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IOC COMMISSIONS > SOLIDARITY > PROGRAMMES > ATHLETES

WORLD PROGRAMMES - ATHLETES

EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT FOR ATHLETES AT ALL LEVELS

Following on from the previous quadrennial plan, the programmes for athletes are structured in a manner that allows the NOCs to offer technical and financial assistance to athletes at all levels who are preparing for various international competitions including, but not only, the Olympic Games. In implementing this structure, Olympic Solidarity wishes to invest in each level of athlete development.

Sports elite

Guarantee the universality of the Olympic Games by supporting the less advantaged NOCs, particularly through the granting of Olympic scholarships for athletes.

Importance of Continental and Regional Games

Invest in the preparation of intermediate level athletes with a view to their participation in Continental and Regional Games, which are often given high priority by small NOCs because they can send a larger number of athletes than to the Olympic Games.

Support from roots

Place emphasis on national talent identification projects and help young elite athletes who will be participating in the 2010 or 2012 Olympic Games.

TORINO 2006 - NOC PREPARATION

For the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin in 2006, Olympic Solidarity is again offering technical and financial assistance for the final preparation stages and qualification of eligible athletes and teams. This programme offers NOCs the chance to supplement and optimise their preparation programmes for the Olympic Winter Games in Turin, using an "à la carte" approach which means that each proposal will be analysed on a case-by-case basis by Olympic Solidarity, in collaboration with the International Winter Sports Federations concerned. Only NOCs that took part in the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City can submit a proposal for assistance within the context of this programme. The athletes concerned must have taken part in international level competitions recognised by the International Winter Sports Federations during the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 winter seasons. The financial assistance offered is closely linked to athlete preparation and training. The funds allocated to NOCs may therefore be used to cover costs relating to training and coaching for athletes and/or teams preparing for the Games; participation in Olympic qualification competitions or other international competitions where this is not already covered by the International Federation concerned; subsidiary activities linked to the preparation of athletes; or purchase of specialised winter sports equipment.

OLYMPIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ATHLETES "BEIJING 2008"

Created for the Barcelona Games in 1992, the athlete scholarship programme once again offers NOCs essential financial support for the preparation and qualification of their athletes for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008. Each NOC can propose athletes who practise an individual Olympic sport, have great potential and do not have the means to train properly because of a lack of adequate infrastructure or funding. Olympic Solidarity thus places these athletes on an equal footing with their counterparts from the regions of the world which do not have the same material needs, and enables them to fulfil their dream of participating in the Olympic Games. Olympic Solidarity therefore hopes to provide these athletes with optimal training conditions, specialised coaching and access to high-level sports facilities, regular medical and scientific controls, full-board accommodation and financial assistance to help them participate in Olympic qualification competitions. The first Olympic scholarships will be allocated from 1 January 2006 and, provided all conditions are met by each athlete, will last until the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008, i.e. 8 months longer than previous scholarship programmes.

TEAM SUPPORT GRANTS

As well as offering NOCs technical and financial assistance for the preparation of one national team hoping to qualify for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, this programme now gives further possibilities to NOCs that do not have teams capable of qualifying for the Olympic Games: the chance to support a team in its preparation and participation in multi-sport games, world championships (senior and junior), continental championships (senior and junior) or Olympic qualification competitions. The NOCs will therefore be able to give priority to the competitions that they consider to be the most important according to their objectives. They are free to use their budget for a limited number of projects or focus on preparation for a single competition. The requirements for men's or women's national teams remain the same. Their sport must be part of the Summer or Winter Olympic programme and they must be recognised at international level.

CONTINENTAL AND REGIONAL GAMES - NOC PREPARATION

For small NOCs in particular, after the Olympic Games, the Continental and Regional Games are their most important competitions because they can send a larger number of athletes. This programme offers NOCs technical and financial support for the preparation of athletes prior to their participation in multi-sports continental, regional or other (eg Commonwealth, Francophonie) Games. These activities focus specifically on training the athletes during the final phase of their preparation for these games. The athletes must practise a sport belonging to the Summer or Winter Olympic programme. They should already be recognised as "Continental Elite" level, but not yet be able to qualify for the Olympic Games. NOCs can decide to focus solely on preparations for the Continental Games or to give priority to the games that they consider the most important and use their budget for a number of projects.

2012 TRAINING GRANTS FOR YOUNG ATHLETES

This programme enables young, promising athletes, who are tomorrow's Olympians, to benefit from their first high-level training experience, which should motivate them to perform well in international junior competitions during this quadrennial and subsequently to continue their training programme for the Olympic Winter Games in 2010 or the Games of the Olympiad in 2012. As well as showing definite potential, the athletes included in this programme must practise an individual sport that is included in the Summer or Winter Olympic programme and be identified by their NOC or an International Federation due to outstanding results during international or continental junior competitions. The programme offers the NOCs two separate options during the 2005-2008 quadrennial: technical and financial assistance for the organisation of specific activities relating to the training of young athletes or individual training grants for young athletes preparing for the 2010 and 2012 Games.

TALENT IDENTIFICATION

One of the principal objectives of the Olympic Movement is to help the youth of the world and to offer young, promising athletes, symbols of the future, the possibility to progress to elite sporting levels. The main objective of this programme is therefore to help the NOCs to discover young athletes who show a particular sporting talent. All athletes participating at school or club level and belonging to a national federation of a sport included in the Olympic programme are eligible to benefit from this programme. This programme will allow NOCs to create a national structure for talent identification, continue to develop existing programmes, in collaboration with the International Federations and national federations concerned, and become associated with projects already existing at national level. NOCs are also strongly encouraged to combine this programme with the Development of National Sports Structure Programme (see "Coaches programmes").