Lausanne 2020: Zakea’s medal design reaches the top!
- YOG
The winning entry of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Medal Design Competition for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 has been chosen. It was submitted by 20-years old Zakea Page from New Zealand and is entitled “Beauty in Diversity”.
Chosen from among close to 300 entries from 60 nations, the winning design was picked by a panel of judges made up of Young Change-Makers, Young Reporters, IOC Member Danka Bartekova, Lausanne 2020 President Virginie Faivre and ERACOM (Lausanne art school) Dean Viviane Morey.
The Medal Design Competition winner said of his design: “It is inspired by Maya Angelou’s quote, “In diversity there is beauty”. This is fitting because the Youth Olympic Games are not only a celebration of human excellence, but also of culture and humanity. The spiral represents a culture of respect, friendship and excellence as young athletes gather at the Youth Olympic Games to celebrate their success. The spiral also celebrates the journey of hard work and dedication made by each individual athlete. These journeys are specific to each athlete, but they all lead to the Youth Olympic Games, where the athletes will compete and showcase their abilities.”
Lausanne 2020 President Virginie Faivre commented: "It was very tough to choose; there were so many beautiful designs among the entries! In the end, I am very happy with the winning design, which looks stunning! I look forward to seeing it around the athletes’ necks at Lausanne 2020.”
Competition judge and Young Change-Maker+ Carolina Joly said: “Zakea’s design was my favourite. It is beautiful and encapsulates the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games. It’s fresh and innovative and I am very glad it will be the official design of the Lausanne 2020 medals.”
Winner Zakea will attend the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020, including the Opening Ceremony, and witness first hand athletes being awarded medals featuring his design. In addition, he will receive his own set of medals and a Samsung tablet.
The judges also selected two runner-up designs. In second place was 28-years-old Johan Poizat from France, with his design “The Star of the Alps is You”. In third position was 30-years-old Mishael Jacob Pueblas from the Philippines, with a design called “Wings of a Champion”.
Tokyo 2020 Unveils Details of Olympic Competition Schedule
- OLYMPIC GAMES
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today announced the event line-up for each session of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This important information gives some tips for those considering purchasing Olympic tickets. The action-packed programme will feature a record 33 sports and 339 events and will run from 24 July until 9 August 2020.
Preliminary events will kick off with softball and women’s football on 22 July 2020, two days before the Opening Ceremony. Rowing and archery events will be held on the day of the Opening Ceremony. The first medal event—women’s 10m air rifle—will be held with the session starting at 8:30 JST on 25 July, the day after the Opening Ceremony. Medal events in 6 sports—archery, cycling (road race), fencing, judo, taekwondo, weightlifting—will also be held, with medals being awarded in a total of 11 events that day.
The Aomi and Ariake zones will be hotspots for urban sports and are likely to resonate with a vibrant atmosphere, highlighting the innovations in the sports programme aimed at making Tokyo 2020 “More Youth, More Urban, More Women”. Men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball will start on 25 July, the first day of the Games. Skateboarding street events will be held on 26 and 27 July. BMX freestyle park events will follow on 1 and 2 August with skateboarding park featuring on 5 and 6 August and sport climbing on 4 to 7 August.
“Super Saturday” and “Golden Sunday”, 1 and 2 August, are expected to attract huge stadium audiences and TV viewers around the world, with a large number of medal events scheduled to be held. A total of 21 medal events will be held on “Super Saturday”, including events featuring for the first time in the Olympic Games, such as the judo mixed team event, the triathlon mixed team relay and the shooting trap mixed team event, all of which will help make Tokyo 2020 the most gender-balanced Olympic Games in history. This day will also see the men’s football quarter-finals, which will be staged at four different venues.
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This sporting extravaganza will be followed by 26 medal events on “Golden Sunday”, including the women's marathon, the men's athletics 100m final, men's and women's gymnastics events, and the men's tennis singles final. “Golden Sunday” will also feature the final day of fencing events, including the men's team foil final, and the closing day of swimming events, with five finals scheduled. Overall it will be an action-packed two days.
From 2 August, the second half of the Games will see 171 medal events, including the newly-added karate and sport climbing, wrestling and other team events’ semi-finals and finals such as team table tennis. Athletics events will kick off on 31 July at the new Olympic Stadium, the main venue of the Tokyo 2020 Games. Athletics finals will feature in almost all sessions, offering multiple opportunities for fans to experience gold-medal action. During the evening session of 6 August, the outcome of the decathlon and heptathlon events will be decided in the same session for the first time in the Olympics. The 4 x 100m relay for men and women will take place on the evening of 7 August.
Saturday, 8 August, the day before the Closing Ceremony, will constitute another “Super Saturday”, featuring no fewer than 30 event finals, the largest number on a single day during the Games. They will include the men’s basketball final, the men’s football final and the baseball final. The finals of many women’s events will also be held, including the team free routine in artistic swimming and individual all-round rhythmic gymnastics, all key attractions of the Games. The final day of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Sunday 9 August, will commence with the men’s marathon. On that closing day, the streets of Tokyo are expected to be lined with crowds as the Games build to their climax. The last medal event will be the men’s water polo final.
Tokyo 2020 took a holistic approach when compiling the schedule, taking into account the technical rules and regulations of the various international federations, gender balance, athletes’ experience & well-being, the popularity of individual sports in Japan, global TV audiences and operational considerations.
Final guarantees delivered by 12 April deadline: Milan-Cortina is prepared for vote
- TODAY IN LAUSANNE
This morning in Lausanne, the final guarantees from the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics bid were delivered, as required by the IOC in the methods and timelines envisaged.
The bid’s journey has concluded with great satisfaction, after having involved the Italian Government, the cities of Milan and Cortina, the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, the provinces of Trento and Bolzano, CONI and the Italian Paralympic Committee.
From here on, all focus will be on the 134th IOC Session, which will announce the host of the 2026 Olympics on 24 June in Lausanne.
Record data revealed by the IOC survey: 83% of Italians want the Games. Malagò: proud of the work carried out
- MILANO CORTINA 2026
The press conference was held at Palazzo Marino, in the heart of Milan, during the week of the visit of the IOC Evaluation Commission with respect to the Milan Cortina bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games 2026. This morning the Seminar that began yesterday at the Royal Palace ended, and it featured a significant exchange of 'Olympic' presentations between the international delegation led by Octavian Morariu and the Italian team involved in the project, led by INOC President Giovanni Malagò, the Secretary General Carlo Mornati, and the representatives of the cities and regions.
The press conference was attended, in addition to President Malagò, by the Mayors of Milan and Cortina Giuseppe Sala and Gianpietro Ghedina, the Governors of Lombardy and Veneto Attilio Fontana and Luca Zaia, the President of the Commission Morariu, and the Executive Director of the IOC Olympic Games Christophe Dubi.
Before the press conference, the IOC presented the result the candidacy-related survey, which confirmed, as pointed out by Morariu, the enthusiasm perceived during the visit: 83% of Italians favor the candidacy. Specifically, 81% of the population of Lombardy (87% in Milan), and 80% of that in Veneto, and 85% overall in the rest of the country. A satisfaction that has further increased in the first months of 2019.
President Malagò - considering this significant response - expressed the satisfaction of the working group at the end of a week of visits that started in Venice and ended in Milan, after crossing Cortina, Anterselva, Baselga di Pinè, Tesero, Predazzo, Livigno, and Bormio. "For the first time, two cities attach their names and faces to this candidacy. We started some time ago, not long but we followed logic: we studied and identified the best conditions so that our country could be competitive in terms of hosting the Olympic Games. The end result was to bring together two fantastic regions and we proposed a special mix, a peculiar combination of traditional beauty. Objectively, these realities of ours are Unique in the world panorama. I thank all the partners and our wonderful group. We have 5 stakeholders, a very strong team. It is not common to find this unity in Italy and I am proud of this and of the support of the Government, which has been persuaded day after day about this type of low-cost bid and, at the same time, has decided to use 100% of the opportunities offered by the 2020 agenda; thanks to this we are here and we are candidates. We have chosen to go where there are already venues that have made the history of individual disciplines, venues considered the best in the world such as Anterselva, Val di Fiemme and Cortina, combining them with the tradition of other locations. Many thanks to President Morariu and to the whole committee. I am sure that you have been touched by the Italian atmosphere, characterized by our mentality, the joy of living and, at the same time, supported by serious people, a fantastic group with recognized competencies in the organization of major sporting events. Italy has demonstrated a tradition of hosting international events and we hope that this tradition will continue with Milano Cortina".
Positive impressions confirmed by the words of the IOC Evaluation Commission President Octavian Morariu: "We are satisfied, the candidacy is built on the 2020 Agenda precepts, which aims to reduce costs and optimize sustainability. It is an extraordinary project, the Italian team has put a lot of passion into it, and it has been able to exploit and enhance a great experience. All these render the candidacy of Milan Cortina very strong”. During the conference, Dubi also confirmed this line. "The bid focuses on athletes, thanks to the choice of venues that conforms with the 2020 Agenda philosophy and it knows how to place the main protagonists of the Olympic Games in the best conditions to express their potential".
Finally, great optimism and positivity emerged from the speeches of mayors Sala and Ghedina, and the Governors Fontana and Zaia. Work will recommence in view of the next steps. A presentation of the candidacy is scheduled for May in a conference call with Brisbane, where the 17th GAISF Summit will meet. Another key step in view of the designation of the city to host the 2026 Olympic Games: the decision will be made on 24 June in IOC’s Session in Lausanne. (Photo Mezzelani GMT Sport)
Italian Government signs guarantees for bid. Giorgetti delivers letter to the IOC Commission
- MILANO CORTINA 2026
The Italian Government has signed the guarantees in support of the Milan-Cortina 2026 bid. The announcement came at the start of the afternoon stage of the Seminar related to the visit by the IOC Evaluation Commission, held at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. The Undersecretary at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in charge of Sport, Giancarlo Giorgetti, announced the Government’s decision, before delivering the official document signed by the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, to Octavian Morariu, the IOC member overseeing the international delegation. The important document arrived on the second last day of the Evaluation Commission’s tour. The host of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be chosen on 24 June at the IOC Session in Lausanne.
MIlano Cortina 2026: incontri e riunioni al Palazzo Reale di Milano
The IOC Commission in Milan. Visit to the facilities and areas indicated for MPC, IBC and the Olympic Village
- MILANO CORTINA 2026
The IOC Evaluation Commission discovers Milan The third day of visit of the international delegation, led by Octavian Morariu, opened in the Lombard city: this is the last leg of the tour - which will close formally on Saturday - called to unveil the project linked to the candidacy of Milan Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympics. After the inspection of the Ice Hockey facility, the former Palasharp, it was San Siro’s turn, a venue envisaged to host the five-circle event opening ceremony.
The Commission was accompanied by INOC President Giovanni Malagò, the Secretary General, Carlo Mornati, the bid coordinator Diana Bianchedi, the IOC member Ivo Ferriani, the honorary member Mario Pescante, the President of ASOIF Francesco Ricci Bitti, the Secretary General of FISG and Olympic champion Ippolito Sanfratello, the Undersecretary for Large Sporting Events of the Lombardy Region and Olympian Antonio Rossi, and by the Councilor for Sport, Tourism and Quality of Life of the Municipality of Milan Roberta Guaineri.
Two representatives of Milan and Inter have also participated in the visit: for the red and black club, the President Paolo Scaroni and the former player Franco Baresi; for the black and blue club, the CEO Alessandro Antonello and the former player Francesco Toldo. Amongst those present there were also the hockey legend Lucio Topatigh and the young talent ready to emulate his accomplishments Davide Fadani.
Immediately after the delegation moved to Fiera di Rho, where MPC, IBC and a training venue should be built, prior to visiting the Assago Forum, where - among others - Barbara Fusar Poli (bronze at 2002 Salt Lake City) was present. The day ended with visits to Santa Giulia, expected to host the Ice Hockey facility, and Porta Romana area intended for the Olympic Village. (Photo Mezzelani GMT Sport)
IOC Commission in Cortina, Anterselva, Baselgà di Pinè and Val di Fiemme. The reception of the Olympians
- MILANO CORTINA 2026
The visit of the IOC Evaluation Commission - led by Romanian Octavian Morariu - concerning the candidacy of Milan Cortina for the 2026 Olympic Games has officially begun in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The delegation carried out the first inspection at the Tofane slope, which will host the women's alpine skiing and the team event competitions, and then visited the historic facility where the opening ceremony of the '56 Games was held, a potential curling venue, and the sliding center - where sled, bob and skeleton competitions are scheduled - concluding its visit at Fiames, the area envisaged to accommodate the Olympic Village. In addition to the CONI President Giovanni Malagò, the Secretary General Carlo Mornati, the Italian National Olympic Committee 'team' and the bid coordinator Diana Bianchedi, in attendance were also IOC member Ivo Ferriani, the ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, the mayor of Cortina Gianpietro Ghedina, the deputy mayor Luigi Alverà, the President of Fondazione Cortina 2021 Alessandro Benetton, the Olympic luger Armin Zoeggeler, and the symbol of the place Kristian Ghedina.
The Commission then moved to Anterselva, a venue indicated to host the biathlon competitions and the venue for the next World Championships. The President of the Province Arno Kompatscher and Mayor Thomas Schuster will do the honors. Among those present were the INOC President Bolzano, Heinz Gutweniger, the President of the Organizing Committee of the 2020 World Championship, Lorenz Leitgeb, and the Olympic medalist Lukas Hofer. In the afternoon, the commission will be transfered to Baselga di Pinè, in Val di Fiemme - in Tesero and Predazzo -, to inspect the areas and facilities intended to accommodate speed skating, cross-country skiing, and jumping.
Attending the visit in Baselgà di Pinè were the Olympic champions Enrico Fabris (2 gold medals at Turin 2006), Matteo Anesi, Ippolito Sanfratello (both gold at Turin 2006) and Arianna Fontana, gold at PyeongChang 2018, where she was also the flag bearer of the Italian team and was awarded eight overall medals at the Games. Andrea Giovannini also participated, sixth in PyeongChang (Team Pursuit) and Sergio Anesi, FISO Commissioner.
In Tesero, the Commission was welcomed by the Olympians Franco Nones (gold at Grenoble '68) and Christian Zorzi (gold at Turin 2006), by Bice Vanzetta (bronze at Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994), and by Chiara Costazza, Alexia Runggaldier, Alex Insam and the paralympic Giacomo Bertagnolli; in Predazzo, the Malsiner sisters, Lara and Emanuela, Alessandro Pittin (bronze at Vancouver 2010) and Veronica Gianmoena did the honors.
"The sites, the clusters, were presented perfectly. Some know each other, others understand what they should become. I've been optimistic since day one, but I keep my feet firmly on the ground. This is a stage race, the goal is 24 June, with IOC’s pronouncement," stated INOC President Giovanni Malagò. (Photo Mezzelani GMT Sport)
The visit of the Evaluation Commission starts from Venice. "Dreaming together"
- MILANO CORTINA 2026
A press conference in the Veneto Region today kicked off the official visit of the CIO Evaluation Commission for the candidacy of Milan Cortina in connection with the 2026 Winter Olympics and Special Olympics.
The international delegation was welcomed by the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with delegation to sport, Giancarlo Giorgetti, CONI president, Giovanni Malagò, Secretary General Carlo Mornati, the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia and by the mayor of Cortina, Giampietro Ghedina.
The committee is led by CIO member Octavian Morariu and comprised of Kristin Kloster Aasen, Hong Zhang (CIO members), and representatives of the Roman Kumpost Olympic Movement (Czech Republic, ANOC member and Vice President of the Czech Olympic Committee), Heike Groesswang (Germany, AIOWF member and Secretary General of the International Federation of Bob and Skeleton), Marianna Davis (USA, IPC Board member), Lee Hee-Beom (South Korea, President of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics Organizing Committee) and Josè Luis Marco (Argentina, Beijing 2022 and Vancouver 2010 Coordinating Committee, member of the London 2012, Salt Lake City 2002, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 Assessment Committees).
Also present was CIO Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi, the Associate Director for Olympic candidacies, Jacqueline Barrett and International Olympic Committee consultants, Tim Gayda (Canada), Grant Thomas and Steve Wilson (USA), along with other CIO administrative officials.
Today Milano and Cortina have launched bid's claim: "Dreaming together", that appear in Venice's Airport.
The visit will continue tomorrow from Cortina, with the first stop at Tofane, the location identified for women’s Alpine Skiing and the team event. Then it will move on to the sliding centre, the curling facility and the area that will host one of the 3 Olympic Villages. The day will continue with the trip to Anterselva, the venue chosen to host the biathlon competitions, and then on to Baselga di Pinè, in the Fiemme Valley, Tesero and Predazzo for a site visit of the facilities which will host speed skating, cross-country skiing and ski jumping.
Executive Board accepts Paris 2024 proposal for new sports
- IOC
The IOC Executive Board today supported the recommendation of the Olympic Programme Commission to put forward Paris 2024’s proposal for new sports – breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing – to the upcoming IOC Session in June. “All four of these proposed sports are clearly in line with Olympic Agenda 2020. They contribute to making the programme of the Olympic Games more gender balanced, more youthful and more urban. They offer the opportunity to connect with the young generation,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “Pending the outcome of the IOC Session, it is important to note that the sports would be provisionally included. The final decision should be taken only at the end of 2020".Also in keeping with Olympic Agenda 2020, Paris 2024 proposed sports that could be considered within the Olympic Charter framework of approximately 10,500 athletes. Breaking and sport climbing both appeared as medal events at Buenos Aires 2018, while skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing will make their debuts on the Olympic programme in Tokyo. If the proposal is approved at the IOC Session, and following any necessary observations, including at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the event programme and athlete quotas will then be finalised at the IOC Executive Board meeting in December 2020. Paris 2024 also presented on its interest in new areas of engagement, such as inviting fans from all over the world to share in the Olympic experience through both mass-participation events and connected events, bringing spectators closer to the action.
Lausanne 2020 reveals its pictograms 300 days before kick-off
- LAUSANNE 2020
Pictograms, graphic representations of sports disciplines, are a core element of the visual expression of the Olympic Games. In line with its ambition to active involve young people in the preparation and organization of the event, Lausanne 2020 has entrusted the development of the pictograms to ERACOM (Ecole romande d’arts et communication de Lausanne), a Lausanne-based arts school. With 300 days to go before the Opening Ceremony, the pictograms were official unveiled today by Lausanne 2020.
ERACOM, whose apprentices have already created Lausanne 2020’s mascot “Yodli”, which was introduced to the public early this year, gathered three classes from its graphics department for this new project. A total of 36 apprentices worked together to produce the 16 pictograms, which represent each of the winter sports included in the Lausanne 2020 programme.
Upon the unveiling of the pictograms, Adrien Jenni, Director of ERACOM, said: “We are very proud of these young first-year apprentices, who showed a lot of ambition and hard work towards this one-year project. From around thirty initial proposals, three were shortlisted, with the winner named by a jury including representatives of ERACOM, Lausanne 2020 and the IOC. Just like the mascot, we are delighted to see these pictograms come to life and contribute to the identity of the 2020 Youth Games.”
Once the final pictograms were chosen, a class of fourth year students from the interactive media design programme worked on their animation. These animated pictograms are visible today and will be used on all Lausanne 2020 digital platforms, before and during the Games.
Reflecting on the project, Viviane Morey, coordinator of the Lausanne 2020 projects at ERACOM, said: “To draw inspiration, we mainly focused on the athletes’ movements while practicing the different disciplines. From painting to drawing, and even some experiments using water in the schoolyard to practice Chinese calligraphy, various creative techniques were used! And we are very happy with the result. For us, it is a great source of pride to be able to contribute to the development of an Olympic event.”
Ian Logan, Director General of Lausanne 2020 also expressed his gratitude towards the project, adding: “The success of Lausanne 2020 will partly be measured by its impact within schools. Today, hundreds of young people are involved in the preparation of Lausanne 2020, developing new skills and knowledge in a variety of areas. The commitment of the youth is part of our project’s DNA and I would like to thank ERACOM for this high-quality work and fruitful collaboration. We look forward to working on more projects together.”
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