From 11th-13th November, more than 100 athlete representatives from around the world gathered at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (SUI), for the eighth edition of the IOC International Athletes’ Forum.
FIS athletes were represented by Konstantin Schad, Chair of the FIS Athletes’ Commission.
The event began with a Q&A session with IOC President Thomas Bach to address pressing topics such as anti-doping, the Olympic programme, gender equality, and the Charter of Athlete Rights and Responsibilities.
The Forum also provided the global athletes’ network with an opportunity to give feed back on the IOC Athletes’ Commission’s new All In Strategy, and to express their thoughts on how the Olympic Movement can better support athletes across the globe.
The key outcomes from this Forum will help to drive future actions and included: A strong network of Athletes’ Commissions that supports and helps each other; Better communication to the worldwide athlete community that must be coherent and consistent; and independence, transparency and credibility among Athletes’ Commissions.
"It was amazing to be working with such engaged athlete representatives from all over the world and everyone at the IOC. I think that getting all these people into one room is just what is needed to effectively transfer knowledge, push ideas and, ultimately, create the best possible environment for the athletes", Schad commented.
A new honour for Olympians only
Olympians can apply to add three letters to their names: OLY. The designation of OLY as a post-nominal for those who have competed at either Summer or Winter Olympic Games was unveiled in conjunction with the International Athletes’ Forum.
The initiative is organised by the World Olympians Association, the group representing athletes who have competed at the Games, approximately 120,000 worldwide.
Serving as a symbolic recognition of an Olympian’s status in society, the OLY lettering will help to promote an Olympian’s social, charitable, and community-based work, acting as a unifying reminder of their achievements and of their responsibility to embody the values of Olympism in everyday life.
The initiative, launched by WOA and supported by the IOC Athletes’ Commission, will allow Olympians to use the OLY lettering on any official documentation. All applicants will receive a WOA certificate honouring their achievements. The OLY lettering offers Olympians:
- A professional tool, showing off the highly transferable skills of being an Olympian and competing at the highest level
- A symbol of their dedication, concentration and commitment to sport and success
- A link to the global network of Olympians
All Olympians can apply for the OLY post-nominal lettering at www.olympians.org.
Source: fis-ski.com
