2 0 1 8 EOC Head Office | Villino Giulio Onesti | Via della Pallacanestro, 19 00135 Rome, Italy | Tel. +39 06 36857828 | Instagram | Twitter | [email protected] www.eurolympic.org 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 European Games in Stockholm 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 Olympic Games. 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 Baku 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 Minsk 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, Spain 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 Belgrade, 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 Helsinki 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. 2 2018 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER EOC Newsletter 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 (Hungary), Iga SWIATEK (Poland), Eva Alina HOCEVAR (Slovenia) and Jakub STASTNY (Czech Republic). 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.