★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ THE BIG PICTURE ≡
The International Olympic Committee held its 13th Olympic Summit in Lausanne, bringing together the leaders of the IOC, the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees.
Unlike some editions of the Summit, which staked out new positions for the combined Olympic Movement, there wasn’t much of substance in the final “Communique.”
Most of the references to Paris 2024 were repeats of comments by IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) from his news conference at the end of the IOC Executive Board meeting in Lausanne last week. Yes, it was great in some many respects.
Andrew Parsons (BRA), President of the International Paralympic Committee, was equally enthused about the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, calling it “the most spectacular Paralympic Games ever in terms of sport performance, venues, atmosphere and reach.”
He also cited the better collaboration with the Paris organizers in view of the expanded cooperation agreement signed with the IOC in 2018.
There were repeats of the Bach comments from the Executive Board meeting on the IOC’s exceptional economic outlook, the new Olympic Esports Games, the IOC’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative and safeguarding efforts for athletes.
There were interesting comments on the status of the anti-doping movement and the World Anti-Doping Agency, including:
● “The Summit supported the candidacy of Witold Banka and Yang Yang as WADA President and Vice-President, underlining their important achievements over the last six years, including the implementation of the governance reforms and the commitment to the implementation of the recommendations of the Cottier Report.”
Banka (from Poland) and Yang (from China) have not even had their candidacies publicly announced yet, as the WADA call for nominations was issued on 2 December and will not close until 31 January 2025.
But the IOC is in their corner, regardless of who else runs. Remember that the IOC inserted a clause in the Host City Contract for the Salt Lake City 2034 Olympic Winter Games in July, allowing termination of the hosting award if:
“the Host Country is ruled ineligible to host or co-host and/or to be awarded the right to host or co-host the Games pursuant to or under the World Anti-Doping Code or if, in any other way, the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is hindered or undermined.”
So, this is more support for WADA in its present configuration.
● “The Summit took note with concern of the lack of delivery on funding commitments by certain governments for WADA. The fulfilment of these commitments is in the vital interest of a continued and harmonised global anti-doping effort.”
This is simply a notice that the IOC is aware of the questions over payments from Russia and the U.S. for 2024, for different reasons. But it is aware.
The U.S. did have representation at the Summit, with U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee President Gene Sykes attending. Also, all seven candidates for the IOC Presidency were invited as guests.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 885-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024, 2025 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
