing of Prof Dohmnall Macauley and Prof Karim Khan, BMJ/BJSM editors. Other keynote speakers and topics include Paul McCrory on concussion, Benno Nigg on running injuries, Evert Verhagen on how digital and mobile platforms will influence athlete care, Andrew McIntosh on technology and equipment in sport, Juan Manuel Alonso on hamstring injury prevention and Caroline Finch on injury surveillance and rule changes.

Click here to read the second announcement, which contains the detailed scientific programme with speakers

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “After a first successful edition held in Monaco in 2011, the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport is more than ever the ideal platform for a thorough and constructive exchange of views, taking into consideration the latest research on illnesses and injuries in sport.” He added: “Through such a Conference, our objective remains to take concrete measures to implement new and improved injury prevention strategies, and thus maximise safe sports participation for high-level and recreational athletes alike.”

Learn more about the Conference on the official website

Last call for registrations for the IOC Advanced Team Physician Course

A few places are still available for this year’s edition of the IOC Advanced Team Physician Course which will take place from 22 to 24 May 2013 in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden. Organised by the IOC in collaboration with the world’s leading experts in the field of sports medicine, the course is geared towards the practical issues of working with high-level athletes in a team sports setting. Thirty high-level speakers will present case studies during plenary lectures, panel discussions and working groups.

The course will present new evidence on diagnosis and treatment and address topics such as overuse injuries; prevention of recurrent injuries; concussion; knee, hip and shoulder injuries; paediatric training and cardiology and health protection.
Places are limited and open to team physicians as well as to a limited number of experienced sports physical therapists. Sign up now and learn more at http://www.ioc-preventionconference.org/atpc2013/

Background information

Health risks are inherent to the practice of sport, and protecting the wellbeing of the athletes is a key priority for the IOC. Through its Medical Commission, chaired by Professor Arne Ljungqvist, the IOC has initiated and supported research on various topics related to athletes’ health, with the ultimate goal of improving injury and illness prevention. The IOC also records and analyses all athlete injuries and illnesses that occur in competition and/or training at the Olympic Games to gain further knowledge about the effectiveness and weaknesses of existing programmes.

IOC awards 2014-2016 broadcast rights in Latin America

3/22/2013 10:09:00 AM

América Móvil has acquired broadcast rights on all media platforms across Latin America*.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “In 2016 the Olympic Games in Rio will be a significant moment in Olympic history, and we are very pleased to have reached this important agreement to ensure fans across the continent are able to have the best broadcast experience of the Games.”

IOC Finance Commission Chairman Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said, “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with América Móvil which is a new partner for the IOC. It demonstrated a clear passion for the Olympic values and is excited about the Games coming to Latin America in 2016. The IOC negotiates broadcast rights on behalf of the Olympic Movement, and we believe this is a great deal for our stakeholders. The agreement ensures there will continue to be free Olympic Games television coverage across Latin America, but also allows viewers the choice of following the action on other media platforms as well.”

Arturo Elías Ayub, Telmex Strategic Alliances VP, said: “We are extremely pleased with this successful agreement of America Movil with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Olympic Games will be broadcast on all media platforms across Latin America, supporting the global transmission through new technologies, helping millions of people in Latin America to have access to the biggest international sporting event. We share the Olympic ideals and look forward to working together with the IOC”.

###

* Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela
The IOC announced an agreement in 2009 for the broadcast rights in the territory of Brazil for the 2014-2016 Olympic Games.

For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.

Videos
YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia

Photos
For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org

Social media
For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

IOC launches 2013 Sport and Environment Awards

3/22/2013 10:30:00 AM

First introduced by the IOC Sport and Environment Commission in 2009, the Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, groups and organisations that have shown initiative and taken action to drive environmental efforts and projects within their community. The recognition continues to be an important stimulus in the awareness process for environmental stewardship at local, national and global level.

Nominations for the Awards, which are presented biennially in conjunction with the IOC’s World Conferences on Sport and the Environment, can be submitted by National Olympic Committees, International Federations, Continental Associations and Recognised Organisations.

The 2013 Awards will be presented during the 10th edition of the IOC World Conference on Sport and the Environment, which will take place in Sochi (Russian Federation) from 30 October to 1 November 2013.

One award is given to a nominee from each of the five continents (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania) selected by a jury composed of members of the IOC Sport and Environment Commission.

Nominated projects should embrace the following principles:

- Regarding the environment as the third pillar of Olympism alongside sport, culture and education;

- Creating awareness by means of education through sport, especially with regard to young people;

- Believing in the catalytic power of sport to engage a global audience in accepting responsibility for safeguarding the fragile ecosystems of the earth.

2013 Awards Documents:

IOC 2013 Sport and Environment Awards – Invitation letter

IOC 2013 Sport and Environment Awards – Rules and Regulations

IOC 2013 Sport and Environment Awards - Candidature Form

Learn more about the UN International Year of Water Cooperation and World Water Day (WWD)

New E-learning programme promotes sustainable sport events

3/21/2013 9:00:00 AM

The new and user-friendly programme will provide sports organisations with the information and support they need to start, or continue, their journey in making their sports events more sustainable. The programme consists of four modules covering the key aspects of sustainability for sports events, namely; the business case for sustainability, the ISO 20121 Management System, Reporting and Impact Assessment.

Learn about the Sport Sustainability E-Learning modules here

Easy and practical approach

“It is about translating and applying international standards into the framework of sports events and integrating sustainability into our normal way of thinking”, said Gilbert Felli, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, on the occasion of the launch. He added: “This is a process that takes time, education and structure, and the new AISTS programme offers an easy and practical approach to this important topic.”

Sustainability and the IOC

Sport has demonstrated its potential as a catalyst for creating more sustainable, healthy, urban and non-urban environments and economies. The IOC is committed to helping the Olympic Movement to improve sustainability in the organisation of sports events in order to educate, raise awareness and maximise the benefits to organisers and local communities alike. The format of the new Sport Sustainability E-Learning programme is particularly suited to events organised by International Federations and National Olympic Committees.

Participants in one or more of the Sport Sustainability E-Learning modules will automatically receive free access to the AISTS’s Sustainable Sport and Event toolkit, as well as to EventSustainability, an online monitoring, measuring and reporting tool which is aligned with existing international reporting standards, to demonstrate sustainability progress and achievements.

Learn more about the IOC’s sustainability initiatives

Learn more about AISTS

Learn more about SportAccord

ParticipACTION: Keeping Canadians moving for over 4 decades

3/19/2013 2:45:00 PM

Every two years the IOC World Conference on Sport for All brings together those active in the field to share their ideas as well as their programmes designed to get people moving. The 15th edition of the conference will take place in Lima, Peru from 24 to 27 April and a strong lineup of speakers has been assembled to ensure the workshops and discussions are as interactive and interesting as possible.

Go, Canada!

ParticipACTION is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging Canadians to lead active lifestyles and participate in sports. Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION implements social marketing campaigns that inspire and support Canadians to move more.

“As the national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada, our goal is to create a society where daily physical activity is not only a priority, but also second nature for its citizens,” says Kelly Murumets, President and CEO of ParticipACTION. “Our vision is a Canada where physical activity is a vital and fulfilling part of everyday life.”

Armed with a simple mandate – to get Canadians moving –ParticipACTION quickly gained a reputation as a global leader in communications to promote physical activity. Over the years, the organisation has earned praise for its innovative and proactive approaches to forging partnerships to finance and implement its projects.

ParticipACTION creates societal change through social marketing and collaborative partnerships. Through initiatives like Bring Back Play, an integrated campaign that encourages mothers to bring back the unstructured active play that used to be a part of every childhood, and the ParticipACTION Network, a national network that facilitates partnership, coordination and communication among organisations dedicated to encouraging physical activity and sport participation, ParticipACTION works collaboratively with its partners to ensure that its actions set the stage for long-term sustainable change.

Shared goals

Kelly Murumets will be speaking at the 15th World Conference on Sport for All in Lima next month on Sports Day in Canada, a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high performance levels.

For more information on the 15th IOC Conference on Sport for All and to register click here

For more information on the IOCs Sport for All actions click here

Eliminating and preventing violence against women and girls through sport

3/13/2013 1:16:00 PM

“Violence against women and girls is endemic to nearly all societies, and it takes many forms, both physical and psychological”, said DeFrantz. She added: “Violence is at the extreme end of a continuum that includes gender-based discrimination, taunts and sexual harassment. We cannot eradicate violence against women without eradicating the discriminatory attitudes that condone or even encourage it. Sport and its values are valuable tools to address and improve self-esteem, body control, leadership and assertiveness - all being elements which can contribute to tackle violence.”

Fighting sexual harassment and sexual abuse in sport

DeFrantz also explained that sport itself may be affected by violence against women and girls: “Unfortunately, the world of sport is not immune to the problem that we are here to address, or to the behaviours that lead to gender-based violence. The IOC has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate sexual harassment and sexual abuse in sport. Its commitment to this issue is fully aligned with the IOC’s belief that the practice of sport is a human right that cannot be denied on the basis of gender, race or sexual orientation. The Olympic Charter declares that ‘every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination’.”

Learn more about the IOC’s initiatives in this field here www.olympic.org/sha and here http://sha.olympic.org.

No single solution

DeFrantz concluded: “Sport has an important role to play in preventing violence against women and girls. It is not the only answer. There is no single solution to the pervasive problem of gender-based violence. Eliminating and preventing violence against women and girls will require deploying all available assets, including sport. It will require more cooperation and partnerships among individuals and organisations with a commitment to this cause. It will require assistance from governments and educational institutions. While being mindful of the many challenges that women face to access sport and to eradicate gender-based violence in sport, the International Olympic Committee is committed to this effort and will continue to work within sport, and with partners outside sport, to promote the cause of gender equality and eliminate sexual harassment, abuse and violence. Together, we can make a difference and provide a brighter future for our daughters, granddaughters and generations to come.”

Read the full speech here.

The penultimate IOC Coordination Commission gets underway in Sochi

3/12/2013 8:00:00 AM

During this visit, the Commission will be updated by the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee and its local partners on the progress being made on the project, with less than a year remaining until the Games.

Winter Sports Participation

As has happened during the preparations for previous Olympic Winter Games, the seven Olympic International Winter Sports Federations will participate in the opening and closing plenary sessions of the visit, as well as in the working group on sport and the International Federations. This participation helps to cement the already strong collaboration between the federations, the Local Organising Committee and the IOC.

A Full Two Days

Over the course of the two days of meetings, the Commission will hear about Sochi’s progress in areas as diverse as Games operations, the Olympic Torch Relay, technology, culture, education and sustainability. A large part of the meetings will also focus on client experience, with working groups examining the services that will be provided to groups such as the athletes, National Olympic Committees, spectators, the marketing partners, workforce and the media. These full two days will be yet another important step on Sochi’s way to successfully hosting the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Registration opens for IOC Advanced Team Physician Course

3/5/2013 3:29:00 PM

Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in collaboration with world-leading experts in the field of sports medicine, the course is geared towards the practical issues of working with high-level athletes in a team sports setting. Thirty high-level speakers will present exciting case studies during plenary lectures, panel discussions and working groups.

The course will present new evidence on diagnosis and treatment and address topics such as overuse injuries; prevention of recurrent injuries; concussion; knee, hip and shoulder injuries; pediatric training; and cardiology and health protection. A social programme will facilitate discussions and networking outside the scientific sessions.

Arne Ljungqvist, Chairman of the IOC Medical Commission and guest of honour, said, in anticipation of the event: “Let us keep our minds sharp and enjoy and learn a lot from each other during our journey together.”

Places are limited and open to team physicians as well as to a limited number of experienced sports physical therapists. Sign up and learn more at www.ioc-preventionconference.org/atpc2013/

Coordination Commission visit gets underway in Rio

2/18/2013 8:00:00 AM

Chaired by IOC Executive Board member and Olympian Nawal El Moutwakel, the Commission will be spending the next three days examining the progress of the Rio project and receiving updates from the organisers and their partners on their plans. The Commission will also visit some Games-related projects in the city.

Updates

Since its third visit last June, there have been a number of visits from IOC delegations to Rio, but this will be the first time the full Commission has been in town since the close of the London 2012 Olympic Games. This signifies that the Commission will start to visit the host city twice a year from now on, as is the usual schedule for Coordination Commission visits to a Games host. The Commission will hear updates on issues as varied as athletes, venues, sport, transport, media services, workforce, technology, and the Paralympic Games, to name but a few of the subjects to be discussed this week.

RIO 2016

Rio de Janeiro was elected on 2 October 2009 as the host city of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rio was elected in the third round of voting, beating the cities of Chicago (United States), Tokyo (Japan) and Madrid (Spain). Rio defeated Madrid in the third round of voting by 66 votes to 32, with Chicago and Tokyo already having been eliminated in the first and second rounds respectively. Rio 2016 will have 28 sports on its programme and will run from 5 till 21 August 2016.

IOC Executive Board meeting wraps up in Lausanne

2/13/2013 11:56:00 AM

The three cities were chosen from five Candidate Cities bidding to host these YOG. Guadalajara (MEX) and Rotterdam (NED) did not make the shortlist. An Evaluation Commission will now conduct further assessments of the three shortlisted Candidate Cities before submitting a report to the IOC members, who will elect the host city at an Extraordinary Session in Lausanne on 4 July 2013.

*Shortlisted Candidate Cities in alphabetical order

Read the press release here.

Also during its two-day meeting, the EB agreed on the 25 sports that it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

Read the press release here.

The EB took decisions in two disciplinary cases: Russian weightlifter Oleg Perepetchenov was disqualified from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games after further analysis of his stored sample resulted in an adverse analytical finding, showing the presence of clenbuterol. Perepetchenov finished third in the men’s 77kg weightlifting event.

Read the press release here.

The EB also issued strong warnings to Korean footballer Jongwoo Park and the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) for inappropriate behaviour by the athlete during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The midfielder had held up a sign referring to a territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan following his team’s bronze-medal victory over Japan.

Read the press release here.

In another decision, the EB adopted a set of stringent rules concerning the prohibition on betting linked to next year’s Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and any form of betting-related cheating affecting the results of Olympic competitions. The text applies to all participants in the Olympic Games and defines the different forms of violations, the range of measures and sanctions, and the disciplinary procedures.

Click here for the related news story and the full text of the rules.

Issues involving a number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were also reviewed, including those affecting the NOCs of India and Pakistan. The NOC of India was suspended by the EB during its last meeting in December as a result of government interference and governance issues. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved and the IOC recently reiterated its request that the suspended NOC work diligently to find a solution that complies with the Olympic Charter. Once this is accomplished, the IOC would be ready to invite the relevant stakeholders to meet for further discussions.

The NOC of Pakistan is also facing government interference, and the IOC firmly condemns the so-called “interim committee” established by a number of individuals supported by the government of Pakistan with the aim of taking over the legitimate NOC, which is fully recognised by the IOC. Should the situation not improve and the government not cooperate in finding a solution that respects the Olympic Charter, the EB may soon consider a suspension of the NOC as a protective measure for the NOC and the Olympic Movement in Pakistan against outside interference.

The EB also heard a report from Sponsorship Intelligence, which conducted a global study on the perception of the Olympic brand after the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Olympic rings remain one of the world’s most widely recognised symbols. When asked, 95 per cent of respondents correctly identified the Olympic rings. The study was conducted across 16 markets world-wide and included 12,000 individuals. It found that the Olympic Games’ global stature was also heightened by an increase in global TV coverage. Coverage increased from 62,000 hours for Beijing 2008 to 100,000 hours for London 2012, with global reach rising from 3.5 billion viewers to 3.7 billion.

Read the related news story here.

Progress reports on the preparations for the Olympic Games in Sochi 2014, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 were also given to the EB.