Niccolò Campriani coaches refugees in Tokyo 2020 qualifying challenge
- DOCUMENTED BY OLYMPIC CHANNEL
Coach a group of refugee athletes who just started a new sport, and help them qualify for Tokyo. In just one year. This is the ambitious project taken up by the three-time sport shooting Niccolò Campriani. Training began at the end of March 2019, with only to go. The journey of the three selected refugees is being original series Taking Refuge: Target Tokyo 2020.
This weekend they will take part in their first test at the Italian shooting championships in Bologna. Campriani ended his career as an athlete at Rio, with two gold medals. But the Italian wasn't truly happy that day. He felt mentally exhausted and had never used a rifle since.The 31-year-old realised he wanted to use his status as an Olympic champion to inspire other athletes, help people and "make the world a better place through sport". "Everything started after my last shot in Rio," - Niccolo Campriani.
"That gold medal should have been silver: I won due to a mistake made by the other finalist (the Russian Sergey Kamenskiy). At the time I struggled to come to terms with that gold and I donated the difference in prize money to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)." Campriani recalls. "Later I was invited to to visit the Meheba Refugee Camp, one of the biggest refugee camps in Africa. That experience had a huge impact on me and made me think about how I could use my status as an Olympian, and the network I had grown, for a cause that I feel close to my heart".
The Florence-born three-time Olympian is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland, after joining the International Olympic Committee as Sports Intelligence manager in 2017. "The idea was to help a couple of refugees from my local area, the Canton of Vaud, to in one of the events I competed in, the 10m air rifle. I wanted to show that an Olympic champion has access to an unique network and can quickly raise funds," he explained. "My aim is to inspire Olympians, perhaps from another country or another sport, to do the same. It's a win-win situation. You help this people and at the same time you do something good for yourself". "When an athlete retires, one of his biggest challenges is to find new goals and, most of all, a new purpose." - Niccolo Campriani
Campriani presented his project to the local immigration office in Lausanne at the end of 2018. Then he started to interview the first candidates and, out of a restricted group of local refugees, he selected three people. A man and two women. "They are identified only with the first name and we only revealed Mahdi's country, which is ," the three-time Olympic medallist said. "Each of them has his own incredible story and personal motivation to undertake this journey". Niccolò has his motivations too and they are not superficial.
"I strongly believe in the power of sport as an integration tool, as an opportunity to learn from each other and become stronger together." he said. "My career is the proof of that. I was successful because I was always open to other cultures and training methods. Sharing my knowledge with other athletes made me stronger. I would have remained behind, if I had decided to isolate myself, trying only to solve problems by myself. I am convinced of it. "I experienced some intense moments when I visited the refugee camp in Zambia. I remember what one of the UNHCR guys said: don't feel sorry for them, believe in them. "This sport has taught me a lot about how to manage my emotions, my fears and my instincts." - Niccolo Campriani.
"I want to help these guys to have a better control of their body, to manage their breathing, to read their heartbeat. It's about moving on from the fears of your past, not forgetting but learning how to deal with it, in order to focus on the present moment. It's a process of self-discovery and I'd like to transfer these skills". Leaving a legacy beyond sport plays a big part in this project. "My role as Olympic champion didn't end with my last shot in Rio. , we are role models and we have the power of influencing people, whether we like it or not. "After spending many years on improving myself, it was time to roll my sleeves up and give back". Can a , looking to find his own new identity, be to some , starting a new life from zero in a different country?
"I understand it's a bold thing to say, but we live a similar journey, we both need to redefine our identity and integrate into a new community." Campriani remarked. "It's a process to reach different goals. It's also a way to make peace with my sport. After the Olympic final in Rio I never shot again because I had enough of it, because somehow I ended up hating my sport and didn't want it to end this way. Now I found a reason to go back to the shooting range". Last February, Niccolo picked up his air rifle after almost three years. He admitted he was a bit ashamed when he asked for it back from the . It was the donation he made after Rio 2016. The former shooter is investing his own free time and resources and heavily relies on his network.
The shooting community and his former sponsors have provided all the equipment needed, including air rifles, uniforms and electronic targets. "We are a big family, over the last few years, I spent more time with Kamenskiy, the Russian shooter that I beat in Rio, than with my mum!" he admitted.
"We are all on a personal journey, qualifying for Tokyo, the sport outcome, comes second. The main goal is to live this experience together," Campriani added. "It took me to reach the minimum qualifying Olympic score that makes you eligible for a wild card. These guys train at the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne, they have only me as a reference, they can't compare themselves with other shooters". "If things go as they should, I'm confident that at least one of them will go to Tokyo. We'll know it next June when the . In any case, this project has no finish line, regardless of the outcome, this will be a life-long friendship". "After many years, I almost forgot the feeling of chasing an Olympic qualification. It's nice to live it again, although through someone else's eyes".
Tokyo 2020's Medals Unveiled. Bach, Japan will make history
- ONE YEAR TO GO!
With exactly one year to go before the start of the olympic games tokyo 2020, the organising committee (tocog) has at last unveiled the design of the medals that will be awarded at the games next summer.
The winning designs were selected after a nationwide competition open to both professional designers and design students. A specially assigned selection panel had the difficult task of whittling down more than 400 entries before settling on the ideas presented by Junichi Kawanishi, Director of the Japan Sign Design Association and the Osaka Design Society.
The intricate designs, which will adorn all 5,000 medals, reflect patterns of light in order to symbolise the energy of the athletes and those who support them. The designs also represent how athletes strive for victory on a daily basis, as well as the Olympic themes of diversity and friendship.
“It is a great honour that my design was selected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medal,” Kawanishi said. “I never dreamed that the design I submitted only as a memorial to this lifetime event would actually be selected. With their shining rings, I hope the medals will be seen as paying tribute to the athletes’ efforts, reflecting their glory, and symbolising friendship.”
Sports fans across Japan have a particularly close connection to the medals thanks to the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project, a landmark recycling initiative which ensured that each one has been moulded entirely from metal extracted from recycled consumer electronics over the past two years.
Under the theme “Be better, together – for the planet and the people”, TOCOG intends to make these the most environmentally friendly and sustainable Games so far. The project attracted donations and support from 1,300 educational institutions and 2,100 electronics retail stores across Japan.
Signature yellow donation boxes were placed in post offices and on street corners all over the country, and a TOCOG partner company enabled the public to donate their used phones at 2,400 stores nationwide.
With more than 90 per cent of Japan’s local authorities participating, a total of 78,985 tons of discarded devices were collected, a haul which included approximately 6.21 million used mobile phones, along with digital cameras, handheld games and laptops, all of which were then classified, dismantled and melted down by highly trained contractors.
This meant that the final goals of 30.3kg of gold, 4,100kg of silver and 2,700kg of bronze were reached by the time the collection cycle closed on 31 March 2019.
The concept of making the medals from recycled metal is not entirely unique to Tokyo 2020. It has already been trialled at previous Games, most recently at Rio 2016, where an estimated 30 per cent of the silver and bronze medals originated from recycled materials. But the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project has certainly been unique in its scale, marking the first time that a country’s citizens have been proactively involved in donating the electronic devices used to make the medals, in line with the Games’ Nationwide Participation Programmes.
As well as the medals themselves, the medal cases and ribbons were also unveiled on Wednesday, each paying tribute to the ancient traditions of Japanese craftsmanship and the Olympic values. Each case is manufactured from Japanese ash dyed the same colour as the Olympic emblem and, remarkably, every single one will have its own wood fibre pattern subtly infused into the design, representing each individual Olympian who steps onto the field of play.
The ribbons combine the traditional Japanese design motifs of ichimatsu moyo and kasane no irome in a modern presentation intended to reflect Japan itself, and its demonstration of unity in diversity.
“There is a beautiful balance between the design of the medals and their ribbons,” Ryohei Miyata, Chair of the Tokyo 2020 medal design selection panel, said. “It makes me want to strive for a medal myself.”
he sustainability initiative which has played such a big role in the creation of the medals is just one of many environmentally friendly programmes being implemented by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee. The uniforms for the upcoming Olympic Torch Relay will be produced in part using recycled plastic bottles. Even the victory ceremony podiums next summer will have been made from recycled household and marine plastic waste, with the Japanese public contributing around 45 tons of household plastic in order to create the 100 podiums for the Games.
The organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project are hoping that this drive for a sustainable society will not end with the Olympic medals themselves. They are now calling on business owners, local authorities and the Japanese public to continue donating used household appliances, to reuse the metal for community purposes, including the creation of medals for local sports events across Japan.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Bach said: “One year from now, Japan will make history. It will be a wonderful and unique moment for our gracious Japanese hosts to show the world the best of Japan: your rich history and traditions, your cutting-edge innovation, your culture of hospitality, and, of course, your love for sport.”
He continued: “Preparations are making excellent progress, thanks to the amazing work of the Organising Committee and with outstanding cooperation and support from the government and the business community. There is so much to look forward to. I have never seen an Olympic city as prepared as Tokyo with one year to go before the Olympic Games.”
The Kihinkan: the Casa Italia for the Games
- TOKYO 2020
The Kihinkan – Takanawa Manor House”: this is the Casa Italia headquarters at the next 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The CONI Council made the decision today at the end of a long selection process of over 60 locations carried out during the last two years. The structure is characterized by a Liberty-style architecture from the start of the last century and is located in the Minato district about 10 kilometres form the Olympic Village and the Main Press Center.
Financed totally by the CONI partners of Team Italia, Casa Italia, as occurred already in Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018, is a continuously evolving process that is nurtured by passion and the stories of the countries in which the Games are held, creating an unbreakable bond between Italian culture and the local one.
For Tokyo 2020, the concept is expressed by a circular, innovative and sustainable project, created by Italy for Japan, to celebrate the sports victories of the Italia Team, giving them to the world through a 17-day performance, using the excellences of our country.
Milano Cortina awarded the Olympic Games 2026
- IOC SESSION IN LAUSANNE
Milano Cortina, Italy, will host the Olympic Winter Games 2026. The decision was taken today during the 134th Session of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. The other candidate in the ballot was Stockholm-Åre, Sweden.
| 134th IOC Session Results Host of the Winter Olympic Games 2026 |
|
| Voting cards distributed | 82 |
| Valid votes | 81 |
| Abstentions (including blank votes) | 1 |
| Majority | 41 |
| Stockholm - Åre | 34 |
| Milan - Cortina | 47 |
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Congratulations to Milano Cortina. We can look forward to outstanding and sustainable Olympic Winter Games in a traditional winter sports country. The passion and knowledge of Italian fans, together with experienced venue operators, will create the perfect atmosphere for the best athletes in the world. The Olympic Winter Games Milan-Cortina 2026 will feature iconic venues and beautiful settings, combining the attractions of a modern European metropolis with a classic Alpine environment".
He added: “The new Candidature Process has demonstrated the success of Olympic Agenda 2020. We have lowered the cost and complexity of developing Games projects, which now serve the long-term development goals of the host communities and have sustainability and legacy at their hearts. This has led to a significantly reduced organisation budget and the use of 93 per cent existing or temporary competition venues. I also want to thank Stockholm-Åre for presenting an excellent candidature and being part of the Candidature Process for the Olympic Winter Games 2026".
Italy is a sport-loving nation, and winter sports are part of the tradition, culture and identity of Northern Italy. The region has world-class winter sports venues, ranging from the ice arenas of Milano to the well-established and iconic World Cup and World Championship destinations of Cortina, Bormio, Antholz and Val di Fiemme.
The plan is fully in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which call for making maximum use of existing and temporary venues if there is no post-Games demand for new permanent facilities.
With regard to competition venues, Milano Cortina 2026 prioritises sustainability and legacy, as 13 out of a total 14 facilities (93 per cent) will be existing or temporary.
The project has the unified backing of the Italian sports movement, the private sector and national, regional and city governments – providing a solid foundation for its delivery.
It features a clear vision to use the Games as a catalyst to boost economic development across Northern Italy, including supporting the regions to achieve their specific tourism goals, and to stimulate economic activities between the metropolitan and mountain areas.
The Candidature Process 2026 has been built on increased partnership, flexibility and sharing of knowledge. It featured a new one-year non-committal Dialogue Stage in which the IOC, together with the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations and the wider Olympic Movement, worked hand in hand with Interested Cities and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to help them explore options and develop Games projects.
The result is a significant cost reduction in the candidature budgets, projected to be more than 75 per cent lower than the average budgets for the 2018 and 2022 candidates.
In addition, the proposed Games operating budgets were on average 20 per cent lower than those of the Candidate Cities for the Olympic Winter Games 2018 and 2022.
The IOC Session decision means Milan-Cortina will also host the Paralympic Winter Games 2026. (Photo IOC)
Milano Cortina ha vinto! In Italia i Giochi Olimpici e Paralimpici 2026
IOC approves qualification for athletes in boxing for Tokyo 2020
- EXECUTIVE BOARD
Following the recommendations made on 22 May 2019 by the IOC EB to keep the boxing tournament on the Tokyo 2020 sports programme while suspending the recognition of the International Boxing Federation (AIBA), the IOC EB added further proposals to ensure the delivery of the qualification events and the boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020. They will immediately come into force if the IOC Session approves the IOC EB recommendations of 22 May 2019.
The EB decision includes two main topics:
- The Tokyo 2020 event programme
- The Tokyo 2020 qualification system
Tokyo 2020 event programme
The boxing tournament will be composed of 13 weight categories, 8 for men and 5 for women (compared to 10 for men and 3 for women at Rio 2016), as already approved by the IOC EB in June 2017.
The confirmed weight categories are:
Men’s events (8)
Fly (48kg to 52kg)
Feather (52kg to 57kg)
Light (57kg to 63kg)
Welter (63kg to 69kg)
Middle (69kg to 75kg)
Light Heavy (75kg to 81kg)
Heavy (81kg to 91kg)
Super Heavy (91kg to +91kg)
Women’s events (5)
Fly (48kg to 51kg)
Feather (54kg to 57kg)
Light (57kg to 60kg)
Welter (64kg to 69kg)
Middle (69kg to 75kg)
Tokyo 2020 qualification system
- The proposal includes a revised quota distribution to enhance gender equality, which would increase by 25 per cent the women’s quota previously approved by the IOC Executive Board in June 2017.
Giorgio Armani dresses the Italian Team at Olympic and Paralympic Games
- TOKYO 2020
Giorgio Armani will be the official outfitter of the Italian team at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020. The designer's collaboration with CONI (the Italian National Olympic Committee) and CIP (Italian Paralympic Committee), which expresses his strong ties with the world of sport, will be announced today during the presentation of the Emporio Armani men's Spring/Summer 2020 Collection.
Twenty Olympic athletes and nine Paralympians from the different disciplines taking part in the Games will model on the Armani/Teatro runway, wearing the EA7 Emporio Armani-branded clothes created specifically for the medal award ceremony on the podium.
Track suits and jerseys have been crafted in a unique and elegant midnight blue shade, on which the green, white and red shades referencing the Italian national flag stand out. On the inside of the collar of polo shirts and T-shirts the first words of the Italian national anthem appear, while the whole verse is printed inside jackets and sweatshirts. The wardrobe is completed with bags and backpacks, and hats and sneakers. The graphics pay clear homage to Japan: the tricolour disc placed on the front of the track suits and polo shirts recalls the flag of the Land of the Rising Sun, and the word “Italia”, which runs vertically on the backs of the garments, features the letter “t” in the shape of the traditional torii gate (the Japanese symbol of entry to sacred areas).
‘I am happy about this collaboration, which renews a partnership that was initiated in 2012. I always find it stimulating to look for new solutions for athletes’ uniforms, which must be stylishly elegant, yet also practical to use. For the Italian team in Tokyo I have created garments with visual details that pay tribute to Japan, a country that I have always admired, and that recently welcomed me with great warmth,’ says Giorgio Armani.
Giorgio Armani will also design the official uniform that the athletes will wear during the Olympic opening ceremony, which will take place on 24th July 2020 at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. Previously, Giorgio Armani has dressed the Italian athletes at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, and the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The garments worn by the Italian Olympic team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be available for the public to purchase in Emporio Armani stores and multi-brand stores, and online, starting from May 2020.
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Milano-Cortina, 66 Olympic and Paralympic medals in the delegation
- IOC SESSION
The athletes for Milan-Cortina 2026 take to the field. The Italian delegation in Lausanne will include 16 Olympic and Paralympic champions – 8 women and 8 men – from the past, present and future.
This strong representation of athletes lays claim to a remarkable achievement of 66 Olympic and Paralympic medals, including 24 gold, 17 silver and 25 bronze.
These are not only Olympic athletes linked to winter sports, but athletes of all kinds with an institutional role in the world of national and international sport.
The list of athletes from winter disciplines is as follows: Alberto Tomba, Armin Zöggeler, Federico Pellegrino, Giacomo Bertagnolli (Paralympian), Manuela Di Centa, Arianna Fontana, Sofia Goggia, Michela Moioli, Elisa Confortola and Francesca Porcellato (Paralympian).
The athletes from summer disciplines: Carlo Mornati, Antonio Rossi, Giuseppe Abbagnale, Aldo Montano, Alessandra Sensini and Diana Bianchedi.
The olympic movement celebrates 1 year of action against plastic waste
- WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
World Environment Day 2019 marks one year since the international olympic committee (ioc) joined un environment’s #cleanseas initiative to beat plastic waste and called on the olympic movement to come on board.
Since then, 11 International Sports Federations (IFs), four National Olympic Committees (NOCs), three of the IOC’s commercial partners and the Japanese town of Ichinomiya – host of the Tokyo 2020 surfing competitions – have joined the initiative. Here are some examples of how we are turning our commitments into action.
The International Volleyball Federation, together with the Ghost Fishing Foundation, has launched the Good Net project. The project involves recovering fishing nets from the ocean and turning them into volleyball nets for community use.
At the 2018 Youth World Sailing Championships, World Sailing replaced around 100,000 single-use plastic straws, bottles, flag posts and packaging with reusable alternatives, and are planning to do so at their future events.
The International Triathlon Union, together with the Japan Triathlon Union and the city of Yokohama – host of the 2018 World Triathlon Series – organised clean-ups of the port of Yokohama. They also recreated the natural environment in the port needed for shellfish and other sea life to thrive.
The International Surfing Association organised beach clean-ups and eliminated single-use plastic water bottles at the World Junior Surfing Championship in Huntington beach, USA.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has eliminated all single-use plastic from its headquarters, avoiding the use of 171 kg of plastic. It is also using recycled plastic banners to produce a new, sustainable line of promotional products.
Local golf clubs around the world are also taking action for Clean Seas. For example, the International Golf Federation, working with the GEO Foundation, provided members and guests at the Golf Le Fronde in Italy with reusable metal bottles and free drinking stations. This has helped avoid the use of more than one million single-use plastic bottles since 2013.
In support of the Clean Seas initiative, two-time Olympian Mike Dawson completed the first-ever descent of Africa’s most treacherous river the Kwanza, raising awareness about the issue of plastic waste in Africa and around the world.
World Rugby has undertaken a variety of actions to reuse and recycle plastic and other waste, including a comprehensive global uniform reuse programme.
The Spanish Olympic Committee has eliminated all single-use plastic water bottles from its headquarters and replaced them with reusable ones.
Worldwide Olympic Partner Dow, together with the Ocean Conservancy, has launched the #pullingourweight campaign. It resulted in 55 beach clean-ups with more than 5,600 participants who have removed over 26 tonnes of rubbish to date.
Worldwide Olympic Partner Procter & Gamble is using recycled beach plastic for its Head & Shoulders shampoo brand. Over 1 million bottles have been sold since 2017 in over 10 countries.
President Malagò statement about report of IOC Evaluation Commission
- MILANO CORTINA 2026
“There is great satisfaction in the results of the report drafted by the CIO Evaluation Committee on the candidacy of Milan Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. We were sure that we had done a good job, with great effort and passion, thanks to fantastic teamwork, the support of the government and the extraordinary collaboration between the various sports, institutional and territorial players. However, when you take an exam, you have to wait for the results, and we are very happy with our report card. We were confident before, but now we are even more so and this instils a significant boost to our action. We need to keep working intensely to enthusiastically promote the content of an ambitious and futuristic project, in line with the 2020 Agenda and with the reforms enacted by the CIO, a faithful reflection of the great desire of the cities, the regions, the territories involved and the entire country to host the Olympics. Dreaming Together!”
The Flame of Minsk 2019 has been lit in Rome. Malagò, Italy will be the protagonist
- EUROPEAN GAMES
The path of the torch leading to Minsk 2019 starts from Rome. The evocative background of the Ara Pacis temple hosted the lighting ceremony of the symbol of the second edition of the European Games that will start in the Belarusian capital on 21 June.
The President of CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) Giovanni Malagò was in attendance, together with the Secretary General Carlo Mornati, the President of the European Olympic Committees Janez Kocijancic, the EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi, the Coordination Commission chairman Spyros Capralos, representatives of the Belarusian Government, the Belarusian Minister of Sport and Tourism Siarhei Kavalchuk, the Secretary General of the Belarusian Olympic Committee George Katulin, Artiom Tsuran, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the City of Minsk, and Ivan Markevich, Deputy Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee.
"I am very honored to be here, Rome is the home of the European Olympic Committees, a fantastic association - emphasized Malagò -. Belarus has strong traditions in different disciplines and I have personally breathed in the wonderful atmosphere of your national Olympic committee. Italy wants to be protagonist in Minsk, we will have 188 athletes and 103 technicians, and we will be participating in all fifteen disciplines also because some of these will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Games".
"In Minsk we will try to demonstrate the idea of sport, fraternity, peace and Europe - said Kocijancic - Considering the athletes, technicians and delegations this event will involve thousands of people, and it will be a fantastic sporting event in a beautiful country". The Olympic torch has therefore passed into the hands of three Belarusian Olympic champions: Alena Bialova (fencing), Uladzislau Hancharou (gymnastics), and Yuliya Nestsiarenka (athletics) before being entrusted to bikers who will cross Europe bearing the symbol of the Games.
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