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OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS 27/05/2019

The IOC Executive Board (EB) met on 22 May in Lausanne to prepare for the IOC Session scheduled from 24 to 26 June. They discussed the selection of future Olympic Games hosts and several other institutional matters, including the findings of the Inquiry Committee into the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

The final report into AIBA by the IOC Inquiry Committee was delivered by Committee Chair Nenad Lalović. After a thorough discussion, the IOC EB recommended to the IOC Session that boxing maintain its place on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. At the same time, the EB recommended that the recognition of AIBA be suspended. The Olympic boxing tournament for Tokyo 2020, including all qualifying competitions, will be organised following guidelines established by the EB. The status of AIBA’s full recognition will in principle be reviewed after Tokyo 2020. The evolution of AIBA’s situation and progress towards compliance with the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics will be monitored through a Monitoring Committee, composed of the members of the former Inquiry Committee. Additionally, the EB created a special task force, chaired by IOC Member and President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Morinari Watanabe, with the mandate to organise and ensure the delivery of the boxing competitions, with the goal of increasing sustainable gender equality in all areas of the sport. The 134th IOC Session, to be held in Lausanne from 24 to 26 June, will be taking the decision on AIBA and the sport of boxing at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Read the full news release here.

An interim report of the Working Group for Future Games Elections was presented by its Chair, John Coates. The Working Group was formed to develop principles for the election of future Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games hosts. The new principles aim to provide additional flexibility regarding potential Olympic Games hosts, the location of Games venues and the procedure leading to the election of the hosts.

The proposed principles should ensure the following:

- To preserve the magic of the Games to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the world’s best athletes;

- To find the best host for the world’s best athletes;

- To preserve the IOC Session’s prerogative to elect Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games hosts;

- To maintain the fundamental principle of universality;

- To ensure good governance.

The proposed key changes for a new Candidature Process for the Olympic Games in order to avoid producing too many losers are as follows:

- Establish a permanent, ongoing dialogue to explore and create interest among cities/regions/countries and NOCs for Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games;

- Create two Future Host Commissions (Summer/Winter) – in lieu of Evaluation Commissions – to oversee interest in future Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games that report to the EB. This will give the IOC Session more influence because the IOC Members will be involved from the very beginning.

- Based on input from the Commissions, the EB to set a strategic framework for the host election for specific Games editions;

- “Host” does not necessarily refer to a single city but can also refer to multiple cities/regions/countries;

- Election timings are flexible and adjusted to local opportunities, context and needs.

The EB approved these proposals submitted by the Working Group and requested that the Working Group further develop these for presentation and approval at the 134th IOC Session next month.  Read the full news release here.

The IOC Session Evaluation Commission, chaired by IOC EB Members Ser Miang Ng and Willi Kaltschmitt Luján, presented an update on the election of a host for the IOC Session in 2021. Based on their report, the EB decided to recommend that the Session elect Athens, Greece, as host.

Ten candidates for IOC membership will be put forward for election by the 134th IOC Session. Seven of the ten proposed new Members are Individual Members, while three are candidatures linked to a function within a NOC or a Continental Association of NOCs. Read the full news release here.

The IOC EB also decided to put forward to the IOC Session the one-time extensions of the terms of office of Mamadou Ndiaye, John Coates and Uğur Erdener beyond the age limit of 70. The re-election of Gerardo Werthein as an IOC Member will be put forward for a decision by the IOC Session.

The IOC Members Election Commission also proposed to the EB, the following IOC Members as IOC Honorary Members all of whom are due to finish their term of office at the end of 2019 because of the age limit: Franco Carraro, Iván Dibós, Habu Gumel, Willi Kaltschmitt Luján, Samih Moudallal, Austin Sealy and Ung Chang. Read the full news release here.

The IOC Executive Board has also nominated former IOC Member Yang Yang, two-time Olympic champion from China, as the Olympic Movement’s candidate for election as Vice-President of WADA.

https://www.olympic.org/news/olympic-highlights-27-05-2019