EOC NEWSLETTER No. 214 July 2021 MESSAGE FROM THE EOC PRESIDENT Dear colleagues,

As the world’s focus continues to be on the exceptional exploits of the Olympic athletes at 2020, it is especially pleasing to see our European athletes performing so well on the biggest stage in sport.

At the time of writing, 37 European National Olympic Committees (ENOCs) have already won at least one medal, a fantastic achievement and we look forward to seeing how this improves before the Games are over.

I have been in the Japanese capital for over two weeks now, and while these Olympic Games have been extraordinarily difficult to organise under the circumstances, they are nevertheless taking place smoothly and in a jovial and amicable atmosphere. More than anything, these Olympic Games have provided the world with much-needed hope and inspiration at a much-needed time.

I would therefore like to extend my gratitude and heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped get these Games off the ground – from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and his colleagues to our excellent and impeccable Japanese hosts to all of you: our 50 ENOCs and your teams of administrators, coaches, trainers, physicians and many others. All of you, especially your athletes, have had to overcome a great deal of adversity over the last year and a half and your continued professionalism is evident in how well Europe is represented in Tokyo.

The Olympic Movement as a whole should be rightfully proud of this historic undertaking.

Looking ahead, the summer break is nearly upon us, which will be an opportunity to refresh ourselves for what will surely be a busy end to the year.

When we return in September, the newly elected EOC Executive Committee will reconvene for its first full meeting in . This will be a great opportunity for us to map out the activities and strategic priorities we have been working on as part of our new mandate.

I have already had the opportunity to travel to Rome and meet with the great team at the head office and their work continues with plans already under way for the 6th Assembly of European Athletes in Dubrovnik (CRO) in October and the EOC Seminar in Samorin (SVK) in November. After that we will turn our attention to the Boys Ice Hockey Tournament in Vuokatti (FIN) in December, marking the start of the postponed Vuokatti Winter European Youth Olympic Festival.

I wish you all a great summer break and look forward to seeing you again, full of renewed energy for the future as we in Europe follow the new Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together.

With EurOlympic regards,

Spyros Capralos EOC President

1 EOC NEWSLETTER July 2021 EOC EOC calls for candidates for 2021-2025 European Athletes’ Commission

The EOC has opened the candidature procedure for election to the 2021/2025 European Athletes’ Commission (AC).

The elections will be held during the 6th Assembly of the European Athletes in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 2 October 2021.

Each NOC has been invited to participate with two delegates – one male and one female representative. “I very much look forward to welcoming the athletes from the 50 NOCs of Europe next fall in Croatia,” said Gerd Kanter, EOC AC Chair and Estonian Olympic discus champion.

“I encourage the whole European athletes’ community to put forward as many nominations as possible. I am sure that our new members will bring enthusiasm, ideas and ambition to the Commission from next year on, opening an exciting new chapter for us. Good luck to all candidates!” Read more

EOC Ethics Commission holds its first meeting virtually

The newly established EOC Ethics Commission held its first meeting virtually on 23 July 2021.

The Commission is composed of three legally qualified persons nominated by the European National Olympic Committees (ENOCs): Maja Smrdu (SLO), Martina Spreitzer-Kropiunik (AUT) and Juha Viertola (FIN).

The Members were greeted by EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi, who gave them an overview of the Association’s organisational structure and governance. Read more

EOC President Capralos makes first official visit to headquarters in Rome

Recently elected EOC President Spyros Capralos made his first official visit to the Association’s headquarters in Rome on 12 and 13 July 2021.

The visit follows his election as 9th EOC President at the EOC’s 50th General Assembly in Athens on 10 June.

The EOC President held discussions with re-elected Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi that focused on a range of topics: from the and European Youth Olympic Festivals (EYOFs), to the review of the functioning of the EOC Commissions and Strategic Agenda 2030, the roadmap for the future of the organisation and Olympic Movement in Europe.

“I was delighted to be in Rome and spend time with the EOC team in person,” Capralos said. “It is a valuable opportunity to exchange new ideas and work on how we can further improve our governance and efficiency.”

“Our main goal is to support and satisfy our 50 European National Olympic Committees. We need to understand where we currently are as an organisation, what the NOCs need from us, and then determine what we can do better for them moving forward.” Read more

2 EOC NEWSLETTER July 2021 EUROPEAN GAMES Atos to deliver secure digital services to European Games 2023 and 2027

Atos has been selected by the EOC as its official Digital Technology Partner for the 2023 and 2027 editions of the European Games. As part of this partnership, Atos, a long-standing supporter of the Olympic Movement, and the EOC, the governing body for Europe’s 50 National Olympic Committees, will work together to improve fan engagement.

With its complete portfolio for decarbonised data-driven business transformation in sport, Atos will enable European National Olympic Committees, Organising Committees and federations to create premium digital content facilitating the delivery of this ambitious international sports event.

For the third edition of the European Games in Krakow and the regions of Malopolska and Silesia in Poland, Atos will be responsible for safely capturing, processing and releasing data for all sports events. Atos will implement a new digital platform that will enable European fans to access the competitions’ official statistics, results and athletes’ personal records and will enable audiences to experience the event in a new and exciting way.

By using the data of fan interaction, the EOC will get the opportunity to enhance end-user personal experience, whether onsite or watching the Games remotely – ultimately increasing fan participation. Read more EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL Banská Bystrica 2022 unveils mascot to mark one year to go to EYOF

The countdown clock to the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) Banská Bystrica 2022 officially started on 24 July 2021, marking one year to go to the biggest youth multisports event in Europe.

The 16th Summer EYOF will be held in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, from 24 to 30 July 2022.

To celebrate the milestone, the Organising Committee unveiled its mascot, a mining gnome named Permoník.

The town of Banská Bystrica and the surrounding region are linked to the tales of “permoniks,” or mining gnomes. According to legend, the Permoniks were the ancient guardians and protectors of minerals and treasures in the vicinity of the mining tunnels. They guarded and dug ore with precious minerals, while helping miners in their work and warning them of any dangers.

The mascot was selected by a jury composed of experts in fine arts and Olympism. The winning design was produced by Milan Prekop from Bratislava and chosen out of 1,102 entries. Read more

3 EOC NEWSLETTER July 2021 European Young Olympic Ambassador Programme for EYOF Vuokatti 2022 extended until EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022 The European Young Olympic Ambassador (EYOA) programme for the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) Vuokatti 2022 has been extended up to the Summer EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022.

Since the Winter EYOF in Vuokatti has been postponed from 2021 to 20-25 March 2022 and the EYOF Banská Bystrica will take place only four months later (24-30 July 2022), the EYOA Programme for both editions of the EYOF has been merged. In other words, the NOCs of Europe can propose their current Ambassador for Vuokatti again for the EYOA Programme in Banská Bystrica.

Since the start of the programme in September 2020, EYOAs from 24 countries have regularly met on live webinars and have organised a series of virtual activities. Read more ENOCs – NOC President and Secretary General meet UNHCR representatives

Fidel Ylli and Stavri Bello, the President and Secretary General of the Albanian Olympic Committee respectively, have met representatives of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Albania Pablo Zapata and Associate External Relations OfficerShowvik Das Tamal.

The meeting focused on the social integration of refugee children in Albania through sport, and how they can be involved in sports activities or other regional competitions. Although there is not a very high number of refugees in Albania, the need for social integration is important and sport is considered the best tool.

All the ideas and agreements will be formalised in a memorandum of cooperation between the NOC of Albania and the UNHCR, while hoping that in the future the talented young refugees in sport, through cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), will be part of the refugee team at the Olympic Games. Read more CZECH REPUBLIC – Jiří Kejval re-elected NOC President for third term

Jiří Kejval will continue to lead the Czech Olympic Committee after being re- elected for a third term during a General Assembly in , Czech Republic, on 29 June 2021.

Kejval, who is an IOC Member and Chair of the IOC Marketing Commission and of the IOC Television and Marketing Services, was first elected as President in 2012.

The election, which was delayed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the former international rower stand unopposed. “I am delighted to have received such great support from the members of the Plenary Session. I see this as an affirmation of the work of our whole team and also an obligation for the coming years,” Kejval said.

Roman Kumpošt, Vice-President of the International Ski Federation and member of the IOC Communications Commission, was re-elected as Vice-President. Read more

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ESTONIA – Japanese artist turns Estonian Olympic athletes into anime characters

On 12 July 2021, the Estonian Olympic Committee launched the Tokyo 2020 campaign, which is displaying posters depicting Estonian Olympians as anime characters on JCDecaux advertising stands throughout Estonia until 8 August.

Japanese artist MONQ portrayed the athletes who are representing Estonia at the Tokyo Olympics as anime characters.

The NOC of Estonia contacted the Japanese illustrator through social media. “The idea for a campaign that celebrates Japanese culture came about a few years ago. The main task was to find the right artist. Finally, the NOC’s arts director,Mauno Meesit, was able to contact the mysterious manga artist MONQ. He sent us a sketch and we were extremely impressed,” said NOC communication manager Merili Luuk. According to Meesit, the artistic techniques of manga do not lend themselves to producing a portrait resemblance to a real person – initially, the artistic director was not even sure that Estonian athletes could be portrayed in the anime style: “In Estonia and Europe in general, we could not find an illustrator who would be equally masterful in the anime style and portraits. Japanese artists, however, usually do not exhibit their work on well-known European sites and rarely accompany works with contact details. When we finally managed to get in touch with MONQ via Twitter and saw his first sketches, it became clear that the idea was indeed feasible, and that the right person had finally been found.”

Estonia is represented in Tokyo by a national team of 34 athletes and one horse. Read more

GREECE – President Spyros Capralos receives award from Japanese Ambassador in Greece, Yasunori Nakayama

During his visit to the Japanese Embassy in Greece on 15 July 2021, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), IOC Member and EOC President Spyros Capralos received an award from Ambassador of Japan to Greece Yasunori Nakayama. He was presented with the Distinction of the Ambassador of Japan for 2020 for his effective contribution to the preparations of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and was an opportunity to discuss the preparation of both countries for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as well as a bilateral cooperation in the future.

Capralos warmly thanked the Japanese Ambassador and expressed his emotion and gratitude for the special honour. He also wished Japan the best of luck for hosting the biggest multi-sports event in the world.

ITALY – Sprinter Jacobs and high jumper Tamberi make history in Tokyo

The first hints that this was Italy’s year came when Italian band Maneskin won the popular Eurovision Song Contest in May.

Then came the European Championship soccer title run in June and July. To top it all off, on the first day of August, Marcell Jacobs won the 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics to succeed Usain Bolt as The World’s Fastest Man.

In the most prestigious event of them all, Jacobs beat a star-studded field to end 25 years of dominance by sprinters from the Americas.

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Jacobs is the first European to win the Olympic 100m title since Britain’sLinford Christie at Barcelona 1992, and Italy’s first Olympic sprint champion sincePietro Mennea took the 200m at Moscow 1980.

And who was the first man to embrace Jacobs after he crossed the line in a personal-best 9.8 seconds on Sunday? That would be Gianmarco Tamberi, the Italian high jumper who had just won gold in his event in a tie with Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar.

Tamberi became the second Italian to win gold in the high jump at the Olympic Games, after Sara Simeoni won the women’s competition in Moscow 1980. Read more - 11 athletes represent Kosovo at Tokyo 2020

President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani handed over the to Olympic champion judoka Majlinda at a special ceremony organised at the Gërmia swimming pool in Pristina on 13 July 2021.

President Osmani said that Kelmendi’s second time competing at the Olympic Games was a proud moment for the country, and asked that all the athletes follow the example set by Kelmendi at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, where she won gold.

A total of 11 athletes are representing Kosovo at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The Olympic team consists of Kelmendi, Distria Krasniqi, Nora Gjakova, Akil Gjakova and Loriana Kuka (), Egzon Shala (wrestling), Donjeta Sadiku (boxing), Drilon Ibrahimi (shooting), Musa Hajdari (athletics), Olt Kondirolli (swimming) and Eda Zeqiri (swimming).

The Olympic team uniform was also unveiled during the ceremony by sponsor ‘Fourteen’. In addition to the colours that match the flag of Kosovo, the uniform contains two additional elements: the Goddess on the Throne and the Runner of Prizren. Read more SAN MARINO – NOC makes history in Tokyo winning first-ever Olympic medal

San Marino has made history in Tokyo, with shooter Alessandra Perilli winning the country’s first ever Olympic medal.

After 61 years, the European nation of San Marino, with a population of around 34,000, has made its dream come true, becoming the smallest country in history to win an Olympic medal.

Perilli, a European Games medallist (bronze in mixed trap at Baku 2015), earned a bronze medal in the women’s trap shooting final at Tokyo 2020, joining Slovakia’s Zuzana Štefečeková (gold), who set an Olympic record with 43 hit targets, and American Kayle Browning (silver) on the podium. SLOVAKIA – New NOC headquarters and museum in Bratislava

After 19 years, the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee has returned to the House of Sports in Bratislava, following its complete reconstruction.

The official re-opening was held on the occasion of Olympic Day, 23 June 2021.

On the ground floor of the House of Sports, there is an exhibition of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Museum (SOSM), whose hall has been named after Vladimír Černušák, the first chairman of the NOC of Slovakia (1992-1999) and the first Slovak IOC Member (1981-2001).

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The historical first permanent exhibition of the SOSM, the only specialised Olympic and sports museum in Slovakia, has a very modern design and, in addition to valuable artefacts, makes extensive use of modern technology and interactivity. “We value our history and we want to build our future with respect to it. The premises of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Museum are dignified and at the same time attractive for the young generation,” saidAnton Siekel, President of the NOC Slovakia. Also in attendance was EOC Treasurer and Secretary General of the Austrian Olympic Committee Peter Mennel, who presented an EOC memorial plaque to the NOC Slovakia President on this occasion. Read more ANOC ANOC General Assembly moved from Seoul to Athens The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has moved its General Assembly in October from Seoul, South Korea, to Athens, Greece. The decision was confirmed following a meeting of the ANOC Executive Council in Tokyo on 27 July 2021.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions in South Korea, the body accepted an offer from the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) and the Greek Sports Ministry to stage the event in Athens from 23 to 25 October 2021. Read more

OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 – EOC expresses support for European athletes as Opening Ceremony kicks off The delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 officially got under way with an emotional Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on 23 July 2021.

Despite a more solemn affair than Ceremonies of the past, it was no less special for the athletes who entered the stadium as part of the Parade of Nations for the XXXII Olympiad, watched by millions across the globe.

Europe is represented at these Games by more than 5,000 athletes, led by Germany with the largest delegation of 420 athletes. Andorra is the smallest European delegation with two athletes.

EOC President Spyros Capralos led the messages of support for the European athletes. “It has been a long time and there have been many sacrifices that you have made for us to be able to come together again for an Olympic Games. It is a privilege for me to see so many European Athletes here in Tokyo and I wish you all the very best of luck in these Games.” Read more Plenty of European Success as Tokyo 2020 Reaches Midway Mark

The Olympic Games never fail to create new superstars and national heroes, and Tokyo 2020 is no exception so far as the Games reached their midway point on 31 July.

With eight days of competition completed, 37 ENOCs occupied a place on the medals table, with the Russian Olympic Committee leading the pack with 11 gold, 15 silver and 11 bronze medals.

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European athletes featured prominently in the headlines as well, including the incredible solo ride by Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer in the women’s cycling road race, where she claimed Austria’s first cycling medal in 125 years.Alessandra Perilli of San Marino, meanwhile, won the first ever Olympic medal for her country when she secured bronze in the women’s trap shooting final.

Other highlights saw Switzerland complete a clean sweep of the podium in the women’s mountain bike, with Jolanda Neff leading home Sina Frei and Linda Indergand – the first time this feat has been accomplished by Swiss women in any Olympic event.

The Irish rowing duo of Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy will be heading home to the Emerald Isle with the first Olympic rowing gold and the first Olympic gold for the nation since 2012.

The waterways continued to be fruitful for European athletes, with Stefanos Ntouskos winning Greece’s first Olympic rowing gold medal and setting a new Olympic record in the process. Read more

PARIS 2024 – Next organisers excited and ready to take the baton from Tokyo

The 2024 Organising Committee team shared their excitement and readiness to step into the spotlight upon the handover of hosting responsibilities from Tokyo 2020 at the end of this year’s Games.

This anticipation is reflected through 20 celebration sites across France – and in Tahiti – being organised by Paris 2024 during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The sites give fans the opportunity to come together to watch and engage with all the action from Japan, as well as exclusive opportunities to celebrate the handover of the Olympic flag to Paris on 8 August. In addition, IOC Members received an overview of Paris 2024’s initiative that will see four temporary swimming pools built in Seine-Saint-Denis, an area where one in every two children starting secondary school does not know how to swim. This will help thousands of children from the local community learn to swim over the summer months.

Details of Paris 2024’s new digital training camp booking platform for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 were also presented. This includes information about more than 700 options currently available to the National Olympic Committees.

Further updates were provided on Paris 2024’s commercial success, progress with venues, extensive engagement programmes (Terre de Jeux and Club 2024) and continued commitment to being the first carbon-positive Games. Read more EUROPEAN UNION Slovenia takes over the Presidency of the EU Council

On 1 July, Slovenia took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will be run until 31 December 2021. The Presidency had been held by Portugal for the previous half-year and will be followed in 2022 by France.

The Council is the EU Institution that brings together responsible Ministers from the EU Member States intending to coordinate policies in specific fields. To achieve this goal, 10 different Council configurations are covering different subjects, including the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council configuration (EYCS).

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In light of the impacts the Covid-19 pandemic has had on health, economies, social life and restricted travel, the Slovenian Presidency has chosen the motto “Together. Resilient. Europe” and has declared four priority areas to build a resilient Europe that is better prepared for the challenges ahead. The focus will be on recovery and resilience, translating ambitious green goals into binding legislation, strategic autonomy, the digital transition, rule of law and the protection of external borders. Read more EOC 50th ANNIVERSARY NOC TOP MOMENTS

BULGARIA - The Bulgarian Olympic Committee aimed high when considering its top sporting moment of the last five decades. 209cm high, to be exact. That’s the height high jumper and current NOC President Stefka Kostadinova jumped at the 1997 World Championships in Rome, a world record that still stands today, 34 years later!

Click here to see the best memories from NOC Bulgaria!

CROATIA - “In the last 50 years, the EOC proved that it is the leading organisation for Olympic sports and Olympism in Europe,” says Croatian Olympic Committee President Zlatko Matesa, who points to the European Games as the most successful of the EOC’s activities over the last 50 years.

Click here to see the best memories from NOC Croatia!

CZECH REPUBLIC - The Czech Republic has a particularly rich sporting history and some of the country’s athletes have created legendary moments known the world over. These include Vera Čáslavská winning seven Olympic gold medals throughout her career, Emil Zátopek claiming three gold medals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, and the all-conquering men’s ice hockey team at the Winter Olympic Games Nagano 1998. Based on its past, the future of Olympic sports also looks bright for the Czech Republic, with more historic moments undoubtedly to come.

Click here to see the best memories from NOC Czech Republic!

*Due to the summer holidays, the EOC newsletter will not be published next month. News from August will instead be included in the September issue. Happy holidays and enjoy the summer!

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