United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic took part at the 8th Olympic Summit on Dec. 6-7 following the invitation sent by President of the IOC, Dr. Thomas Bach.
Lalovic was invited to discuss current international sporting issues related to athlete support and funding redistribution, growing politicization in sports, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, fight against doping and much more.
Leaders from FIFA, IAAF, ASOIF, GAISF, IOC Athlete Commission chair and many more took part in these two intense days to discuss the above-mentioned topics and provided their expertise and advice to the IOC.
“We are working closely with the IOC to advance the Olympic Agenda 2020,” said Lalovic. “UWW is implementing all the necessary tools and actions to advance the sport of wrestling in close collaboration with the IOC. Wrestling must be united in order to remain strong within the Olympic family.”
The Olympic Summit forms part of the ongoing consultation process on important issues of significance for the future of the Olympic Movement.
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The main areas under discussion were as follows:
ATHLETE SUPPORT
The Olympic Summit restated the priority of putting athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement.
This principle leads to the IOC distributing the equivalent of 90 per cent of its revenue to the Olympic Movement. This means 5 billion US dollars for the last Olympiad, which is distributed to the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games, to the athletes and their teams (all 206 National Olympic Committees) and their sports (the International Federations governing their sport).
The structure and financial model of the Olympic Movement is based on worldwide solidarity. It is different from purely commercial organisations and events and it is important that this clear difference is communicated to athletes and public authorities. The Olympic Summit agreed on the need to provide clarity and transparency on the support given to athletes by the Olympic Movement.
In this respect, it was agreed that International Federations and National Olympic Committees should make transparent how they support their athletes, both directly and indirectly. The programmes include anti-doping efforts, medical assistance, harassment and abuse prevention, career programmes, coaching and others.
The IOC will work with the individual International Federations, with ASOIF and AIOWF and with ANOC for the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), to run a pilot project in 2020 with some International Federations, with the aim of covering all these Olympic organisations, starting in 2021.
GROWING POLITICISATION OF SPORT
The Summit called on public authorities and governments to respect the mission of the Olympic Movement to bring the world together in peaceful competition through sport.
In this respect, the participants expressed serious concerns over the growing politicisation of sport. Examples include: governments calling on athletes and teams not to participate in competition in specific countries; calls for boycotts; the non-issuance of visas for athletes wanting to participate in international competitions; the resistance by organisers to raising particular national flags and to playing national anthems; and the repeated interference of governments in the basic operations of national sports bodies. All these measures disrespect the political neutrality of sport.
The growing politicisation of sport prevents events including the Olympic Games or World Championships from realising their mission.
All the participants restated their determination to convince governments to respect the political neutrality of the Olympic Movement, which must be strictly maintained in order to guarantee the universality of the Olympic Games and international competitions.
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OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020
The Summit welcomed the advanced preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, describing them as the best prepared Olympic Games at this stage. This was underlined by the extremely high interest in the Games, with over 200,000 people applying to volunteer, more than eight million residents of Japan registering to buy tickets, and a record-breaking national marketing programme.
The Summit also noted that Tokyo 2020 will be more youthful, more urban and more female than any previous Olympic Games. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will see gender equality achieved, with women representing around 49 per cent of the participants.
One of the biggest-ever reforms of the sports programme with five news sports, Skateboarding, Surfing, Sports Climbing, Karate and Baseball/Softball, as well as new urban and youthful disciplines like Basketball 3×3. This will deliver an innovative sports programme bringing the Games closer to younger generations.
Following the IOC request for sustainable organisation of the Games, there is a strong Sustainability Plan, “Towards Zero Carbon”, aiming for a carbon-neutral Games, and a comprehensive legacy plan.
THE FIGHT AGAINST DOPING
Following a presentation to the Olympic Summit by WADA President Sir Craig Reedie, the Summit discussed the forthcoming WADA Executive Committee meeting. For this part of the Summit, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), was not present.
The participants in the discussion strongly condemned those responsible for the manipulation of the data from the Moscow Laboratory data before it was transferred to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in January 2019. It was agreed that this was an attack on sport and that these actions should lead to the toughest sanctions against those responsible. It was stressed by the participants that full justice must be finally done so that the guilty ones can be properly punished and the innocent ones are fully protected.
The Russian authorities were requested to deliver the raw data on which this case is based. The delivery of the fully authenticated raw data will ensure that full justice can finally be done, with the guilty properly punished and the innocent new generation of clean Russian athletes fully protected from suspicion.
The participants of the discussion fully endorsed the IOC statement from 26 November 2019.
At the same time, the Summit looked forward to clarification of the proposed implementation of sanctions.
The Summit welcomed the IOC’s decision to give up to an extra 10 million US dollars to the fight against doping. The IOC has initiated a global long-term storage and re-analysis programme, also for samples collected during the pre-Games testing period. To make this step possible, the IOC is financing the necessary storage facilities for the IFs and NADOs for the tens of thousands of samples collected during the pre-Games testing period.
The IOC has also asked the ITA to collect the appropriate samples during the Games to be analysed by the new genetic sequencing. The analysis will be carried out as soon as these methods are fully validated. The Summit welcomed the fact that the pre-Games testing programme for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be the most extensive programme ever, aimed at maximising both detection and deterrence.
The IOC is giving another 2.5 million US dollars to the latest research programme, to bring some of these projects, like the new genetic sequencing and the Dried Blood Spot Test, to full fruition.
The IOC also proposes to strengthen the investigative powers of the WADA Intelligence and Investigative Unit. Governments have been invited to join the programme, to which the IOC would then commit another 2.5 million US dollars for the next Olympiad.
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Following a presentation by Valérie Fourneyron, Chair of the International Testing Agency, the Summit welcomed the fact that the International Testing Agency (ITA), whose creation was supported by the Olympic Summit four years ago, is already working with more than 40 International Federations, and 11 IFs have handed over their sanctioning to the newly created anti-doping division of CAS.
“FUTURE OF GLOBAL SPORT” STUDY
The Summit welcomed the findings of the “Future of Global Sport” study presented by Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). The report addresses the changing role of the International Federations and the consequences of this with regard to their authority and governance. The report stresses that IFs are not just event organisers but must also ensure the long-term development of their sports by investing in youth, education, anti-doping and other social activities.
The study notes that IFs must demonstrate an exemplary standard of governance in order to maintain the confidence of the media, governments, business and the public at large, while also protecting the integrity of their sports. It found that IFs will need to develop a more proactive, creative, commercially driven and collaborative mindset, re-evaluating their role and strategies in favour of increased partnership with the private sector;
In order to attract new people to participate in and consume their sports, it noted that IFs must adapt their strategies to a changing society and to how, in future, people will discover and consume content. IFs should adapt to remain widely accepted as unique bodies effectively capable of governing and administrating their sports on a worldwide basis as custodians of the rules, training of judges, managing the events calendar and coordinating and funding global development initiatives, etc.
The Summit welcomed the report, and encouraged the IFs to implement its recommendations.
ESPORTS AND GAMING
The Olympic Summit received a report from the Chair of the Esports and Gaming Liaison Group, UCI President David Lappartient, on the recommendations to promote the Olympic sports and the Olympic values in Esports and gaming.
The Summit agreed on a two-speed approach:
– With regard to electronic games simulating sports, the Summit sees great potential for cooperation and incorporating them into the sports movement. Many sports simulations are becoming more and more physical thanks to Virtual and Augmented Reality which replicate the traditional sports.
The International Federations are encouraged to consider how to govern electronic and virtual forms of their sport and explore opportunities with game publishers.
– With regard to other electronic games, the Summit concluded that, at this stage, the sports movement should focus on players and gamers rather than on specific games. This focus on individuals should promote the participation in sport and its benefits as well as healthy lifestyle at all levels, including a health management model for elite esports competitors including both physical and mental health.
A continuous dialogue between the Olympic Movement and Esports and gaming communities should be fostered to develop strategic partnerships, including platforms and events as appropriate. The participants also agreed that guidelines for sustainable relationships between sports stakeholders and Esports communities should be developed.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
The summit noted a report by the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer which is the result of consultations with several Chairs of various Ethics Commissions of sports organisations from the Olympic Movement. The following principles were outlined:
Ethical behaviour of IOC Members cannot be divided into sports related and non-sports-related issues. On the other hand, an Ethics Commission might not have to intervene if the alleged behaviour is considered by the IOC Ethics Commission as only administrative in nature or as purely politically motivated.
Any decision of the IOC Ethics Commission on IOC Members will have an effect on any other sports organisation mentioned in its decision.
DIGITAL STRATEGY
The Summit agreed that the sports movement must continue to adapt to the digital world, in particular with regard to the organisation of events as well as communication.
The aim of the digital strategy is to allow more effective and sustainable organisation of major sports events.
Digital communication can create direct contact with all the sports fans and interested people, and will bring great benefits for the athletes, the International Federations, the NOCs, and Organising Committees of Olympic Games, and provide a new spectator experience. In this context, the Summit appreciated the interim report on the IOC’s digital strategy.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
IOC President
Thomas BACH (Chair)
IOC Vice-Presidents
U?ur ERDENER
Juan Antonio SAMARANCH
Zaiqing YU
EB Members
Kirsty COVENTRY – Chair, IOC Athletes’ Commission
Nenad LALOVIC – President of an Olympic Summer Sports Federation
International Federations
Sebastian COE, President of World Athletics
Gianni INFANTINO, President of FIFA
Julio César MAGLIONE, President of FINA
Morinari WATANABE, President of the FIG
René FASEL, President of the IIHF
Jan DIJKEMA, President of the ISU
National Olympic Committees
GOU Zhongwen, President of the Chinese Olympic Committee
Susanne LYONS, President of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
Stanislav POZDNYAKOV, President of the Russian Olympic Committee
Recognised Organisations
Andrew PARSONS, President of the IPC
Francesco RICCI BITTI, President of ASOIF
Gian-Franco KASPER, President of AIOWF
Raffaele CHIULLI, President of GAISF
Guests
Sir Craig REEDIE, President of WADA (Presenting)
Yang YANG, Vice-President elect of WADA (Presenting)
Valérie FOURNEYRON, Chair of the International Testing Agency (Presenting)
David LAPPARTIENT, President of the UCI and Chair of the Esports and Gaming Liaison Group (Presenting)