Giorgio Armani dresses the Italian Team for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio

Giorgio Armani continues its collaboration with CONI, Italy’s National Olympic committee. As official outfitter once again, just as for the London 2012 Olympics and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, the designer will supply all the formal and leisure wear for the athletes on the Italian Olympic and Paralympic teams for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The kit each athlete will receive includes tracksuits; waterproof jackets with hoods and central zippers, with short and long sleeves; short-sleeved and long-sleeved blue polo shirts bearing the words ‘Fratelli d’Italia’ (Brothers of Italy); Bermuda shorts; cargo pants and shorts with practical deep pockets; and two styles of running shoes – white and blue and in the colours of the Italian flag, both made using the innovative C-Cube (Carbon Cushion Control) technology, which guarantees maximum reactive comfort and rest in all circumstances.

The sportswear items come in Armani’s well-known, iconic, elegant midnight blue, and bear the EA7 logo, the word ‘Italia’ and the new CONI logo all in a new galvanic gold colour. The tracksuit for the podium has big graphic inserts in contrasting white to underline its dynamic, active character, and displays the word ‘ITALIA’ in gold on the back. The lining of the jackets and sweatshirts carries the first verse of the Italian national anthem in gold italic script, while on the polo shirt, the opening words of the anthem appear on the blue strip under the raised collar.

Giorgio Armani has also created a special suit for athletes to wear at the opening ceremonies. The items that will be worn by the Italian Olympic and Paralympic team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will be available for sale in Emporio Armani stores from March.

Declaration of President Malagò on Roma 2024

Declaration of President Malagò on Rome 2024:

"I am very satisfied with the outcome of the Rome council assembly. Today sport prevailed over politics. I want to thank both the majority and the opposition for voting in favour of the motion. It was proven that with common sense it is possible to overcome the obstacles inevitably created by political debate. Today’s achievement is just the first step in a long journey which will continue over the next two years and which we must make together, in unity. This is the only way to achieve our goals. Thank you".

Gala night at ‘Casa Italia’ with members of IOC, EOC and the Presidents of the International Federations

Casa Italia brings the country’s excellence to Baku with a gala night. About 150 guests, amongst whom IOC members, presidents of the European Olympic Committees and of international federations attended the opening of the first edition of the European Games in the Italian headquarters with a dinner prepared by the chefs of 'Eccellenze campane'.

Hosts of the event were CONI President Giovanni Malagò, Secretary General, Roberto Fabbricini, and Deputy Secretary General and Head of Mission in Baku, Carlo Mornati. Malagò expressed his satisfaction: "We were keen to hold this event following the examples of France and Germany and of the reception held by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Aliyev. We didn’t expect such a turnout. We have presidents of the European Olympic Committees, the global presidents of the federations and about twenty members of the IOC, not just Europeans, and this is significant. We also have Claudia Bokel, Tony Estanguet, and Anita DeFrantz. Rome 2024? In my opinion the competition should be dictated by fair play, as sport is, on the other hand".

"I wish Rome good luck for all Olympic initiatives – said Valerij Borzov, Pietro Mennea’s historic rival and today a member of the IOC – It is a great candidate and one of quality''. Borzov (sitting at the table with Malagò and other CIO colleagues, the French Estanguet to the Swedish Gunilla Lindberg, and Claudia Bokel, as well as Austin Sealy from the Barbados, the Spanish Josè Perurena, the President of the African Olympic Committees Lassana Palenfo and Beatrice Allen from Gambia) – I love Italy and our Italian friends, you still remember me and Pietro Mennea''. Words of appreciation for Italy came also from former Brazilian volleyball player Bernardo, he too is a member of the IOC: "Italy is Italy and has all the conditions it needs to hold the Games. Food, wine and historical heritage are a distinguished visiting card, and you are ready for holding the great Games. Italy is for me a second home, even if my father was Polish and my mother was French''. The event was attended also by the Vice President of Roma 2024, Luca Pancalli, the Global Coordinator, Claudia Bugno and the Committee’s International Relations and Planning Manager, Simone Perillo, as well as the COE’s Secretary, Raffaele Pagnozzi and a number of federal Presidents.

Cristian Andreoni (Football) tested positive

CONI announced that the examinations performed by the Laboratory of Rome, resulted in a positive case. The first analyzed samples, collected as dispensed by the FIGC for control during the competition on May 17, 2015 in Ascoli Piceno, on the occasion of the quarter-final match of Pro League Play-off: Ascoli - Reggiana, contained Arimistane - Metabolite Arimistane for Cristian Andreoni, registered in the Italian Football Federation.

President Malagò included in the Public Affairs and Sport Social Development Committee

The IOC awarded an important recognition to the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò. President Bach appointed him member of the "Public Affairs and Sport Social Development" committee (previously known as "International Relations"), which is chaired by Italian IOC member Mario Pescante. Malagò is included for the first time in a commission of the International Olympic Committee. Among the other committees, the notable confirmation of Franco Carraro as Chairman of the "Olympic Program" and the task of "permanent observer of the IOC in the United Nations" to Mario Pescante.

Four assignments were entrusted to Francesco Ricci Bitti who was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the "Olympic Channel", in its "Olympic Channel" committee, as well as in Marketing and in the "Rio 2016 Coordination Committee". Ottavio Cinquanta will be part of the "Pyeongchang 2018 Coordination Committee" and the Marketing committee. Among the other Italian members: Raffaele Pagnozzi in "Olympic Solidarity", Ivo Ferriani in "Sustainability and Legacy", Bruno Grandi and Raffaele Chiulli in "Active Sport and Society" and Franco Ascani in the "Olympic Culture and Heritage".

IOC President Bach in Rome meets Italian President, Rome 2024 bid leaders and receives top sports award

IOC President Thomas Bach was in Rome to receive the presitious Onesti award for contribution to sport. He started the day at the Palazzo Quirinale for a meeting with the Italian President. The leaders discussed the benefits of sport for society. President Sergio Mattarella said "the world has many problems. Sport is the antidote to those problems because it enters the hearts and minds of people".
The two leaders also discussed Rome's bid for the 2024 Olympic Games. President Bach said that Italy was "very well placed". "With your great attachment to Olympic ideals, with your athletes and your love of sport you will have a strong bid", he said.  "But you will face strong competition", he added.

Also at the meeting with the Italian President were CONI President Giovanni Malagò and IOC members Franco Carraro and Mario Pescante. As part of the Invitation phase brought in as part of the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms the President also met members of the Rome 2024 Olympic bid including leader  Luca Cordero  Di Montezemolo and the Mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino. Later at the award ceremony the President was given the "Onesti Award" named after the long term President of CONI for 34 years until 1978. In the citation, president Bach was praised for "immersing himself in his work with passion" and for "carrying out reforms of the Olympic Movement whilst also respecting tradition".
Receiving the award President Bach said he was "glad to be in Italy where you fight for and defend the Olympic values".

Also at the ceremony were the President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, Francesco Ricci Bitti, the President of the International Sailing Federation Croce, the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Bruno Grandi, and the Presidents of the International Skating Union, Ottavio Cinquanta, and of the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation, Ivo Ferriani.
Previous recipients of the award include Italian sporting icons Alberto Tomba, Sara Simeoni and Pietro Mennea, as well as previous IOC Presidents Juan Antonio Samaranch and Jacques Rogge.

Speech President of the Giulio Onesti Foundation and IOC Member Franco Carraro

Speech IOC President Thomas BachIOC President Thomas Bach

"Onesti in Sport": Marcianise and Rome win

In the presence of the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, the Minister of Education, University and Research (MUIR), Stefania Giannini, the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, and of the Giulio Onesti-Aoni Foundation, Franco Carraro, the award ceremony of the fourth edition of the "Onesti in Sport" competition was held today, organised by the Giulio Onesti Foundation, in collaboration with the MIUR and, this year, with the support of the Office for Sport of the Council Presidency.

The winners for the year 2015 are:

1. The "Lener" State Institute of Marcianise claimed victory in the "kick the violence" section, with the musical piece "We are here too!" and combined with video clips, which denounces the madness of violence in and around stadiums, motivated sometimes by a run down environment. An invitation was then extended to the institutions to create sports facilities suitable for educating as a preventive measure, in complete harmony with the theme. Rap, the chosen musical genre, is able to make education reach young people, by using their own language.
2. For the "sport with a new friend" section, the victory went to the "Sereni" Agricultural Technical Institute of Rome, with the short film "My friend called sport", which perfectly reflects the proposed topic of social inclusion through sport, a true mini-fiction that stands out for its originality, quality of image and dialogue. Sport, therefore, is the protagonist as a means to overcome all the physical and psychological barriers in the name of integration.

The competition admitted 137 compositions from all over Italy.

For the winners the chance to live the experience of Expo2015 and to attend the World Canoe Championships in August in Milan.

Cooperation programme with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote Italian sport abroad

The President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation signed this morning at Farnesina a cooperation programme aimed at promoting sport on the international scene. The agreement includes a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing and coordinating activities that will help the movement to spread and grow abroad, improving the image of the country. An important synergy also in relation to Rome's bid for the Olympic Games of 2024, a crucial issue that was also addressed in the meeting today.

Also attending the signing of the document were the Secretary General of CONI, Roberto Fabbricini, the Deputy Secretary General, Carlo Mornati, the General Coordinator for Rome 2024, Claudia Bugno, the Secretary General of the Ministry, Michele Valensise, and the Head of Promotion and Sporting events, Luigi Maria Vignali.

National Board Statement

This morning the 1035th meeting of the National Board of CONI was held, which began its work by approving the minutes of the previous meeting, held on April 29. President Malagò began the communications, announcing that on Friday the Onesti Foundation will present the Onesti Award 2015 to the President of IOC, Thomas Bach. Before receiving the prize, Bach will meet the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, as already happened with its award-winning predecessors, namely Juan Antonio Samaranch and Jacques Rogge. At 10:45 Bach will visit at the Foro Italico the new premises of the organizing committee for Rome’s 2024 Olympic bid and will have lunch with members of the IOC and the Italian Presidents of International Federations at Acqua Acetosa, the Olympic Training Center dedicated to Giulio Onesti. Malagò then focused on the latest events relating to the world of football: the postponement of the Roma-Lazio regular season match, the arrests relating to illegal betting in Lega Pro and Dilettanti and the investigations of the Italian Guardia di Finanzia in relation to the assignment of television rights.

The Board also approved the composition of the team that will participate in the next European Games in Baku. Italy will be represented by 295 athletes, including 127 women (43%, a record percentage for a multimedia event) and 168 men. The team can still undergo some changes in relation to certain qualifications. The flag bearer will be the Italian Olympic judo champion from Beijing 2008, Giulia Quintavalle. It was also announced that the Office for Olympic Preparations has defined all the arrangements for the pre-Olympic campus in Rio, with the exception of the track and field team that will train in San Paolo and the swimming team that will train in Santos. The location for Casa Italia, which will also host the bid committee for Rome 2024, was also chosen: it is the Costa Brava Clube in the spectacular setting of Sao Conrado and Barra da Tijuca. Malago also expressed his compliments for the successful organization of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia tennis tournament, thanks to the fruitful collaboration between Federtennis and CONI Servizi. Any ongoing compulsory administration will be completed by June 6. Elections will be held on May 23 in Lombardy (single candidate Oreste Perri) and June 6 in Calabria (nominations will expire on Friday). The next Board Meeting and the next National Council will be held in Milan on July 2 during the EXPO; the Mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino, the President of Rome 2024, Luca di Montezemolo and the staff of the bid for the 2024 Olympic Games were formally invited to the event. After reviewing a long list of other organizational and administrative issues and taking the relevant resolutions, the council ended its work at 12:00.

283 Italian athletes headed for Baku, Giulia Quintavalle is the standard-bearer

The National Board of CONI announced this morning the composition of the Italian team for the first edition of the European Games that will be held in Baku from June 12 to 28. 283 athletes (164 men and 119 women) in 23 disciplines will represent Italy. Giulia Quintavalle will be waving the flag: the gold medallist of the 2008 Beijing Games will be the first standard-bearer in the history of Italian judo.

She will be accompanied in Azerbajian by other 4 Olympic athletes: Niccolo Campriani for shooting, Jessica Rossi and Chiara Cainero for skeet shooting, Mauro Nespoli for archery, and a total of 14 Olympic medalists in the team (Marco Aurelio Fontana for cycling; Andreea Stefanescu and Marta Pagnini for rhythmic gymnastics; Vincenzo Picardi and Vincenzo Mangiacapre for boxing; Luca Tesconi for shooting; Deborah Gelisio, Giovanni Pellielo and Massimo Fabbrizi for skeet shooting).