The 7th IOC International Athletes’ Forum came to a close in Lausanne on
Saturday with a set of recommendations aimed empowering Athletes’ Commissions at
all levels.
The Forum warmly welcomed Olympic Agenda 2020, particularly the
athlete-related recommendations.
The Athletes’ Forum recommendations included:
· Empowering athletes through better communication and provision of
information. Fully integrating all athletes’ communications into the Olympic
Channel.
· To make all International Federations establish athletes’
commissions in accordance with the relevant IOC guidelines.
· The Court of Arbitration for Sport to develop and educate athlete
arbitrators.
IOC President Thomas Bach, himself an Olympic fencing champion, also joined
the Athletes’ Forum, taking part in Q&A sessions with the athletes on Friday
and Saturday. In his closing remarks, he praised those present for their hard
work and welcomed their recommendations.
“These are a great set of recommendations that underline the commitment of
the IOC to put athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement,” he said. Many of
the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020 were proposed by the IOC Athletes’
Commission, and will further strengthen their role. As one of the founding
members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 1981 it is great for me to see the
progress made from those first steps until today, where the athletes play a
fundamental role in decision-making.”
Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Claudia Bokel thanked her fellow
athletes for their active engagement and constructive discussions.
“Athletes were central to the framing of many of the recommendations of
Olympic Agenda 2020. We are fully engaged in their implementation. This
Athletes’ Forum was extremely productive and a great chance to exchange ideas;
and we will continue to suggest new ways that athletes can remain at the very
heart of the Olympic Movement,” said Claudia Bokel.
The full set of recommendations resulting from these discussions will be
presented to the IOC Executive Board in December.
The three-day Forum, which takes place every two years, saw the participation
of over 100 athletes from 40 countries with 100 Olympic medals and 200 Olympic
appearances between them. They included Athletes’ Commission representatives
from the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), International
Federations, Continental Associations and, for the first time, athlete
representatives from the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games.
The plenary sessions and panel discussions covered a number of topics
concerning athletes – from effective leadership and Athletes’ Commission
management best practices to athletes’ services and welfare, communication and
experiences during Games time and beyond.
The Forum also included a practical session on the IOC’s latest initiatives
for athletes, including the Olympic Athletes’ Hub and Integrity e-learning
programme. The participants were given the exclusive opportunity to test drive
and share first-hand their feedback on these athlete-centred platforms prior to
their launch in early 2016 ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement, and their voice is central
to the IOC’s decision-making. Olympic Agenda 2020 reiterated the IOC’s
commitment to strengthening support for athletes through a series of
recommendations currently being implemented.
