European Youth Olympic Festival torch lit. Malagò: “The pairing with Milano-Cortina 2026 is unique”

• EYOF 2023 FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

14 sporting events with more than 100 competitions scheduled, 2,300 participants including 1,300 athletes aged 14 to 18, 12 ski resorts, 1,300 volunteers and 80 regional accommodation facilities involved in hospitality: these are the figures from the XVI edition of winter sports, on snow and ice, of the European Youth Olympic Festival, scheduled from 21-28 January next year in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The official torch lighting ceremony, organised at the Ara Pacis in Rome, got the countdown to EYOF 2023 underway, marking the start of the torch’s journey from Rome, travelling up through Italy and connecting its symbolic cities, before arriving in Trieste’s Piazza Unità d'Italia on 21 January for the opening ceremony of the international multi-sports event, which will feature the debut of ski mountaineering, freestyle skiing (slopestyle & big air) and ski cross. The opening stretch of the torchlit relay featured athlete Sara Scattolo, gold medallist at the World Youth Biathlon Championships and testimonial for Friuli Venezia Giulia of EYOF 2023 FVG, who handed over to the President of the European Olympic Committees Spyros Capralos and the President of the Region Massimiliano Fedriga.

“I am really proud and honoured to be here with all of you, in an iconic place, a unique site in the world", CONI President Giovanni Malagò said in his speech at the ceremony. “Italy is not only a country that has won an impressive number of medals in the Olympic Games and the Youth Games, but it is also one of the founding IOC countries and has always been a standard-bearer in its organisation of major sporting events. I have merely inherited this history, I try to maintain and if possible, improve upon it. The pairing of EYOF 2023 Friuli Venezia Giulia and Milano Cortina 2026 is something unique, making us the object of envy. There may well be youngsters such as Sara Scattolo who will be protagonists first at this event and then later in the Winter Olympic Games. It is a good omen, but more than that, it is the desire to do well and make it through a difficult period: ours is a world that brings peace and we must protect peace with the example of these girls and boys”.

“Many times I have been to Friuli Venezia Giulia”, Malagò continued, “and I have met serious people, who love sport and value it. There is a formidable job being done both for top-level sports and for that of grassroots. Finally, I wish to thank the European Olympic Committees for their trust: we will repay that trust by going ahead with our organisational tradition for this European Youth Olympic Festival”.

“It is a real honour to be at the Ara Pacis, in this iconic place, a symbol of peace”, emphasised Spyros Capralos, President of the European Olympic Committees. “The European Youth Olympic Festival has always been a special event and one that’s very dear to me. Today, in this historic setting, this ceremony is of great relevance, given that thirty years after its first winter edition, the Festival returns once more to Italy, to the gorgeous Friuli Venezia Giulia region. It is an event aimed at promoting the Olympic values of peace and respect: here today begins a journey of celebration of these values that the organising committee has been able to embrace through its agreement with Milano Cortina 2026, leaving the local area with an important legacy. The young champions will use this event as a springboard for their careers. I'm sure that we are going to witness a great show. I wish you the best of luck in these final months of preparation and I can assure you that the European Olympic Committees will always be there to support you”.

Record-breaking not only in number terms, this unique edition will also include many new organisational features, starting with its widespread, cross-border nature, with 12 regional ski resorts actively involved, including two venues in Austria and Slovenia. This uniqueness has come about through the already effective memorandum of understanding involving the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation. Taking part in the project have been: students from the Trieste and Udine university polytechnics; state high school volunteers; non-profit social cooperatives; the University of Udine and Agrifood researching high-performance menus for winter sports athletes which use only regional products such as their sustainable Lunch Box; the University of Udine for the development of a project analysing the environmental and economic effects of the Festival; the Department of Mathematical, I.T. and Physical Sciences of the University of Udine for the development of a visual traceability system of athletes' performances; and the regional Department of Education and Vocational Training and School Office Directorate for organising a conference promoting the values of Olympic sport and inviting students to attend scheduled sports competitions.

The Institute of Sports Medicine reopens, Professor Ferretti appointed Medical Director. The Olympic Area entrusted to Dr. Squeo

• CONI

The CONI Institute of Sports Medicine (IMSS) at Acqua Acetosa reopened today. President Giovanni Malagò immediately informed, by way of letter, all the National Sports Federations, Associated Sports Disciplines, Sports Promotion Bodies, Meritorious Associations and all sports bodies recognised by CONI, the Italian National Olympic Committee. The Institute of Sports Medicine has appointed Professor Andrea Ferretti as Medical Director, while the Olympic Area will be headed by Dr. Maria Rosaria Squeo.

As is widely known, the Institute of Sports Medicine, along with the Institute of Sports Science, represents the only CONI-standard facility within Italy available to all national athletes, as well as being at the disposal of registered members and citizens of any age. The IMSS is a centre of excellence that provides its patients with the professionalism of internationally renowned doctors, guaranteeing specialised consultations and state-of-the-art equipment for targeted diagnoses. Inside, there are more than 20 medical specialities to meet the needs and expectations of all clients.

The mission is prevention and the physical, psychological and performance recovery of patients in general, and athletes in particular, in an environment that fully reflects the highest quality standards of CONI.

The Institute of Sports Medicine and Science is CONI’s health care and scientific facility, with the institutional function of protecting the state of health of elite-level athletes and providing the National Sports Federations with the scientific know-how to improve the sporting performance of its Olympic and top-level activities. It also seeks to promote sports culture, aimed at the well-being of the individual, through research in the field of physical exercise and sport, in collaboration with national and international research bodies.

Scientific research, teaching and training activities are also carried out in collaboration with universities and the main Italian and foreign research institutes, tackling such topics as sports medicine and health protection, psychology, physiology, biology and biomechanics applied to physical exercise and to sport.

Road to Paris 2024, at the CPO Onesti a forum with the Azzurri technical directors. Mornati: "We will take care of every detail"

• CONI

Preparations for Paris 2024 are underway. After the record-breaking edition of Tokyo 2020 and the historic winter edition of Beijing 2022, CONI and the National Sports Federations met today at the Acqua Acetosa Olympic Preparation Centre to plan work ahead of the French Olympic Games. 
The occasion was offered by a forum dedicated to the General Secretaries, managers, directors and technical commissioners of the various Federations and organised by the Olympic Preparation.

“We have a fairly clear picture and we wanted to share it with you, with the involvement of the technical executives and also the team managers given the particular format that Paris will have. Paris is very simple, but in some ways very complicated”, warned the Secretary General of CONI, Carlo Mornati. “Compared to Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 it is easier from an organisational point of view. We will be able to train at home, but regarding other nations, we are all technically in the same boat. This will be, we hope, the first post-Covid Olympics, it will therefore be necessary to pay close attention on a technical level. In Paris we want to focus on the details that go much deeper. Our intention is to go there as soon as possible with the various technical and sporting directors so that you can be fully aware of what is happening. Today the Institute of Sports Medicine reopens with Professor Andrea Ferretti as the new medical director and Dr. Maria Rosaria Squeo, head of the Olympic area. We are back to being a single team. And the Institute of Science is also available to generate as much synergy as possible”.

Illustrating the race venues and the layout of the Olympic Villages was the head of Olympic Preparation, Alessio Palombi. “21 sports will be within a 10-kilometre radius of the Village, in the most iconic places of the city”, he highlighted. Managing the delegation within a city that will live its daily life will therefore require perfect organisation, very similar to London but more intensified. We will therefore have to rethink our modes of travel, relying on public transport and the organising committee”.

Elisa Santoni and Enzo Bartolomeo explained the accreditation and sports programmes as well as those involving ticketing and hospitality to the representatives of 31 of the 32 Olympic Federations present in Paris.

Giampiero Pastore, head of the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science, instead revealed the new CONI health facility. “We are in a completely new phase”, he said. "The union of the Institute of Medicine with the Institute of Science is of paramount importance. In a certain way, we are returning to the past and will provide a complete all-round service. We want to meet all your needs, so that we will arrive in Paris with a complete shared pathway”.

Nothing will be left to chance, even from a climate point of view thanks to the collaboration with Professor Alessandro Pezzoli of the Polytechnic of Turin. “Climate influences human health and therefore sports performance”, explained the researcher. “The aim of the Polytechnic of Turin is to define the most probable climatic situations in the Paris area”.

Seminar on altitude training at Acqua Acetosa CPO, Mornati: “Livigno Centre unique in the world”

• INSTITUTE OF SPORTS SCIENCE

The Aula Magna of the Acqua Acetosa Olympic Preparation Centre (CPO) in Rome hosted “Training at Altitude”, a seminar organised by the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science and aimed at technical directors and federal coaching staff. The new CONI Olympic Preparation Centre in Livigno was presented over a long day which also featured other topics and was attended by representatives from 24 federations.

Presiding over the event was Carlo Mornati, CONI Secretary General and Head of the Sports Office: “Training at altitude is a theme that we have been pursuing for some time. We began in 2013 and with the Olympic Preparation Centre in Livigno we have reached our goal. There are many federations that organise training at altitude: we are pleased to be able to now offer the chance to go to Livigno. We will carry out research and training, secure in the knowledge that the Institute of Sports Medicine and Science and the Olympic Preparation Centre are an integral part of the Olympic Committee, and that the Sports School is an institution, a university. From now on, our aim is to go back to communication and, as mentioned, research and training. None of us knows everything, but each one of us can bring their own experience. In Livigno we can accommodate all the summer federations, considering that the winter ones are already at home. We also want to bring a medical-scientific facility, a small cell of the Institute, because we need dissemination, knowledge and data collection. We needed a Centre at altitude to test the athletes from the scientific and medical perspective: I am certain that in a few years time, perhaps in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles or Brisbane, our data will be solid enough to evaluate high-altitude training. Livigno is a unique centre in the world, capable of hosting all types of disciplines and its varying climates are a critical factor: every detail makes a difference”.

The Head of CONI’s Institute of Sports Medicine and Science, Giampiero Pastore, then introduced the speakers, giving the preamble to a speech from Alessio Palombi, Head of CONI’s Olympic Preparation: “We are happy to have formalised the partnership agreement with the Aquagranda Sports Centre in Livigno, thus institutionalising a facility that some federations were already using. It is a very advantageous agreement that provides a home to the federations, a centre at high altitude that can be used exclusively by reservation, with the possibility of also taking advantage of about 80 affiliated hotels. There is currently a 25-metre swimming pool, with a 50-metre one from March. Additionally, there is a refurbished athletics track, gyms, workout rooms, football pitch, meeting areas and more. Not to mention the neighbouring Lake Livigno, an artificial reservoir: an ideal training area for rowing or canoeing, for example. Our intention is to further develop the Centre based on indications given by the federations”. 

Alessandro Pezzoli, a Researcher and Professor at the University and Polytechnic of Turin, as well as an expert in meteorology applied to sport, focused on environmental thermal comfort, performance and a climatic-strategic evaluation of the Livigno area, said: “Training at altitude brings unquestionable advantages. Specifically, in Livigno, athletes are able to enjoy the beneficial effect of the climate: in Italy the trend of heat waves is growing, so consequently training at low altitude becomes increasingly hard. An accurate analysis from the point of view of measurement has allowed us to observe that the summer of Livigno has comfortable temperatures of around 20 degrees, and is adequate for training. There is no lack of rainfall, which is useful for testing frequent conditions in certain types of races. Ultimately, we can say that in Livigno there is a wide range of temperatures, rainfall and wind that allow athletes to train in varying conditions. Furthermore, from the geomorphological point of view, there is the possibility of ascending as high as 3,000 metres: this variability is another reason why it is an interesting area. Winter? There is consistent snow. So it is a centre where one can ski”.

Dealing with the theme of physiology and checks for training at altitude, Stefano Righetti (Cardiologist at San Gerardo Monza Hospital, FIDAL and FISI consultant) went deeper into some of the technical aspects: from blood adaptations to the perception of fatigue, from metabolic performance parameters to muscle adaptations, including the immune system and changes in body composition. Antonio La Torre (FIDAL Technical Director), meanwhile, focused on altitude training methodology, scientific evidence and experiences in athletics: “The effectiveness of altitude training depends on many factors. Genetic predisposition, training state, physical and mental stress, diet, recovery and confidence in the effectiveness of training at altitude itself. The approach towards altitude has to be an extremely complex one. There are always new things to discover and the scientific literature helps us to understand a lot. It is necessary to constantly monitor the individual responses of athletes who train at altitude. The most important parameter? Experience. Training at altitude is not a magic wand that works miracles, but it represents a great opportunity”. Wrapping up the first part of the seminar Marco De Angelis (Sports Doctor and Associate Professor at the University of L'Aquila, Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, Sports Movement Science degree) spoke on the nutritional aspects and monitoring of recovery at altitude: “The main factors of altitude which we must consider (including from a nutritional standpoint), given their effect on homeostasis (and to a greater degree with an increase in elevation) are: decreased availability of oxygen, decreased humidity in the air and decreased environmental temperature. Remaining at altitude involves considerable weight loss so individual monitoring of athletes is important”.

The technical experts spoke in the second part of the event. Marco Villa (National Track Cycling Technical Commissioner) noted: “Altitude is highly regarded in cycling. Over the years we have always tried to find the right place for training at high altitude: The ideal period for us is in the middle of the season, looking for the right conditions during the recovery phase, because altitude is important from both a physical and mental point of view. To give a couple of examples, before the Rio Olympics it was essential for Elia Viviani to train in Livigno. Filippo Ganna has also taken advantage of a retreat near his home in Verbania for years and today we can say that it has really paid off”. Cesare Butini, National Swimming Technical Director weighed in on swimming: “The swimming federation has always invested in altitude, trying to optimise this training practice. The season is very intense, but through dialogue with CONI we will try to find solutions involving altitude training. We have been going to Livigno since 2015, taking the sprinters to high altitude: it is a place we love for the leisure facilities that it offers out of the water too”.

The only speech concerning a team sport – football – was made by Roberto Sassi, Physical Trainer and Inter FC Consultant: “As far as team sports go, to date, it is hard to understand the effectiveness of training at altitude. Yet altitude has an effect on results, and the data shows that high-altitude teams have advantages when facing low-altitude teams, whatever the playing conditions”. In conclusion Matteo Artina, Physical Trainer and National Alpine Snowboard Physiotherapist, explained the various advantageous aspects of altitude training for power sports.

Italian athletes at CONI for the “Stronger Together” forum. Malagò: “Our system is unique in the world”

• CAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Moving forward together, network building, creating a community and strengthening the voice of our athletes. This is the aim of the CONI National Athletes’ Commission (CNA), outlined in the “Stronger Together” forum organised in CONI’s Salone d’Onore at the Foro Italico. “I’m very pleased: with Raffaella Masciadri (President of the CONI National Athletes’ Commission) we have been talking about this meeting for some time”, declared CONI President Giovanni Malagò in his speech at the forum. “I get asked around the world how Italy performs so well given the shortcomings of sport in its schools and the condition of its sports facilities, as well as the divergence between the north, centre and south and its socio-economic issues. It is very simple: we are unique in the world. Everyone tries to understand and even copy us, but our system is so singular that it is not replicable, like a trademark. It is a totally upturned model: everyone else starts with schools, while we base everything on amateur sports clubs and associations. And it works, because in 2022 we are doing even better than in 2021: we are ranked third in the world having won more medals than the 283 we won last year, and the year is not even over yet. Only United States and Australia have done better: we are also ahead of China, which is mind-boggling. However, we must improve, and we will do so with your support and your great expertise. We would not exist if it was not for the athletes”.

The “Stronger Together” forum was opened with a greeting from CONI Secretary General Carlo Mornati: “I am excited because Raffaella Masciadri’s idea is like the egg of Columbus. Gathering you all together has not happened for nearly thirty years and, aside from the content, is very significant in itself. I am a product of the athletes' commissions and it is really good to see that we are an active part of the movement. This is not a trade union. You do not represent athletes but rather sport itself. You implement all the issues across the board. We are central to the movement, as demonstrated by the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, even if we do not always realise it. But we should be aware of it: the sports movement would not exist without us”, stressed Carlo Mornati.

In the opening part of the proceedings, in the presence of Deputy Vice-President Silvia Salis, Vice-President Claudia Giordani and representatives of the athletes from the various National Sports Federations and Associated Sports Disciplines, IOC member Federica Pellegrini explained how the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission works: “I’ve been working on it for a year and it’s really a blessing”, said the swimming champion. “Hearing how loudly our voice resonates at an international level is really important. The IOC Athletes’ Commission is a central network providing support. I am here today to urge all federations, because having an Athletes’ Commission is fundamental: I implore you, let athletes have a voice”. 

CONI National Athletes’ Commission President Raffaela Masciadri and Vice-President Carlo Molfetta then explained the role of the board, while Antonella Del Core and Cristina Lenardon spoke about the regulations of the National Athletes’ Commission. “The name of the forum, ‘Stronger Together’, is taken from the campaign launched by the IOC for the Tokyo Games; a message of hope and unity that we wish to make our own”, explained Masciadri. “Sport has the irresistible power to unite people and we are here today together to network, to collaborate synergistically and to make our athletes’ voices better heard. We want to create a community. There are so many issues to discuss: we ask you to become the spokespersons for our projects, to disseminate them as widely as possible, and at the same time to share your initiatives with us”, added the President of the CONI National Athletes' Commission Board Committee, addressing the representatives of the athletes from the various National Sports Federations and Associated Sports Disciplines present in the CONI Salone d’Onore.

In the second part of the forum, the initiatives carried out by the Board were presented and discussed. Carlo Molfetta and Federico Pellegrino, together with Andrea Benassi, ICS Social Responsibility and Sustainability Project Manager, and Monica Rivelli, FEDUF Project Development Manager, talked about the “Financial Education and Sport’ project” aimed at raising athletes' awareness of the issues regarding economic citizenship, money management awareness, financial planning, savings, economic legality and self-entrepreneurial skills. “It is a valuable opportunity and I have been able to witness it first-hand”, said Pellegrino, two-time Olympic podium finisher in his career in cross-country skiing. “I started winning and consequently earning when I was young. I made a few mistakes in my growth and savings management, but I was lucky because I thought about investing in myself and managed to build a career rich in both sporting and financial satisfaction. But having financial education tools would have really helped me”.

CONI board member Paolo Pizzo then presented the dual career guidelines alongside Marco Fichera, CUSI Representative, and Paolo Bouquet, President of Unisport Italia, after the launch of the first dual career database (www.unisport-italia.it/dual-career). “We have worked on it for six months, a debate that was both intense yet very productive and it was good to do it harmoniously. This project is one of our main targets and I am particularly proud of it. Now we will also discuss it with the Italian Paralympic Committee and then the next step, which is a very ambitious one, will be to systemise these guidelines by talking to the institutional bodies” Pizzo declared.

CONI Vice President Silvia Salis, together with Tatiana Andreoli, Italian archer and member of the CONI National Council and Simona Pantò, Head of Marketing & Communication at Gruppo Barletta, talked about the MyLLENNIUM AWARD - MySPORT award, dedicated to dual careers and reserved for Under-30 athletes. “This award rewards excellence; it is only given if the projects are of the highest standards. It is very important to talk about dual careers; athletes have to make an important cultural shift: we have to make ourselves heard, and to do so, we must learn the dynamics of sports politics”, outlined Salis. “This recognition is very important. Being inspired by the values of sport can also help us on the professional career path once our sporting career is over. We would like to take this project to all the federations and associated disciplines across the country so that as many athletes as possible will be able to participate: we rely on you for this”, explained Andreoli addressing the representatives of the athletes of the various National Sports Federations and Associated Sports Disciplines present in the CONI Salone d’Onore.

Elena Pantaleo and Francesco Marrai, meanwhile, spoke about the “Atleta Eccellente, Eccellente Studente” (Excellent Student, Excellent Athlete) competition named after the late Filippo Mondelli, a project aimed at promoting successful experiences in sport as well as in education, summed up in the symbol of the degree. “The opportunities on offer are incredible”, emphasised world kickboxing champion, Elena Pantaleo, “I was lucky because I had the chance to study thanks to my parents and I am now doing a master’s degree on a full scholarship at Sapienza University. But too many athletes are unaware of these projects: it is crucial to teach athletes that they can study and play sport too; times have changed”. “I graduated in nautical engineering from the University of Genoa, a very demanding but very informative course, an experience that also helped me in sport”, said competitive sailor Marrai, a member of the CONI National Council. “The winners will be announced in the coming weeks”.

The “Stronger Together” forum, which is one of the projects supported by the ICO through Olympic Solidarity, aimed at promoting the Olympic principles and helping National Olympic Committees to prepare athletes for future challenges in their sporting and professional lives, concluded with an illustration of possible future steps towards growing the CONI National Athletes’ Commission. “We need to convey these messages together and promote our projects, which are sometimes still little known and yet are very important for young people”, explained Anna Cappellini, a member of the CONI National Council. “We wish to create a community because only by moving together are we able to move forward” Masciadri concluded.

(Photo Mezzelani/GMT)

"Krakusek" the Dragon and “Sandra” the Salamander selected as European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023 mascots

• EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEES

"Krakusek" the dragon and “Sandra” the salamander have been chosen as the official mascots for the European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023. On Friday 14 October it was announced that "Krakusek" the dragon would be the only mascot for the Games, however, after a period of deliberation, the Organising Committee jury agreed that the outstanding illustration of the salamander should join the dragon as the official mascots for the Games. 

The initiative, which received over 2,400 entries, was open to young people aged 5-15 across the continent. The exceptional dragon design by 15-year-old Katarzyna Biśta from Libiąż, Poland, perfectly encapsulates the local culture and history of Kraków. Complimenting Krakusek, the creation of the black and gold salamander by 10-year-old Gloria Goryl from Wojnicz, Poland, brilliantly portrays a real creature that calls south Poland its home. 

Katarzyna’s illustration won a popular vote on Facebook after reaching the final shortlist featuring the top three designs, which included the salamander. “Krakusek” and “Sandra” will now be reimagined by graphic designers and will become a prominent presence in the build-up to and during the 3 rd edition of the European Games.

The two mascots, one male and one female, will strengthen the message behind the slogan of the Games “We are unity” and will help to promote the importance of gender equality in society. The dragon and the salamander will unite the worlds of mythology and reality and will bring people from different backgrounds together, in a similar way to sport. 

“The slogan of the Games is "We are unity". So, we decided that our dragon would need some company,” said Marcin Nowak, President of the European Games 2023 Organising Committee. “In the past, I have participated in many large-scale sports events where there have been two or even three mascots, and this solution has always worked well. The mascots can interact with each other, and I have the impression that if there are more of them, it will be easier to attract a wider audience,” he added.

Dragons hold a special place in the hearts of the people in Kraków, since the Wawel dragon is a symbol of the city. Stories about the legend of the beast that inhabited the cave under the royal castle on the Wawel Hill was passed down from generation to generation, which included anecdotes of the fearsome dragon terrorising the city established by King Krak.

In addition to being the creative force behind the key symbols of this major sporting event, Katarzyna and Gloria will now be invited to both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies with their families, where they will enjoy VIP treatment at the Municipal Stadium in Krakow. They will also receive a personalised mascot inspired by their designs and a package of official European Games 2023 merchandise.

The European Games takes place from 21 June – 2 July 2023, where the continent’s elite level athletes will compete in 25 sports.

Japan unveiled as first hosts of olympic qualification tournaments

• PARIS 2024 - VOLLEY

Volleyball World and the FIVB can announce that Japan is the first country to be confirmed as a host for one of the eagerly anticipated FIVB Road To Paris Volleyball Qualifier events taking place in 2023.

The country will welcome the volleyball elite as men’s and women’s teams battle for not only a place at the 2024 Olympics in Paris – but also for an event which is traditionally known as the World Cup in Japan.

With participation at Paris 2024 the ultimate goal, countries will head to Japan with the women’s competition running between 16-24 September 2023. The men’s event will follow, beginning on 30 September and finishing on 8 October 2023.

The pools, which will be filled by the serpentine system, will be revealed on 19 December while host cities for the other groups will be announced in due course.

FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° said: “We are delighted to welcome Japan as the first host of an Olympic Qualification Tournament on the road to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Japan has a long and successful history of hosting major international volleyball events and is well known for the high level of both its men’s and women’s national teams and of course for its passionate fanbase. I have no doubt that next year’s event, which will double up as a World Cup, will be an incredible celebration for our sport and fans all over the world”.

Finn Taylor, Volleyball World CEO, said: “Japan has for so long enjoyed such a wonderful association with our sport so for Japan to host one of the Olympic qualification events is an honor. The fact the event will double up as their traditional World Cup will make the tournament extra special, and we are looking forward to experiencing a wonderful event that promises to be memorable for both teams and players alike”.

Shunichi Kawai, President of the Japan Volleyball Association, said: “I am very pleased to announce the hosting of FIVB Road To Paris Volleyball Qualifier / World Cup 2023 Japan which has been our strong aspiration since 2016. Both men’s and women’s Japanese national teams did very well this season and I feel that they have ability to compete equally with the top teams of the world. I am very sure that they will win the tickets to Paris 2024 in front of a huge Japanese crowd. I would like to thank the FIVB for the support and everyone who were involved, including passionate Japanese fans, for making this happen. We will keep working hard for further success of this tournament”.

OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION EXPLAINED

Twelve teams per gender will participate in the Olympic volleyball competition at Paris 2024. As the host nation, France, the current men’s Olympic volleyball champions, has secured its place in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The other 11 quota places per gender will be allocated via a two-step qualification process that ensures the best volleyball nations can participate at the event while observing the principle of universality.

In particular, six Olympic quota places per gender will be contested during the Olympic Qualification Tournaments where the top 24 teams as per the FIVB Volleyball Senior World Ranking (WR) not yet qualified will be split into three pools of eight teams. The top two teams of each pool will then qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The remaining five Olympic places per gender will be filled by selecting the top five not yet qualified teams in the FIVB WR as of the end of the preliminary phase of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2024. To guarantee the principle of universality, these teams will be selected as per the following order of priority: 1) The team(s) from a continent(s) without a qualified team(s) and 2) Top team(s) not yet qualified. 

Cairo World Championships: Sollazzo wins silver and secures Olympic quota place for Italy in the 10-metre air rifle

• SHOOTING

Italy has won its first medal at the World Shooting Championships in Cairo. In the 10-metre air rifle, Danilo Dennis Sollazzo produced an outstanding performance all the way to the final before being defeated by India’s Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil with a score of 17-13.

The final proved unlucky for the Italian, who got off to a solid start, edging as far ahead as 13-9. His opponent, however, staged an unstoppable comeback, surging back to snatch the gold. Danilo Dennis Sollazzo’s silver medal rewards Italy with another Olympic quota place for Paris 2024.

The Azzurri currently qualified for Paris 2024 Olympic Games now stand at five (two men, three women) in three disciplines:

- Shooting [shotgun] - 3 quota places: 1 Trap woman,1 Skeet woman, 1 Skeet man

- Gymnastics (rhythmic) - 1 quota place: all-around individual

- Shooting [pistol&rifle] - 1 quota place: 10m air rifle man

CONI on the innovation podium. Italia Team TV garlanded at SMAU. Gymnastics Championships live from tomorrow

• SUCCESS FOR THE OTT PLATFORM

CONI is on the innovation podium: there was special recognition for CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee), who, for once, were not bestowing a medal on one of their own champions, but rather receiving an award for Italia Team TV, the OTT (Over-The-Top Content) platform, which exclusively broadcast the Oran 2022 Mediterranean Games. The success achieved in broadcasting the Algerian event and the quality of the project were recognised yesterday at SMAU Milano, the leading Italian fair for I.T. and communication technologies.

CONI and Italia Team TV were awarded the 2022 SMAU Innovation Award, accepted by the Head of the CONI Communication Office, Danilo di Tommaso. “CONI has sports broadcasting in its DNA, which today also involves innovation”, explained Di Tommaso. “In sport there is effort, sweat and passion, but technology plays an increasingly important role”. The technology developed thanks to the collaboration with the innovative startup Nexting – already a CONI partner – has been fundamental, with the company providing their technological and OTT expertise. Italia Team TV – which can be accessed at the link https://tv.italiateam.sport/ – was created to share and promote the passion and performance of athletes from many sporting disciplines, whilst concurrently helping to supply federations with audiovisual content.

The decisive step forward came just this year: indeed, until 2021 the platform – developed jointly between the Communication Office and the CONI Marketing Department – had broadcast Italian athletes only pre and post-race, for instance during Tokyo 2020, when it screened content produced directly by Casa Italia, the hospitality house and increasingly CONI’s media factory at the Olympic Games.

In the summer of 2022, the Committee decided to air its live OTT broadcasting, on occasion of the Oran Mediterranean Games, seizing the opportunity, just days prior to the start of the event, to acquire the TV rights to broadcast the games in Italy that had not yet been acquired by traditional channels. The Games were thus broadcast from the opening ceremony onwards on two dedicated channels. It proved a success: for the first time, fans were able to follow an international multidisciplinary event live on the CONI website, which was broadcast live directly from the Algerian television-produced stream, making it visible for all the Federations.

Following the Mediterranean Games, the Italia Team TV schedule was enhanced with live broadcasts of the 2022 EYOF (European Youth Olympic Festival) held in July in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, and then with the Trofeo CONI 2022, Italy’s top multidisciplinary event dedicated to Under-14s hosted in Valdichiana Senese in late September.

But it does not end there. With the technical commentary of Ilaria Colombo and Andrea Massaro, Italia Team TV is set to broadcast competitions 2 of the all around (Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October) and on Sunday 16 the apparatus finals of the Italian Artistic Gymnastics Championships being held in Naples.

Bacosi triumphs in Skeet at the World Championship and wins an Olympic quota place

• SHOTGUN

Diana Bacosi gave a perfect performance at the World Championship Shotgun, which takes place in Osijek. The Italian won the Skeet Women Final securing the gold medal and a Paris 2024 Olympic quota place. The Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist, who also took silver at Tokyo 2020, won a second individual world title, following that of Lonato in 2019, hitting 37 of the 38 targets in the final. The competition’s final showdown was interrupted earlier than the 40 scheduled targets as the Azzurra shooter moved out of reach of Britain’s Amber Hill, the reigning European champion, who took silver with 31 targets out of 36. Bronze went to the American shooter Samantha Simonton.

Gabriele Rossetti, however, came away empty-handed. The Tuscan shooter, champion in Rio 2016 alongside Diana Bacosi, finished the men’s skeet semi-final in fourth place with 17 out of 20 targets, failing to make the cut for the final, which would also have guaranteed Italy an Olympic quota spot. The gold medal was clinched by Egyptian competitor Azmy Mehelba, who outstripped American Vincent Hancock (silver) and the Qatari Rashid Saleh Al-Athba (bronze). Elsewhere in men's skeet, the Italian team has already conquered a national quota place thanks to Luigi Lodde’s silver scooped at last month’s European Championships; today’s result for Bacosi means Italy have reached the requisites needed to be able to field a pair in the mixed event which is set to debut in Paris.

In the shooting discipline, the Italia Team’s presence at Paris 2024 had already been guaranteed in the women’s trap thanks to Silvana Stanco’s triumph last month at the European Championships.

The Azzurri currently qualified for Paris 2024 now stand at four (one man, three women) in two disciplines:

- Shotgun - 3 quota places: 1 Trap woman, 1 Skeet woman, 1 Skeet man

- Gymnastics (rhythmic) - 1 quota place: all-around individual