Latest news with #IOC
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Summoning golden Olympic memories, Paris parties like it's 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron visits the site of the reinstallation of the Olympic cauldron at the Tuileries Garden in Paris. PHOTO: REUTERS PARIS – Parisians had such unexpected fun at their Olympics last summer, that they are holding a public anniversary celebration to recapture the party mood, but not everyone is quite as enthusiastic. The Olympic rings will be projected on the Eiffel Tower and there will be a giant Olympic karaoke in front of the town hall on July 26. However, preceding that party the glowing caudron balloon – 'a symbol of the popular enthusiasm for these Olympic Games' according to France's National Olympic Committee – returns on June 21. It will float once again above the Tuileries Garden, with President Emmanuel Macron in attendance, to conjure golden memories, even for those who were not there. 'There are many Parisians who fled Paris last year and who kicked themselves,' said Matthieu Gobbi of Aerophile, the company responsible for the balloon. Yet athletes and grass-roots sports organisations in France lament the lack of a more tangible 'legacy'. For those who were there, and the five billion the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says watched around the world, the Games provided 15 days of candy-coloured distraction from wars, divisive elections and global inflation. The sport was also spectacular, illuminated by the redemption of gymnast Simone Biles, a likely last Roland Garros triumph for the then 37-year-old Novak Djokovic, and the swimming heroics of French golden boy Leon Marchand. An unusually high proportion of the Olympics was held in the the middle of the city, and that posed a challenge. There were fears of terrorist attacks, that public transport would not cope and the Seine would be too polluted for triathletes and long-distance swimmers to compete. Yet Paris pulled it off, enhancing its image, not least in France, as the world's leading tourist destination. 'We'll see who can repeat a Games like this,' said Mr Macron. This summer, Parisians will be able to swim at three venues along the Seine. The Tour de France, rerouted to avoid the capital in 2024, returns for its traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees at the end of a stage that covers many of the same streets where half a million spectators watched the Olympic road races. That stage will be on July 27, a year and a day after the Paris Games opened with an epic and grandiose ceremony, put on by a cast of 20,000 artists and staff, along the Seine. Celine Dion sang from the Eiffel Tower while the athletes sailed down the river in the pouring rain. 'This moment is a memory we share. It's not so common these days,' said Thomas Jolly, artistic director for the opening and closing ceremonies. 'Having everyone watching the same thing at the same time... surely creates a bond!' The ceremony left a lasting mark, he added, 'of joy, unity, pride'. The Games themselves even made a profit, a surplus of €76 million (S$112 million). That figure does not yet include broader public spending, particularly on infrastructure, and it is here that some in France feel the Olympics has left a slightly bitter taste. For Olympic organisers 'legacy' – both tangible and intangible – helps legitimise hosting an event many countries no longer want. 'We're trying to give the Olympics a role they weren't made for,' said Mickael Attali, a sports historian at Rennes II University. 'Good memories' and 'a good image of France' remain. 'Materially, there are still some things left in Seine-Saint-Denis,' said Attali, referring to the poorest departement in mainland France where the Olympic Aquatic Centre, opposite the Stade de France, has just opened to the public. Mr Macron promised the Olympics would help turn France into a sporting nation. The number of people registered to sports clubs has increased 5 per cent, but thousands of enthusiastic children were turned away last autumn because of a lack of space. After the Games ended, national and local sports budgets were cut. Sports officials say infrastructure projects have been halted and expenditure on equipment cut. Some French athletes were abandoned by commercial sponsors. 'All the companies that had set up sponsorship for the Olympics have left,' said a specialist in sports marketing. Even some of France's Olympic stars feel the lustre has faded fast. 'We should not have said there would be a legacy,' said Olympic fencing champion Manon Apithy-Brunet. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
New IOC president Kirsty Coventry promises collaboration ahead of assuming role
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President elect Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe poses during the 3rd IOC Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission final press conference at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on May 22, 2025. Photo: PATRICK HAMILTON Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), emphasised collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March , succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne. "I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important," Coventry said during an online media roundtable. "I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move." Coventry, 41, is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor's, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Coventry said the IOC would hold a two-day workshop for its members, starting on 24 June, the day after the handover ceremony, as part of ongoing discussions with stakeholders on key issues. "It was not about title or power," she said when asked about her decision to run for president. "Sometimes those things get in the way and make you focus on the wrong things." Reflecting on her appointment, Coventry acknowledged the significance of her role as the first woman to lead the IOC. "It is not something I have thought about a lot in terms of impact it can have," she said. "In the past days now, I have a much greater understanding of that importance." The IOC generates annual revenues of several billion dollars and Coventry noted the "responsibility" that comes with leading the organisation. "As we get closer to the 23rd, yes, it is an exciting day but a day with a lot of responsibility. I am very proud of the fact that we as members chose at this moment in time to elect the first female president," she added. - Reuters
CBC
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
New IOC president Kirsty Coventry says she'll 'lead through collaboration'
Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasized collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made Thursday in Berlin ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March, succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland. "I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important," Coventry said during an online media roundtable. "I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move." Coventry, 41, is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Coventry said the IOC would hold a two-day workshop for its members, starting on June 24, the day after the handover ceremony, as part of ongoing discussions with stakeholders on key issues. "It was not about title or power," she said when asked about her decision to run for president. "Sometimes those things get in the way and make you focus on the wrong things." Reflecting on her appointment, Coventry acknowledged the significance of her role as the first woman to lead the IOC. "It is not something I have thought about a lot in terms of impact it can have," she said. "In the past days now, I have a much greater understanding of that importance." The IOC generates annual revenues of several billion dollars and Coventry noted the "responsibility" that comes with leading the organization. "As we get closer to the 23rd, yes, it is an exciting day but a day with a lot of responsibility. I am very proud of the fact that we as members chose at this moment in time to elect the first female president," she added. Kirsty Coventry elected new IOC president 3 months ago Duration 7:29 41-year-old from Zimbabwe is first woman to hold the post, replacing Thomas Bach, who's held the job since 2013.
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Kirsty Coventry vows to stay humble as the first female president of the IOC
Kirsty Coventry has promised to not let power go to her head when she becomes the first woman president of the International Olympic Committee next week. Her predecessor, Thomas Bach, would always stay in a suite paid for by the IOC at the five-star Lausanne Palace hotel, costing over €2,000 a night, whenever he was in the city. However, the Zimbabwean confirmed her family would not be following suit. 'We won't be staying in the Palace,' she said. 'I really want my kids to grow up doing the same thing that I did, making beds and doing our chores and being kids.' Coventry, who won seven Olympic medals during her swimming career, said the significance of being the first woman IOC president had hit her only when she started reading the messages of support from other women. Asked for more details, Coventry said: 'I think I will start crying, so might have to do that another time. But the sentiments were really just around: 'Thank you;' 'You're such an inspiration;' 'This is so incredible.' READ MORE 'I had a coworker of mine come up to me. His mom had called him and said: 'Never in my lifetime did I ever think I'd get to see a woman leading the movement that you're working for,' and that was really special. There's been a lot of moments like that. Those are things I will hold on to in the future, when the road gets bumpy.' Coventry also made it clear she wanted IOC members to feel free to speak their minds and had invited them to stay two extra nights in Lausanne next week to have a 'pause and reflect workshop' to hear their ideas. 'The way I like to lead is with collaboration,' she said. 'I like people to say: 'Yes, I had a say and this was the direction that we went.' That way you get a really authentic buy-in.' The 41-year-old made it clear she campaigned for the IOC job to change people's lives for the better and not for the prestige involved. 'After I was elected my husband started giggling at the breakfast table and he looked at me and he goes: 'Do you realise you're the most powerful person in sport?'' she said. 'And I was like: 'What are you talking about?' For me, it's not about the title. It wasn't about power. Sometimes those things get in the way and they make you focus on maybe the wrong things. It's just not who I am. 'But I'm very proud we have elected our first female president. And I'm going to do my best to ensure that it's a successful journey.' – Guardian
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Civic chief, team to meet IOC officials
Ahmedabad: To initiate the bidding process to host the 2036 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, city municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani and other officials will visit Switzerland from June 28 to July 5 to meet International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials. The proposal for this visit was presented for approval at the standing committee meeting held on Wednesday. The proposal stated that the visit was part of preliminary preparations for India's bid to host the Games. A state minister and senior state govt officials will also be part of the delegation. Preparations are on central and state govts to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Construction of the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave will take place at Motera. Additionally, a master plan is being prepared by selecting land around this enclave.
