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EOC Head Office | Villino Giulio Onesti | Via della Pallacanestro, 19 00135 Rome, | Tel. +39 06 36857828 |

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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER N.185

MESSAGE FROM EOC PRESIDENT JANEZ KOCIJANČIČ

Dear colleagues, As the Presidents of all 50 European National Committees will already know, the EOC Executive Committee approved the Bid Process for the 2023 in in September, thereby officially starting the procedure to find a host city for the third edition of Europe’s premier multi- sport event. We are excited to get the process under way, and trust that you will support us in our endeavours to make the Games second in stature only to the . This is a tall order, but one that I am confident we can achieve if we work together, united by our common mission to maintain Europe’s position as the global leader in sport. Despite dating back only three years, the European Games are far from a new concept. In fact, one of the leading tasks entrusted to the EOC when it was established in 1975 was to look into the possibility of creating a pan-European Games. Until 2015, we were the only continent not to have our own Games. Another responsibility of the EOC is to bring as much value as possible to Europe’s 50 National Olympic Committees, be they in the biggest countries or the smallest, in the richest countries or the poorest. The European Games – not to mention the European Youth Olympic Festivals and Games of the Small States of Europe - are a terrific opportunity for us to do just that. The Games allow us to showcase the best of what our organisations have to offer, from the world’s top athletes to the Olympic values our Movement was founded on over 120 years ago. They are a platform with which to display the rich diversity of our united Europe and to solidify the European model of sport, which aims to benefit people at all stages of athletic development, not just the elite performers. What is also clear, however, is that the European Games need to become better known. To do this we would like to see greater cooperation and coordination between the EOC and ENOCs. As we continue to make every effort to promote the European Games, in particular 2019, we call on your organisations to be as active as possible in helping us spread the word. This can be done without great expense or toil: a simple like or retweet on social media can go a long way. Activating your athletes – the greatest ambassadors of sport – would also be extremely helpful. We understand that your focus at present is on the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, as it should be. And on behalf of everyone at the EOC, I wish you and your athletes every success in Argentina. May your travels be both educational and inspirational. Upon returning from Buenos Aires in mid-October, there will only be four-and-a-half months to go before the deadline for 2023 Bid Submissions on 28 February 2019, and only eight-and-a-half months to go until the start of the 2nd edition of the European Games in Minsk. It would be beneficial for us all, therefore, if we redouble our efforts to promote the Games post-YOG. The European Games are your Games. Their success is your success. Let us work together to give them the recognition they deserve.

Best regards,

Janez Kocijančič EOC President

2018 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER EOC Newsletter

EOC

With 2019 set to be one of the busiest years on record for the European Olympic Committees, it should come as no surprise that the workload is already starting to increase. In September, the organisation held its 2nd meeting of the European Games Coordination Commission in Minsk, its 3rd Executive Committee meeting of the year in Stockholm, and two Commission meetings. Among other activities, EOC President Kocijančič met with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on the eve of the Coordination Commission meeting on 4 September. The progress of preparations for the 2nd European Games and key areas where action is needed were the main topics discussed with the Belarusian President, who also heads the National Olympic Committee. “Preparations are going very well. People have been working very hard and we are providing them with maximum support,” Kocijančič said. He also congratulated the Belarusian authorities for launching visa-free travel for the duration of the Games that will benefit the participants and visitors to Minsk 2019. “I hope you will make the best use of this opportunity to show the world a modern, flourishing Belarus,” he added. The EOC Executive Committee gathered in Stockholm on 20 September. The EOC Quadruka – comprised of the EOC President, Vice President Niels Nygaard, Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi and Treasurer Kikis Lazarides – outlined the range of activities being undertaken by the organisation, with a strong focus on the EOC flagship events, four editions of which (the European Games, Games of the Small States of Europe, and winter and summer editions of the European Youth Olympic Festivals) will take place in 2019. The highlight of the meeting was the announcement of the launch of the bid process for the 3rd edition of the European Games in 2023. “We can confirm we have already had interest from all over Europe, including numerous Western countries,” President Kocijančič stated. “It is a demanding challenge, but we want to offer cost-efficient, sustainable Games at the level of quality second only to the Olympic Games.” The host city of the 2023 European Games is set to be announced at an extraordinary EOC General Assembly to be held the day before the Minsk 2019 Opening Ceremony. The 4th and final Executive Committee meeting of the year will take place on the eve of the 47th EOC General Assembly in Marbella, from 9-10 November. The Order of Merit, Laurels and the winner of the Piotr Nurowski Prize will be awarded during the meeting.

On 22 September, the EOC President represented the Olympic Movement of Europe at the Opening Ceremony of the 4th edition of the European Week of Sport (EWoS) in Vienna, and took the opportunity to remind those in attendance of the key role that the European model of sport plays in the development of sport at the grassroots level. On 27 September, the President participated in a conference organised by the European Commission in , where he outlined the role of the Olympic Movement in the EU for the promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

The EOC President was also in Bratislava for the 25th anniversary of the Slovak Olympic Committee. In his speech, he retraced the steps of the NOC’s history and praised Slovak athletes and Olympians, who have been competing at the highest level and winning medals for far longer than the 25-year lifespan of the National Olympic Committee. “For a country of just five and a half million people, Slovakia has won significantly more than its fair share of Olympic medals,” Kocijančič said. Last but not least, the Association represented Europe at the 10th Meeting of the Olympic Solidarity (OS) Offices, which was held at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) headquarters in Lausanne on 27-28 September 2018.

COMMISSIONS

The EOC Olympic Culture and Legacy Commission gathered at the Finnish Olympic Committee headquarters in on 17 September. Chair of the Commission and Finnish NOC Vice President Susanna Rahkamo opened the working session along with NOC Secretary General Mikko Salonen. One of the goals of the EOC working group is to inspire, motivate and convey the Olympic Values to the youth, aiming to transform them into lifetime ambassadors of Olympism in all European societies.

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The EOC Olympic Games Commission met in Lausanne at the ANOC Headquarters on 25 September. Information on upcoming events, in particular the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, was provided by ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg, who also serves as EOC Executive Committee Liaison Member with the Commission, Commission Chair Yury Yuriev and Toshio Tsurunaga, Head of NOC Games Services at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The state of preparations for the 2nd European Games was also discussed.

A number of other EOC Commissions are set to meet soon, including the Medical & Antidoping Commission in Rome on 4- 5 October; the European Union Commission in Brussels on 24 October, and the Olympic Academies Commission in Rome on 26 October.

PIOTR NUROWSKI PRIZE - SUMMER

The European NOCs have expressed their preferences for the finalists of the 8th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize, shortlisting the following 5 athletes: Laura STIGGER (Austria), Ajna KESELY (), Iga SWIATEK (), Eva Alina HOCEVAR (Slovenia) and Jakub STASTNY (). The winner of the award for the for the best young European athlete in a summer sport will be announced during the 47th EOC General Assembly in Marbella (Spain) on 9 November. All five finalists will receive financial support for training and educational purposes. The winning athlete will receive €15,000, the runner up will be awarded €8,000, the third-place finisher €5,000, and the fourth- and fifth-place athletes will both receive €3,000. Since 2016, two Nurowski Prizes have been awarded every year: one for summer sports and one for winter sports. Last year the summer prize went to Italian cyclist Letizia Paternoster, who continues to go from success to success in her young sport career, having already won two medals at the European level. Who will be the next winner? Stay tuned … For information on former prize recipients, please click here.

EUROPEAN GAMES

With less than nine months to go until the start of the European Games Minsk 2019, the Belarusian capital is almost entirely ready to host Europe’s premier multi-sports event. Local organisers are fine-tuning their preparations with a full slate of test events leading up to next year’s Games. Since August, the Minsk European Games Organising Committee (MEGOC) has hosted test events in , , beach soccer, cycling, , , shooting, and more. There are 22 test events scheduled in total, with 11 taking place in 2018 and 11 in 2019.

- COCOM2 The second Coordination Commission (CoCom2) meeting for the European Games Minsk 2019 took place in Minsk on 5-6 September with a comprehensive review of preparations. The Coordination Commission, Chaired by Spyros Capralos, heard from MEGOC on everything from the Sports Programme and Athletes’ Village to NOC Services and Logistics. “We are now in our second and last half of our preparations. Now is the time to intensify our efforts and to set the grounds for success,” Capralos said following the meeting in the Belarus capital. “The success of every major international multisport event is dependent on the flexibility and quick decision-making

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of the organising committee. Because of the size and scale of the event, MEGOC must be as flexible as possible as they move towards the operational readiness phase.” Members of the CoCom were taken on a venue tour of the 12 facilities to be used for the Games, including the Falcon Club, where the Belarus International Badminton competition was taking place. “I think that we will have excellent European Games here in Minsk. It’s a country full of the spirit of sport that has a great amount of experience in organising big sports events,” said EOC President Kocijančič, who discussed the Minsk 2019 project with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko earlier the same week. “I expect that over the next eight or nine months we will face some challenges and smaller organisational issues but due to the meetings I had with President Lukashenko I think we are absolutely able to deal with those problems. The preparations are going very well, there is a lot of enthusiasm invested in this event and I think that Belarus would like to use it to open up to Europe and show that it is a new, modern nation.” Also joining the members of the CoCom and team of technical experts were EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi, CoCom Vice Chair Zlatko Mateša and the heads of European Federations, including European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen, European Judo President Sergey Soloveichik, European Canoe Association President Albert Woods and European Union President Ronald Kramer.

- DNA At the European Games Minsk 2019 from 21-30 June, European Athletics and the European Olympic Committees (EOC) will unveil a brand new athletics experience: Dynamic New Athletics (DNA), an action-packed mixed-gender team event built on tactics, competitiveness and grit. Three years in the making, Dynamic New Athletics has been put together to appeal to new audiences, especially young people, in a rapidly changing digital world. “Let’s be clear: we are proud of traditional athletics – we don’t want to change our sport at all, we only want to showcase it in an innovative new way, trying to be more dynamic and more interactive,” said Libor Varhaník, the European Athletics Council Member in charge of the project. In Dynamic New Athletics, teams of men and women battle each other for supremacy in 10 competitive events in only two hours. Only one team can win and it all comes down to the final event. In Minsk next year, the top 30 athletics nations in Europe are scheduled to compete in DNA. The knock-out tournament will take place from 23-28 June 2019, with four competition days and two rest days. Each team will feature up to 17 athletes and 6 reserves. There will be 33 medals up for grabs in total: gold, silver and bronze for the best team overall, and gold, silver and bronze for the best individual athletes in each of the 10 disciplines. A Head Coaches Workshop dedicated to DNA is scheduled for 25 October in Lausanne, Switzerland.

- STAR AMBASSADORS Three new Star Ambassadors were recently announced for the European Games Minsk 2019: Aleksandr Medved (BLR), a three-time Olympic wrestling champion, Aliaksandr Bahdanovich (BLR), an Olympic champion from 2008 and Belarus Member of the Parliament, and Olga Mazurenok (BLR), 2018 European Marathon Champion. Bahdanovich was given the title at a ceremony following a canoe sprint dragon boat regatta as part of Minsk City Day celebrations held from 7-9 September. “I am happy to promote the leading European multisport competition and will do my best to fulfil the task of Star Ambassador,” he said. “I am confident that the European Games will be a successful event.” The canoe event – held on the Svisloch River on 8 September – featured a series of famous Belarusian athletes together with amateur teams made up of MEGOC staff, aspiring volunteers for Minsk 2019, university students and the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM). MEGOC Deputy CEO Anatoly Kotov said that naming Bahdanovich as a Minsk 2019 Star Ambassador was an important step towards the event. “We are very pleased to entrust this title to such an outstanding athlete. He will promote the Games in the sports world and also in our society,” Kotov said. “I am sure that Aliaksandr will use each and every opportunity to make the European Games even more valuable and bright.” Marathon runner Mazurenok was named Minsk 2019 Star Ambassador at the end of the Minsk Half Marathon, where thousands of professional and amateur runners from Belarus and abroad took part in the 21.1km race. MEGOC CEO George Katulin praised the Belarusian athlete for her great success achieved at the European Athletics Championship in . “We are happy that Olga joined our team and are confident that, thanks to her passion and dynamism, we will attract more and more athletes to the upcoming European Games.” Medved, who has now retired, is one of the greatest wrestlers of the 20th century. Between 1962 and 1972 the Minsk honorary citizen won three Olympic gold medals, seven world and three

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European titles. “I am delighted to receive this recognition,” he stated. “To carry on this mission, I will share my experiences and my values especially with young people.” MEGOC launched the Star Ambassador project for Minsk 2019 earlier this year to spread the word about the European Games, which will take place from 21-30 June next year in the Belarusian capital. Four-time Olympic champion and two-time World Champion biathlete Darya Domracheva was announced as the first Star Ambassador on 24 July, followed by famous circus trainers Askold and Edgard Zapashnye. Future Star Ambassadors are expected to include representatives from the world of sport, art and culture from Belarus and other countries.

EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL

WINTER EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL (EYOF) – SARAJEVO AND EAST SARAJEVO 2019 In just over four months, around 1,500 of the best young athletes from all 50 European National Olympic Committees (ENOCs), together with 1,200 volunteers, will gather in Sarajevo and East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the start of the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival. A countdown clock for the EYOF was unveiled in May along with a mascot called Groodvy. The event will take place from 9-16 February 2019 and will feature competitions in 8 sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, short-track speed skating, snowboarding and curling. This is not the first time that the Bosnian capital will host a big multisport event. In 1984 the XIV Winter Olympic Games took place in Sarajevo, which was at the time part of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This is the 14th Winter edition of the only major multisport event created directly for the best young athletes in Europe. After a first taste of major multisport competition at the EYOF, many athletes go on to compete in the European Games and Olympic Games. Belgian Jacques Rogge, former President of the European Olympic Committees, is the father of the European Youth Olympic Festival, originally called European Youth Olympic Days, when it was first launched in 1991. Held under the patronage of the IOC, and the pride of the European Olympic Committees with 27 years of tradition, the EYOF is the top European multisport event for young athletes aged 14 to 18. The EYOF is held every two years, with alternating winter and summer editions. An overview of the Winter EYOF 2019, providing ENOCs with useful information ahead of the event, will be given at the Chefs de Mission Seminar scheduled for 13-16 November in Sarajevo.

GAMES OF THE SMALL STATES OF EUROPE

MONTENEGRO 2019 - In line with the Olympic Movement commitment to sustainability - which is, alongside credibility and youth, one of the three pillars of Olympic Agenda 2020 - the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (MOC) has adopted a “Green Games” programme for the GSSE 2019. The programme focuses on infrastructure and natural sites, sourcing and resource management, mobility, workforce, and climate. With the slogan “Be Fair by Nature,” the GSSE Montenegro 2019 will promote the role that sport has in protecting the planet and in respecting the environment. The initiative, supported by the Montenegrin Ministry of Tourism and Sustainable Development, is considered a pioneering project within the framework of Olympic Solidarity. To fulfil the mission of organising a multisport event with zero impact on the environment, the MOC will involve more than 500 volunteers, 250 members of sport associations and clubs as well as municipal employees, providing them with training on the implementation of the green recommendations.

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ENOCs

ALBANIA - Albanian National Olympic Committee President Viron Bezhani and Secretary General Stavri Bello welcomed two Japanese parliamentarians, Hiroshi Hase and Minoru Kiuchi, on a special visit to the NOC headquarters on 3 August 2018. The Deputies were accompanied by the Albanian Ambassador to Japan Gjergji Teneqexhiu and Japanese Ambassador to Albania Makoto Ito. The meeting focused on the promotion and preparation of the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. NOC President Bezhani acknowledged the good work of the Albanian Olympic Committee ahead of Tokyo 2020. Secretary General Bello said the NOC remains committed to putting forward concrete cooperation opportunities, such as assistance for Olympic education projects in schools as well as the training of officials and athletes in view of the Games. The NOC has also organised a special ceremony for the eight athletes receiving Olympic Solidarity grants for Tokyo 2020: Izmir Smajlaj (athletics), Luiza Gega (athletics), Evagjeli Veli (weightlifting), Nikol Merizaj (swimming), Jon Vrenozi (judo), Eriglent Prizren (wrestling), Elord Cose (taekwondo), Xhino Toli (). In August, to promote the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, the NOC organised sports activities, including and water polo, in the Divjaka National Park’s Sports Camp for local schoolchildren. The NOC also used the opportunity to introduce the kids to the Youth Olympic Games, Olympic Education and Olympic Values. On 7 September, the NOC held a gathering for the delegation representing Albania at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games. During the meeting, members of the Albanian Youth Olympic Team signed a contract of participation for the biggest global sporting event for young people. Athletes representing Albania in Buenos Aires include: Relax Dauti – Athletics, Elsidita Selaj – Boxing, Muhamet Qamili – Boxing, Katie Rock – Swimming, Antonino Luli – Weightlifting.

BELARUS - A record number of participants from Belarus and abroad gathered in Minsk in September for the city’s annual half-marathon. More than 35,000 professional and recreational runners covered different distances in the Belarus capital, which will host the 2nd European Games next year. Dozens of staff and friends of the Minsk European Games Organising Committee (MEGOC) joined in the sporting activities to promote physical activity, the Games, and to collect funds for a charity. As a strong symbol of unity across nations and generations, the participants unravelled a 25-metre flag featuring the logo of the 2nd European Games in front of the Sports Palace. “Our MEGOC team takes part in almost all of the important sport events in Minsk,” MEGOC Deputy CEO Anatoly Kotov said after the run. “Running is a very popular activity among our population, with the half-marathon in Minsk always attracting great crowds. Today we conducted a massive flash mob and unveiled a huge flag with the Games logo – a powerful reminder that in less than a year we will be hosting Europe’s largest multisport event in Minsk. Athletes, guests and fans should celebrate peacefully together, just as we did here today in Minsk during the half-marathon.”

CYPRUS - The Olympic Committee celebrated its “Olympic Day 2018” at the NOC Olympic House in on 15 September. The event featured Team Cyprus athletes, more than 15 national federations, as well as hundreds of fans. The event is celebrated on the Mediterranean island every year in mid- September, instead of the worldwide date of June 23, due to high temperatures during the summer period. Activities included two Olympic Runs, an 800m dash for children under 15, and a 5K run for teenagers and adults, as well as demonstrations of various sports. The fans had the opportunity to try their hand in the sports of: , badminton, basketball, bowling, chess, cycling, , gymnastics, handball, karate, , table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling and zumba. The “Olympic Day 2018” celebrations were co-organised by the Cyprus NOC and the Strovolos Municipality. OPAP Cyprus was the event sponsor. Among the athletes present were Olympians Apostolos Parellis (discus), Andri Eleftheriou (skeet shooting), Panayiota Andreou (skeet shooting), and Marios Georgiou (gymnastics).

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Six athletes of the Mediterranean island will take part in five sports at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. They are: Hammer thrower Nikolas Kesidis, swimmers Kalia Antoniou (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke) and Alexandra Schegoleva (50m and 100m butterfly), judoka Giorgos Balarjisvilli (66kg category), rhythmic gymnast Anastasia Pingou (rhythmic gymnastics) and b-girl Irene Tanos (breaking). The delegation will be accompanied by President of the Cyprus NOC Dinos Michaelides and Tasos Prokopiou from the Cyprus Sports Organisation. This will be the third appearance of Cyprus at the Youth Olympic Games, having won two silver medals in athletics. In 2010 in Singapore, hammer thrower Alexandros Poursanides took second place with a throw of 70.30m. Four years later, in Nanjing, sprinter Skevi Andreou took silver in the 100m event, with a time of 11.71. Another noteworthy achievement was a 4th-place finish by Leontia Kallenou at Singapore 2010 in high jump.

DENMARK – The National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark hosted the World Sailing Championships in Aarhus from 31 July to 12 August. The event, which represented a major test on the road to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, involved almost 100 nations. Among the special guests were IOC President Thomas Bach, IOC Vice- President Uğur Erdener, who were welcomed by IOC Member Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Danish NOC President and EOC Vice President Niels Nygaard. The 2018 Aarhus World Sailing Championships featured great Olympic spirit between athletes and represented a huge opportunity for sailing to make the sport more popular across the globe. The event also demonstrated the attraction the sport can have on audiences, especially ahead of Tokyo 2020, where new technologies will allow fans to follow the sport much closer and much better than ever before.

KOSOVO - The NOC of Kosovo hosted the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) Regional Summit in Pristina on 5 September. In pursuit of the global mission to promote the highest governance and integrity standards across all sports, the Kosovar NOC, which is a Member of SIGA, organised the first regional Summit aimed at addressing the main challenges facing sport and its integrity at a regional level. “I am very pleased that SIGA is offering an opportunity for inclusion,” said Kosovo NOC President Besim Hasani. “I am honoured that SIGA has entrusted us the organisation of their first Regional Summit. I want to see future events take place in Kosovo.” The event featured panel sessions addressing key issues on integrity in sport, including best practices in sports governance and sports betting Integrity. Discussions also focused on SIGA Universal Standards: transparency, cooperation, citizenship, gender equality, financial integrity, education & skill building through sport, and the prevention of harassment & abuse in sport. In another testament to the growth of the NOC, Kosovo will be making its first appearance at the Youth Olympic Games this October in Buenos Aires. The Kosovar delegation will be represented in the Argentine capital by five athletes - Erza Muminovic (judo), Erdonis Maliqi (boxing), Muhamet Ramadani (athletics), Melisa Zhdrella (swimming) and Bleron Fetaovski (weightlifting). Kosovo’s National Committee was created in 1992 but was only recognised as a Member of the International Olympic Committee in 2014, allowing for a team of eight athletes to represent the country for the first time at the summer Olympic Games Rio 2016. At Rio, judoka Majlinda Kelmendi won the first gold medal for the country.

GERMANY – In September a local club in Frankfurt welcomed Andrea Schumacher, Vice President of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), as a prominent visitor in its premises. The club is exemplary in integrating young refugees in its activities and even set up a new centre where they can receive lunch and support for homework. “We are a football club, a large family with more than 750 members and many children from 53 nations. We do not only meet for football, but also dance and eat together,” explained board member Harald Seehausen. It is an excellent integration-through-sport initiative, having an important impact in the local environment.

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GREECE - The Hellenic Olympic Committee, the Hellenic Olympic Academy, the International Olympic Truce Centre, and “Connect Athens” celebrated the International Day of Peace at the Panathenaic Stadium on 21 September. The events featured school students taking part in games and painting for peace, with the assistance of Olympic and World Champions such as Virginia Kravarioti, Dimitris Kafatos and Dimitris Miteloudis. Musical and dance events followed with the participation of the Loutraki Philharmonic Orchestra. The celebrations culminated in the evening when all participants symbolically lit a candle, sending a message that peace is not and should not be an elusive dream.

FINLAND - Finnish sport academies and coaching centres gathered in Lahti on 6 September. They meet regularly and have created a sport network aimed at discussing mutual goals and planning best measures to fulfil them. Their main objective is to ensure athletes are offered sustainable daily training in a challenging international environment that enables them to showcase their potential in sport as well as in life. “Cooperation is essential for the Finnish sport network,” said Antti Paananen, Director of the Sport Academy project. “The power of this network is that we have a fair sport debate, even though we don’t always agree.” After 4 years of training, former ski coach Reijo Jylhä praised the system and how he benefitted from it: “In my opinion, the job of a coach is all about managing the network. I take advantage from all the knowledge available through the Finnish sport network and the National Olympic Committee.” “All activities and management developed in networking and technology offer the possibility to exchange information easily and frequently,” he added. During the meeting, the 10-year activity of Päijät-Häme Sport Academy was also celebrated. Over the last years, the Academy has evolved a great deal, expanding their support and services to athletes. The educational process was set out in line with national guidelines and in close collaboration with institutions.

SLOVAKIA – The Slovak Olympic Committee (SOC) celebrated its 25th Anniversary at the National Theatre in Bratislava on 22 September. Celebrations started in December 2017 and lasted 9 months, culminating in the big Gala in the Slovak capital. Among those in attendance were several Slovak Olympic medallists, as well as past and present Board members. They were joined by many representatives of the EOC Executive Committee, who flew to Bratislava directly from Stockholm, where they had their 3rd meeting of the year. The history of the Slovak NOC was reflected upon in speeches and greetings from founding members and Honorary Presidents Vladimír Černušák and František Chmelár. The excellent initiatives of the former long-time NOC President Chmelár, which are now expertly being undertaken by current President Anton Siekel and General Secretary Jozef Liba, were also praised. Slovakia has never gone to an Olympic Games – Summer or Winter – and returned empty-handed. Most recently at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, the country took home a gold and two silver medals, bringing their 25-year Olympic medal haul to an impressive 36: 12 gold, 16 silver and 8 bronze. The SOC was founded on 19 December 1992 and, on occasion of the 101st IOC Session in Monte Carlo on 24th September 1993, was fully recognised as the National Olympic Committee of Slovak Republic. The following year the SOC participated in its first Winter and Summer Olympics in Lillehammer and Atlanta, respectively. These were followed by six consecutive appearances in the Summer Olympics and seven consecutive Winter editions.

SPAIN - The Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) headquarters became for three days (17-19 September) the epicentre of Olympic marketing, hosting the latest Seminar organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). COE President Alejandro Blanco, ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg and IOC Project Manager Silvia Lucciarini addressed the 55 participants from 51 National Olympic Committees worldwide.

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The NOCs of Spain, Botswana and Vanuatu delivered presentations, including updates on their marketing activities since last seminar. An introduction to Intel’s Olympic partnership and the NOC strategy was presented. TOP Partner activations from PyeongChang 2018 to Tokyo 2020 were also discussed. On day two, the delegates took part in a workshop with P&G that focused on the importance of storytelling. The NOC representatives also had the chance to visit the Olympic Channel headquarters before receiving a general presentation on the platform, an update on how it can support NOCs, and the widgets, marketing assets and content opportunities available at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games. The final day included presentations on best practices when working with partners, both TOP and local, and a review of the Olympic Brand and Activation Guidelines.

UKRAINE – The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine launched its traditional Olympic lesson in Ukraine on the Day of Knowledge on 2 September. This year’s event was dedicated to the forthcoming Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. In total, 43 sports venues were open to thousands of people participating in the Olympic mission. Participants had the chance to enjoy several sport competitions, to win Olympic prizes, as well as to meet Ukrainian Olympians and future YOG athletes. Sergey Bubka, President of the NOC, was among the special guests at the event together with a series of Olympic medallists such as Vadim Gutzeit (fencing), Alexander Volkov (basketball), Natalia Dobrynska (heptathlon) Igor Radivilov (gymnastics), George Zantaraya (judo) and Julia Prokopchuk (diving). Bubka also represented the Olympic Movement at the 30th anniversary of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, where he won his historic gold medal, on 17 September. Bubka, one of the world’s greatest pole vaulters, an IOC EB Member and former EOC Athletes Commission Chair, said: “During my whole sporting career, I achieved many great results and I am very proud of them. But the Olympic Games are a different kind of experience. They are something unique, and for an athlete, no other experience can compare to competing at the Olympic Games. And for me the Olympic Games in Seoul were very special.”

OLYMPIC GAMES

TOKYO 2020 - The Organising Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games started its volunteer programme on 26 September. Games volunteers will have a unique opportunity to provide support in a number of areas, including spectator guidance, competition operations and media operations. They will be deployed in various locations, including competition venues and the Athletes' Village. Applicants must be born prior to 1 April 2002 and be Japanese nationals or persons with valid visas permitting residence in Japan during the volunteer period (including temporary visitors). Tokyo 2020 will be offering roughly 80,000 volunteer opportunities in total. The dates for the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony and Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony that will form part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay were also announced. The Flame Lighting Ceremony will take place in Ancient Olympia, home of the ancient Games in , on 12 March 2020. At the Temple of Hera, a modern High Priestess will ignite the Olympic flame using the rays of the sun and a parabolic mirror. The Greek leg of the Torch Relay will then run for eight days before making its way to Japan. The flame will then be displayed for six days in the Tohoku region – Miyagi prefecture, Iwate prefecture and Fukushima prefecture – to commemorate the earthquake and tsunami that struck the area in March 2011. The Olympic Torch Relay will

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commence on 26 March under the theme of “Hope Lights Our Way,” taking in all of Japan’s 47 prefectures and aiming to inspire the Japanese nation to unite around messages of supporting, accepting and encouraging one another.

PARIS 2024 - hosted the Ryder Cup on September 28-30 for the first time, with Europe taking on the United States. The competition took place at Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, one of the venues for Paris 2024, making it the first facility in the world to host both the Ryder Cup and the Olympic Games. Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet claimed the Ryder Cup will help to optimise their plans for the Olympic Games. “Six years out from the Paris 2024 Games, we are already on the case, working with the federations to optimise our plans and ensure we offer all participants an exceptional Games experience,” he said. “This huge event is also another opportunity to demonstrate ’s savoir faire in staging major international gatherings.” The Ryder Cup is the third most-watched sports event in the world, trailing only the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup in television popularity. Around 1.3 billion viewers tuned in to the competition.

YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES

SUMMER - BUENOS AIRES 2018 - Sport is equality and Buenos Aires 2018 is the tangible proof. The Youth Olympic Games – set to take place from 6-18 October - will go down in history as the first Olympic event with the same number of male and female athletes. Additionally, there will be 22 disciplines featuring mixed events, a record number for an Olympic tournament. The mixed competitions have been a great innovation of the Youth Olympic Games since its first summer edition at Singapore 2010. They were also present at the event in Nanjing four years ago. Some of the sports featuring mixed competitions are now set to be included in the programme of future Olympic Games. While men and women will compete separately in some sports, they will be facing each other directly in other disciplines. These kinds of mixed events will create a special show that will be as exciting and unpredictable for the young athletes as it will be for the audience. The genders will mix for competition in 17 sports and a total of 22 disciplines. Cycling and swimming will be the sports with the most interaction between the genders. The Urban Park will hold the BMX freestyle event and Paseo de la Costa will be the stage for BMX racing. Cycling will have a combined event that will include track and cross-country trials. Additionally, the Natatorium will hold the combined 4x100m and the 4x100m freestyle swimming competitions. Moreover, there will be mixed teams comprised of athletes from the same National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competing in badminton, gymnastics (acrobatic gymnastics and the multi-discipline event that includes the four disciplines), golf, judo, and sailing (the Nacra 15 event). Another big innovation is the number of sports that will feature mixed international teams, made up of athletes with different nationalities from the 206 NOCs that will participate in Buenos Aires 2018.

WINTER - LAUSANNE 2020 - The next Winter edition of the YOG, set to take place in Lausanne, Switzerland from 9 to 22 January 2020, is committed to involving local youth as much as possible in the organisation of event. The Organising Committee has notably teamed up with ERACOM (Romandie school of arts and communications) for the creation of the mascot and the visual identity of the Games, as well as the pictograms of the various sports. More than 100 students from different areas of the school (interactive media design, clothing design, graphic design, advertising and "polygraph") are involved in the project. The young people working on the Lausanne 2020 mascot had the opportunity to meet the Innsbruck 2012 mascot (Yoggl) and the Lillehammer 2016 mascot (Sjogg). Those working on pictograms and visual identity visited the Olympic Museum to draw inspiration from previous Games.

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2018 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER EOC Newsletter

As the projects progressed, the students and teachers presented their creations to the Organising Committee, the IOC and the Olympic Museum. The projects will continue from the beginning of the school year.

ANOC

ANOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Barbara Kendall was re-elected as Vice- President of the International Surfing Association (ISA) at the ISA annual general meeting in Tahara, Japan. ISA President Fernando Aguerre was re-elected for a ninth term at the meeting and Casper Steinfath of Denmark joined Kendall in being re- elected as Vice-President for a second term. Surfing has grown significantly around the world in recent years. Its global popularity is reflected in its inclusion not only in the Olympic Games for the first time at Tokyo 2020, but also its inclusion in the first ever ANOC World Beach Games next year in San Diego, where shortboard and longboard are part of the programme.

EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN WEEK OF SPORT (EWoS) - This year’s European Week of Sport was held from 23-30 September, with the official Opening Ceremony taking place alongside Austria’s Day of Sport in Vienna’s Prater Park on 22 September 2018. The Week is aimed at promoting sport and physical activity and encouraging citizens to adopt a healthy lifestyle. #BeActive is a campaign launched by the European Commission in 2015 that has inspired millions of people in 32 countries to be active in their everyday lives.

To p rove that being active is easier than it sounds, a series of events/activities were organised all across Europe. Among the many initiatives put forward by the EU Member States were: GERMANY – which held a Race for Survival, whose goal was to get women and men with breast cancer to #BeActive. Having fought cancer, they joined the Race for Survival to show how sports changed their lives; LATVIA – organised an orienteering night around the streets of various cities in the country; LITHUANIA - involved most universities of the country with a program full of events and activities, getting around 3,000 students to move and try sports at their universities and elsewhere; SLOVENIA – with the support of the National Olympic committee, organised a social event dedicated to companies and their employees; - promoted Mindful Monday, a day to focus on the benefits of physical activity on mental health and general wellbeing, getting outside and using green space.

EWoS BEYOND BORDERS CONFERENCE – On the occasion of the European Week of Sport (EWoS), the European Commission organised an EWoS Beyond Borders Conference in Belgrade, , on 27 September 2018. The meeting included a high- level round table featuring European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics and EOC President Janez Kocijančič. The promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles beyond borders were the focus of the discussions, which also included Djordje Visacki, Secretary General of the Serbian Olympic Committee, a number of sports ministers, a Member of the European Parliament, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), former athletes, academics and other experts. During the event, President Kocijančič congratulated Commissioner Navracsics for taking the step to extend the European Week of Sport beyond EU borders and stressed that the EOC represents 50 National Olympic Committees – more than the European Union. He said that “sport as a social phenomenon provides many elements to society which add important values to modern life.” Regarding the question of how major sport events can promote heathy lifestyles, the President said that “there is no high- level sport without grassroots sport, and there is no grassroots sport without high-level sport. High-level sport provides the best promotion for attracting people to grassroots sport.”

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2018 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER EOC Newsletter

Commissioner Navracsics said that the topic of healthy lifestyles was of societal nature, given its implications for cohesion and the economy. He highlighted the importance of staying healthy as an individual but urged for collective efforts in promoting physical activity in order to strengthen Europe’s communities. Member of the European Parliament Bogdan Wenta said during the discussions that the cooperation with the EOC helped him to convince his colleagues in Brussels of the importance of sport for society. Participants also debated the growing phenomenon of e-sports and whether it should be considered an opportunity or a threat to physical sports. After the round-table discussion, a friendly football match was organised for all participants. Serbia joined the European Week for the first time and all activities were coordinated jointly between the NOC of Serbia and the Ministry responsible for Sport. Activities beyond the conference included a large number of sporting programmes, especially targeting children and young people.

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