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≡ EXECUTIVE BOARD ≡
The Milan Cortina Winter Games are coming, but the noteworthy comment by International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) at a news conference following the Executive Board meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday was about the effort on the “protection of the female category.”
Coventry summarized the work so far:
“We’ve got the working group and they’re working very well, with all of the stakeholders … we’re going to find ways of trying to find a consensus that has all aspects covered. It’s maybe not going to be the easiest thing to do, but we are going to try our best to be sure than when are talking about the female category, we are protecting the female category and doing that in the most fair way and in finding a consensus for everybody to be able to at least believe in and get behind in.”
Asked specifically about the progress, she added:
“We want to make sure that we can try and ensure that we’ve spoken to all stakeholders and that we’ve really taken adequate time to cross the ‘t’s and dot the ‘i’s. … I don’t want to try and constrain – maybe is the right word? – the working group that they need to have a specific deadline, but I am hopeful in the next couple of months, definitely within the first quarter of next year, we will have a very clear decision and way forward, which I think we’re all looking forward to.”
Regarding the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Coventry said “[w]e’re very impressed, we’re very happy with everything that we’re seeing and that we’re hearing.”
IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games Christophe Dubi (SUI) – speaking from Milan – added, “If we look at the global picture, we can be super-happy. We’re close to 70% [tickets sold] at this stage, and so we’re going strong … and no doubt, we’ll have maximum capacities and big crowds in all the venues.” He said that a stronger effort needs to be made for Paralympic ticket sales, noting also that sales pick up after the Olympic Games start.
Questions about the Santa Giulia ice hockey venue were brushed aside as settled, with a test event coming from 9-11 January and all parties now agreed to use the 60 x 26 m rink, which is slightly shorter than that used in the National Hockey League.
IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey (SUI) explained, “So we’re still having a test event that will replicate the conditions of the Games, which is three matches per day, so we really put the ice under the right level of test, but it’s just been delayed a couple of weeks so that we can have all the circumstances to test the venue, but also to have spectators in the venue so that we can really replicate, as close as possible, the circumstances we will have during the Games.”
Dubi said the actual ice sheet in the Santa Giulia arena will be in place around the end of the month, indicated everyone is “very confident” after seeing the current hockey test event.
Coventry also noted:
● Nothing is happening on the selection process for the 2036 Olympic Games as the working group on the future process is continuing discussions.
● For the on-hold Olympic Esports Games, Coventry said this is being “re-evaluated,” explaining, “we just really want to be able to be very clear, as the Olympic Movement, as the IOC, what we expect, what we want and where do we want to go with esports.” She said more will be done in the next few months, including discussions with outside experts, to “really make sure we’re on line with not just where we would like to get to, but where the market, and where the industry especially is going.”
● “We want to keep the Youth Olympic Games, but we need to be very clear, and have very clear clarity on what we want the Games to be, how we want them to be produced and really look at re-shaping them so that they are fit for the future.”
The Executive Board advanced three YOG bids to “targeted dialogue” for 2030 with a more directed examination as a possible host for Asuncion (PAR), Santiago (CHI) and Bangkok (THA). The election should take place in June 2026.
● The new “Olympian Highlights Programme” will offer Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games athletes an opportunity “to request and share official archive clips of their Olympic performances on their personal social media accounts, for non-commercial use.”
The project will open in January 2026, “with athletes from Beijing 2022 eligible to apply via Athlete365 for a 60-second highlight clip.” This is a significant expansion of access to coverage which the IOC owns, with Paris 2024 and Milan Cortina 2026 video to be available later in 2026.
● Among seven changes in nationalities that were approved was Ice Dance skater Laurence Fournier Beaudry, from Canada to France, allowing her and Beijing 2022 gold medalist Guillaume Cizeron – then with Gabriella Papadakis – to compete at Milan Cortina, where they are strong medal favorites.
The 14th Olympic Summit will be held in Lausanne on Thursday, which may offer some clues on future policy directions of the IOC.
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