Buonfiglio visits the Italian rowing team in training at Piediluco: “Best of luck for the World Championships in Shanghai”
- CONI
This afternoon, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio visited the Italian men’s and women’s rowing teams during their training camp at the National Olympic Preparation Centre in Piediluco, Umbria (photo: Luca Pagliaricci).
Accompanied by Italian Rowing Federation President Davide Tizzano, the head of Italian sport extended his best wishes to the athletes ahead of the World Championships, scheduled to take place in Shanghai, China, from 21 to 28 September 2025.
“Athletes, be protagonists, never extras — both in the boat and on land,” said Buonfiglio. “Think of the message we can convey as the flag is raised during a World Championship medal ceremony, when we hear the national anthem. I am pleased to be here together with President Davide Tizzano who, like me, shares the belief in the central role of athletes in sport and the utmost commitment to ensuring they can perform at their very best, supported by the expertise of the technical and medical staff".
Ten athlete ambassadors engaged in preventing competition manipulation announced
- AT MILANO CORTINA 2026
Ten athletes from every continent and 10 different sports have been announced as ambassadors for the latest Believe in Sport campaign – an initiative from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to raise awareness among athletes, their entourage members and officials of the threat of competition manipulation.
The latest cohort of ambassadors are:
- Dominik Windisch (Italy, Biathlon)
- Mark Fraser (Canada, Ice Hockey)
- Yura Min (Republic of Korea, Figure Skating)
- Matelita Buadromo (Fiji, Swimming)
- Jane-Anne Claxton (Australia, Hockey)
- Esra Gümüş Kırıcı (Türkiye, Volleyball)
- Kady Kanoute Tounkara (Mali, Basketball)
- Khotso Mokoena (South Africa, Athletics)
- Ayako Rokkaku (Japan, Baseball)
- Arthur Zanetti (Brazil, Gymnastics)
Empowering athletes at Milano Cortina 2026
Dominik Windisch, Mark Fraser and Yura Min will engage with athletes and their entourages at dedicated Believe in Sport booths in the Olympic Villages in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“I would like to help the athletes and the different team members be more aware about the risks and the rules against competition manipulation. It is important that we encourage them to report violations and explain where and how to do so properly,” said Dominik Windisch, a triple Olympic medallist and world champion in biathlon, who is looking forward to sharing his experience with the next generation of Olympians at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in his home country of Italy (credit IOC/Christophe Moratal).
Yura Min added: “Being an ambassador for the Believe in Sport initiative means a great deal to me, both as an athlete and as a mentor. The upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are an opportunity to share the values of integrity, fairness, and respect in sport – principles that have guided me throughout my career. I’m proud to help raise awareness about the importance of match-fixing and to inspire the next generation of athletes to compete with honour and purpose, both on and off the ice.”
“It is an honour to represent the IOC as a Believe in Sport ambassador,” concluded Mark Fraser. “Competition manipulation is a genuine threat at all levels of elite sport. As a former professional athlete, I understand the pressures and temptations that today’s athletes face, and the importance of creating a safe space to learn about the real risks around them. The Olympics are the pinnacle of athletic competition, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help protect its integrity and support our athletes in this way.”
Playing an active role in engaging athletes
All ambassadors underwent a thorough selection process led by the IOC’s Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) in close collaboration with National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Continental Associations of NOCs and International Federations (IFs), ensuring strong representation across sports and regions. They also completed a training workshop at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, to be fully equipped for their new role.
“By putting elite athletes at the heart of this campaign, we expand its reach and strengthen the fight against competition manipulation,” said Friedrich Martens, Head of the OM Unit PMC. “These phenomenal ambassadors will help us connect with athletes directly, spark honest discussions, and empower more people to protect fair competition where it matters most: right there on the field of play!”
The newly appointed Believe in Sport ambassadors will support the OM Unit PMC’s efforts to promote integrity and fair play in sport; and will play an active role in athlete outreach through on-site activations, as well as through the regularly hosted webinars conducted by the OM Unit PMC in collaboration with the IFs and NOCs.
About the Believe in Sport campaign and its ambassadors programmes
Following the success of the programme at Paris 2024, this is the second time Believe in Sport ambassadors will support the OM Unit PMC during Games activities as the programme keeps expanding to reach as many athletes as possible.
As part of the campaign, NOCs and IFs also selected a wider group of ambassadors for their activations in the respective country or sport, named the Global Network of PMC Ambassadors.
Second edition of the “Italian Sport in the World Day”, Buonfiglio: “Commitment together for an Italy that leads”
- AT VILLA MADAMA
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, together with Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, this afternoon inaugurated the second edition of the Italian Sport in the World Day at Villa Madama. The event was attended by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP) President Marco Giunio De Sanctis, ICE President Matteo Zoppas, and numerous federation presidents.
The 2025 edition was dedicated to the theme “Mountains and Sea” and served as a prelude to the major international sporting events that Italy will host in 2026: the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. To strengthen coordination within the national system in the run-up to these events, a new Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for Sport, CONI and CIP. The initiative, along with the creation of the Italian Sport in the World Day, the Permanent Table on Sports Diplomacy, and the Memorandum itself, consolidates a system aimed at promoting athletes, enterprises, and institutions within a unified strategy (photo: Mezzelani).
“Sport in practice is a tool for peace,” declared Minister Tajani. “We recall when the thaw in US-China relations began with ping-pong diplomacy, and how, during the Olympic Games, wars would cease. There is also the economic dimension: the sports industry represents an extraordinary driver of export growth, particularly for quality products. It is vital for us to ensure that ‘Made in Italy’ grows even in sectors that are not always sufficiently valued but which present enormous opportunities. Italy’s industrial quality in the sports sector is envied worldwide.”
The Foreign Minister also announced the appointment of eleven new sports ambassadors: Kimi Antonelli (Formula 1), Maurizio Margaglio (figure skating), Gianfranco Zola, Vincenzo Montella, Luigi Di Biagio and Sofia Cantore (football), Niccolò Campriani (shooting and Vice President and Sports Director of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics), Gianluca Pascucci (NBA executive), Alessandro Calbucci (beach tennis), Dario Capelli (Paralympic skiing executive), and Carola Saletta (ice hockey). “They must work to ensure that their personalities serve the Italian system, promoting and showcasing our country to foster its growth,” Tajani added.
“Celebrating when you win is too easy,” observed Minister Abodi. “What we want to celebrate is daily commitment, and that is precisely what we are doing today. Too often we remain prisoners of defeat, while athletes already look ahead to the next challenge: this is one of your greatest lessons. This Day is the clearest expression of the work that Minister Tajani, with our support in the spirit of teamwork, carries out every day. We aim to improve, to grow and strengthen the reputation of our country, to which sport certainly offers an invaluable contribution.”
“Our federation presidents commit themselves every day to our success,” said CONI President Buonfiglio. “And today Minister Tajani has enriched us with new ambassadors — a vital asset for our brand, as these athletes become the diplomatic corps of sport. I will conclude with three words: Commitment, Together, and Italy — three ‘I’s to ensure that our country continues to play a leading role,” Buonfiglio concluded.
First meeting of the Sports Justice Commission with Minister Abodi. Buonfiglio: “We aim to ensure greater transparency and impartiality”
- AT CONI
The inaugural meeting of the Sports Justice Commission took place this afternoon in the Sala Giunta of CONI at the Foro Italico. Attending the session were Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, CONI General Secretary Carlo Mornati, and Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP) President Marco Giunio De Sanctis.
All 13 members of the Commission, distinguished figures from both the professional and academic spheres, participated either in person or remotely: Riccardo Andriani, Stefano Arcifa, Marco Di Paola (Coordinator), Giovanni Fontana, Alberto Gambino, Pierluigi Matera, Francesca Orlando, Massimo Proto, Piero Sandulli, Raffaella Valeri, Guido Valori, Stefano Varone, and Massimo Zaccheo.
The working group has set itself the task of preparing, within a reasonable timeframe, a proposal capable of addressing the various issues that have emerged over recent years in the application and management of sports justice. This system involves numerous bodies within the CONI and CIP framework and directly affects millions of athletes and administrators at every level.
“I am very pleased to have launched this important commission alongside Minister Abodi, bringing together such highly regarded professionals,” commented President Buonfiglio. “Many of them were involved in the 2014 reform and are now preparing to update it. Let us remember that at that time there were 4.5 million registered members, while today we count between 14 and 15 million. The system has evolved, and we must adapt it to ensure transparency, independence, impartiality, and due process with appropriate timing” he concluded.
Farewell to Armani, President Buonfiglio’s tribute: “You were the gold medal of elegance”
- SPORT MOURNING
Upon hearing the sad news of Giorgio Armani’s passing, CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio paid tribute with words of affection and admiration, issuing the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a proud icon of our country, a visionary who shaped the history of fashion with his innate talent and class. Giorgio Armani was a true ambassador of Italian excellence worldwide and a devoted supporter of our beloved sport, of both the Olympic and Paralympic movements. Since London 2012, through EA7 Emporio Armani, he has accompanied Italy’s Olympic missions, bringing a unique style that has made us — and will continue to make us — proud of a partnership capable of securing, always and in every circumstance, the gold medal of elegance.
CONI and the entire sporting movement mourn his passing, remembering the commitment he devoted to our community through visionary ideas, investments, and passion. These are the qualities we wish to honour by dedicating to him, starting with Milano Cortina 2026, our future achievements, proudly wearing the uniforms that will bear his name — an identity in which we will continue to recognise ourselves with a strong sense of belonging.”
President Buonfiglio will attend the lying in state on Saturday morning in Milan, as a dutiful tribute from the sporting world to Giorgio Armani. At the same time, CONI has ordered the flags at Palazzo H to be flown at half-mast for three days.
Addio a Giorgio Armani, le divise più belle disegnate per l'Italia Team
President Buonfiglio Meets EOC Leader Capralos at the “Giulio Onesti” Olympic Training Centre
- CONI
Luciano Buonfiglio, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), today welcomed Spyros Capralos, President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), to the “Giulio Onesti” Olympic Training Centre in Rome. The Greek official is in the Italian capital for the meeting of the EOC Executive Committee, which brings together the National Olympic Committees of the continent.
Also in attendance was Carlo Mornati, who serves as both General Secretary of CONI and General Secretary of the EOC.
For Buonfiglio, elected to lead CONI last June, this marked his first official meeting with the head of the European Olympic body. The occasion provided an important opportunity to reaffirm Italy’s central role within the international Olympic landscape and to strengthen the longstanding dialogue with European leadership, facilitated by Mornati’s dual responsibilities. The discussions also looked ahead to major events on Italian soil, beginning with the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
IOC launches call for medal designs for Dakar 2026
- YOG
Creatives and Olympic fans now have the chance to leave their mark on Olympic history. A global call is open to shape one of the most meaningful symbols of the Games by designing the obverse side of the medal for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The selected design will feature on the medals awarded to athletes who reach the podium in Senegal. Designs can be submitted from 2 September to 7 October 2025 through a dedicated platform on Olympics.com.
As well as being able to submit their designs from 2 September to 7 October 2025 through the dedicated platform on Olympics.com, candidates can also access a toolkit with design specifications, guidelines and rules. Entries will be judged on five criteria: creativity, originality, relevance to the YOG narrative, feasibility and the written description.
A jury featuring International Olympic Committee (IOC) Dakar 2026 Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange OLY; Gangwon 2024 medal design competition winner Dante Akira Uwai; Olympian Artist Annabel Eyres OLY; IOC Young Leaders Peniamina Percival OLY and Pragnya Mohan; IOC Young Reporters Yun Su Park and Yann Durand; and Dakar 2026 ambassador Elzo Jamdong, will review applications, rank designs and share their recommendation with the IOC Executive Board for validation.
The reverse of the medal will be developed by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee and will incorporate Senegalese cultural elements alongside the YOG emblem.
“The transformative power of both art and sport”
The designer of the obverse of the Gangwon 2024 medal, Dante Akira Uwai (photo credit © IOC /Greg Martin), explained the impact that his participation in 2024 had on his life.
“A lot has changed since Gangwon. Many opportunities have opened up to me thanks to the medal design competition, especially for my career. But I think the most important change was actually internal. It was realising the transformative power of both art and sport”.
The opportunity to design the obverse of the medal was first introduced for the Singapore 2010 YOG, when Japan’s Setsuko Fukuzawa created the “Yes Youth Can” design. Since then, young designers from Slovakia, Romania, Indonesia, New Zealand and Brazil have seen their creations presented to athletes on the YOG podium. For Gangwon 2024, more than 3,000 entries from 120 countries were submitted, with Brazilian artist and architect Dante Akira Uwai selected for his design, “A Sparkling Future”.
“One thing that happened to me a lot when designing my medal was to visualise the athlete receiving it, What do I want them to feel? What do I want them to see? And when they are older and full of stories to tell, what memories should the medal bring back when they see it hanging on the wall?”
Looking back on Gangwon 2024, he added: “I think the most impactful memory was seeing the medal being awarded to an athlete for the very first time. I had imagined that scene for a whole year, and when it finally happened, it was a very, very emotional moment.”
The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place over two weeks from 31 October, bringing together the world’s best young athletes up to the age of 17. The Games will be held across three host sites: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
World Championships set to begin at Milan’s Idroscalo, Buonfiglio to attend opening ceremony
- CANOE SPRINT
All is set for the Canoe Sprint World Championships, which will bring around 1,400 athletes from 75 nations to the waters of Milan’s Idroscalo from Wednesday 20 to Sunday 24 August.
Twenty-four world titles will be contested, including all 16 Olympic events, in what marks the first global championship of the new Olympic cycle building towards Los Angeles 2028. The action will be formally launched on Tuesday 19 at 18:30 with the opening ceremony, attended by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio.
For the Italian team, it promises to be five days of intense competition. The Azzurri squad (pictured, FICK) features 20 boats — 12 men’s and eight women’s crews. Wednesday’s programme is devoted entirely to heats across the 200m, 500m and 1000m distances, with further qualifying races continuing into Thursday, when the first semi-finals will also take place.
The opening finals, awarding medals over 200m and 500m, are scheduled for Friday 22 August. From the afternoon of Saturday 23, the focus turns exclusively to medal races, culminating with the 5000m events that will close the regatta on Sunday 24.
World Games: Degli Agostini takes silver in inline freestyle as Italy signs off with 57 medals
- CHENGDU 2025
The curtain has fallen on the World Games in Chengdu, China, with Italy celebrating one final flourish on the closing day.
Valerio Degli Agostini produced a standout performance in the men’s inline freestyle skating classic slalom, impressing the judges despite two penalties to slot onto the podium between a pair of home favourites. Zhang Hao struck gold, Degli Agostini claimed silver, and Wang Yuxuan completed the trio with bronze.
That result brought Italy’s final tally to 57 medals, good enough for fourth place in the overall standings, which also include para-sport events. Hosts China topped the table with 64 medals, followed by Germany and Ukraine.
Crescenzo and Rebagliati lead Italy into the World Games opener, flying start for inline hockey side and promising signs from the archers
- CHENGDU 2025
Music, colour, flags, lights, fireworks and plenty of emotion: the curtain has officially risen on the 12th edition of the World Games, staged at the striking Tianfu International Conference Centre in Chengdu, China.
The modern, eye-catching venue set the scene for a celebration marking the return of the multi-sport showcase to Asia, two decades on from Akita 2001 and Kaohsiung 2009. This year’s Games bring together athletes from across the globe, spread across 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 medal events. The host city, Chengdu, is a vast metropolis of over 20 million people in south-west China, capital of Sichuan province.
Italy’s delegation was fronted by flagbearers Angelo Crescenzo (karate) and Chiara Rebagliati (archery), who led the Azzurri into the arena. The team arrives with momentum after a strong showing at the last edition in the United States, where Italy captured 13 medals (three gold, six silver and four bronze), and with ambitions to once again be among the main players in emerging sports.
Early results suggest they are on track. The inline hockey national side opened their Group B campaign in emphatic style, sweeping aside Argentina 9–0. Emanuele Ferrari struck twice, with further goals from Davide Dal Sasso, Alessio Lettera, Matteo Barsanti, Pietro Ederle, Giacomo Masiero, Francesco Campulla and Lorenzo Campulla. France and the Czech Republic complete the group.
There were also encouraging signs in the archery compound ranking round — a discipline due to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles 2028. Marco Bruno posted 709 points to finish seventh in the men’s field, while Elisa Roner scored 694 to place 13th among the women. Their combined efforts leave Italy fifth in the mixed team standings heading into the knockout phase.
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