The Committee unveils the Olympic project. Over one thousand guests on February 17th at Palazzo dei Congressi Eur
The Rome 2024 Committee, approaching to the great dream of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, mobilizes institutions, investors, municipalities, the media, companies, universities and the sport world to explain in detail the candidature project. The meeting will take place on February 17th, 10 am, at the Palazzo dei Congressi Eur with over a thousand guests expected.
The Rome 2024 Committee will present to the city the Vision of the project as well as its economic budget, the effect on employment and all the opportunities and the benefits that the Games would offer to the country. On the same morning the bid documents will also be submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in flash drivers, reducing the environmental impact to its minimum.
It is expected to be a great show, livestreamed, which will see on stage the President of the Rome 2024 Committee Luca di Montezemolo, CONI President Giovanni Malagò, the Vice President of the Bid Committee Luca Pancalli, General Coordinator Diana Bianchedi and athletes relations manager Fiona May.
The Sport School celebrates 50 years with an agreement with De Agostini. Malagò, it remains a unique reality
CONI’s Sport School is 50 years old and celebrates them by signing a prestigious agreement with De Agostini Scuola, one of the most important school publishing operators, involving the publication of three new volumes shared between De Agostini Scuola and CONI Sport School, aimed at Secondary School students in their first and second year and the proposal of training courses and CPD seminars for teachers, held by CONI experts and organised by De Agostini Scuola, which since 2013 is the official Training Authority recognised by the Ministry for Education, University and Research.
"Today we present a beautiful and important thing - emphasises CONI President Giovanni Malagò, with an appearance at CONI’s Salone d’Onore (photo Mezzelani GMT) -. On 05 May 1966, the National Board, in its 212nd meeting passed a resolution to authorise the birth of the Central Sport School. The sporting world owes to Giulio Onesti the creation of a successful sporting model that to this day, at a distance of years, conserves strength and originality. CONI is a unique model in the world and the Sport School, in representing the efforts of CONI towards sport culture, confirm its uniqueness". An effort that can be already seen in articles 2 and 3 of CONI's Statute, which specify the principles to "ensure that every young athletes receives an educational training that is complementary to his/her sport training". "Fifty years ago as today, the aim was and is to create highly specialised personnel, to care for technical, scientific and methodological progress in the sport context through studies, research, cultural and technical exchanges at the Italian and today mostly international level - continues Malagò -. The Sport School was born after Italy hosted the Cortina 1956 Olympic Games, in a historical period that constituted a fundamental social and economic change for our country. Today, change occurs much more rapidly and produces effects in less time compared to the past, due to the increase in scientific knowledge and to technological acceleration. Olympic sport is one of the contexts in which this trend is strongest. The challenge faced by Italian sport and of the Olympic Committee is to invest in the future through the Olympic candidature, but also with the training of coaches and directors that operate in our world to plan today the results of tomorrow".
The School, therefore, must not only keep up with the times, but must also be able to anticipate them. "2016 provides a renewed, original and novel offer - explains the President -. In some cases, it registers also a widening of the training offer by 20% compared to 2015. Compared to 2013, when I become President, the Sport School has reduced management costs and yet registered an increase in the training offer by 65% and increase income and revenues by 44%. I wish to praise CONI SERVIZI, Rossana Ciuffetti and the institute, but one must still do more". The three-year partnership with De Agostini is born with this perspective in mind. "We have launched this strategic collaboration with De Agostini, which is a point of excellence of our country, not only under the industrial profile but also for its social and cultural value - adds Malagò -. It will permit sport to enter into schools with content relating to values and education and to sport and its technical aspects. This collaboration is set to grow mainly in two areas: editorial products and the training of physical education and exercise science teachers. The competition is global, the bar is always higher both because it is required outside our country and because we are the first to want to raise it. We need rigour, work, training, method, but also innovation and creativity. Training needs a long-term plan to generate structural changes that promote ideas and visions. And we have many ideas and visions. Happy birthday Sport School" "For us, this agreement with CONI is an honour and a satisfaction - declared Gian Luca Pulvirenti, president of De Agostini Scuola - We are market leaders in exercise science but we want to grow further. Our aim is for our books to reach 50% of the school market share and together with CONI we can do important things. We chose the Olympic Committee not only because of the prestige and the medals, but because we want to promote a better sport culture and a correct lifestyle".
The three volumes open with the presentations signed by three Italian champions such as Tania Cagnotto, Federica Pellegrini and Antonio Rossi - present today at the presentation -, who instil into the youth the passion for sport and its value in everyday life. As for what concerns training and professional development, on the other hand, the agreement is enriched by three seminars that will be held by Sport School experts: "Play in physical education", "motivation and team building" and "The use of technology to evaluate motor ability". The Olympic Committee was represented this morning also by secretary general Roberto Fabbricini, who, as Master of Sport, did not hide his excitement in talking about a School that "has produced individuals that have made the history of Italian sport". The president of CONI SERVIZI Franco Chimenti reaffirmed that "sport is culture", highlighting what has been achieved by the School to this date. Alberto Miglietta, managing director of CONI SERVIZI, on the other hand, admitted that "it is an honour to bring into being the project of the new CONI: transform the Sport School in the real house of sport culture, in all its aspects".
Antonio Urso, President, coordinator of the relations and activities between the School and the Institute of Sport Medicine and Science, took the floor on behalf of the School, explaining that the aim is to "try to understand what is necessary today for coaches and for the various roles that revolve around the sporting world to be able to reach tomorrow with a quality and culture that is able to produce results". Professor Marcello Marchioni, national appointed delegate for Regional Sport Schools, focused his attention on the fact that "across the country there are 240,000 coaches, 500,000 voluntaries and other interest bearers: a network that bears CONI in high consideration and the regional schools are a point of aggregation and discussion". The training plan was then illustrated by Rossana Ciuffetti, Sport School director. "This is a special year - she explains - the Olympic year, and we also have the youth Olympic Games, we looked at the interests and we have put together a technical sport program devoted to coaches: we talk about competitive intelligence, tapering, recovery, and we have tried to bring to the School the most important figures, also from the international arena". Nevertheless, after 50 years the School still wants to grow, promoting exchanges also with universities: from the synergy with Foro Italico University, to the collaborations with Tor Vergata University, with LUMSA, with Parma University and with LUISS.
Six months until Rio 2016: Italia Team "ready to fly". Malagò: we are penalised by the program but we will do well
"You cannot chase dreams with your feet on the ground. We are ready to fly". The ambitious claim summarises the content of a presentation in great style: six months away from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Italian Team has unveiled various aspects connected to the Italian mission ahead of the XXXI edition of the Summer Olympic Games. Presentations, data and numbers, together with an evocative preview of Casa Italia, feather in the cap of an expedition that intends not to leave anything to chance. Carlo Mornati, Vice Secretary of CONI and Head of Olympic Preparations, took care of introducing the open day to Presidents, Secretaries and coaches of the Federation, an exhaustive synthesis of the teamwork that is destined to mark the movement towards the five-circle Olympic event, which will begin on 5th August, with 21 August as the expected closing date. There are 133 athletes who are already sure they will fly to Brazil.
Mornati (in the Mezzelani-GMT photo) throws down the gauntlet towards the awaited event, representing - with pride - the sense of belonging of the entire Italian delegation that is about to represent its Country. "Participating to the Olympic Games has considerable emotional implications. 6,500,000 Euros have been allocated by the Olympic committee, and if we add the 1,000,000 Euros destined to the promising Olympic athletes of 2015, which reached 818 athletes, we get to a total of 7,500,000 Euros in study bursaries. Nearly 500 members of the Italian national teams benefited from a contribution by CONI in these 16 months. Olympic preparation, always thanks to the contribution set aside by the Board, was able to allocate 1,800,000 Euros for special projects. They have been used mostly to participate in the test events in Rio, to make research programs and to organise ad hoc collectives. Six million Euros have been spent on the Olympic preparation centres. One must follow these 16 months for the great financial efforts made towards Olympic preparation in the guise of targeted "surgical" interventions. Rio will be the first edition of a South American Olympic Game, for the first time the Games will take place in the middle of winter. From a technical point of view, not much changes, but from a physical adaptation perspective the sun sets at 5:30 pm, which means that all the federations and sports that are used to organise a day spread over a long period of time, one must rethink training based upon this shorter day. Broadcasting needs will also impose us to adapt: for athletics, for example, there are 13 finals in the morning, whereas the finals for swimming will take place at 10:00 pm. I wish that you will be able to organise your teams in such a way that they can adapt in the best possible way. We go and take part in the Olympics, which are a wonderful thing, and therefore it is better that other people get stuck in difficulty, while we go prepared with the idea of going to do something extraordinary".
President Malagò highlighted the will of CONI to prepare the Olympic "away games" in great detail. "This is Mornati's moment and the moment of his amazing team. A seminal moment in our life as sport executives, a clear passage within this four-year period. I think that we have prepared it with the greatest passion and devotion, also allocating all the resources possible. In all honesty, the team we are sending over, both numerically and in qualitative terms, would already have a strong profile if three of the other four teams that are still competing for qualification could embark with us on the plane to Rio. When I was elected, I remember very clearly that amongst the many things I said, I lack everything but courage, of not being judged by the medals that we will win at the Games, but, I hope, for other things. This does not mean taking a step back from my responsibility. We have an Olympic program that penalises us tremendously because of the absence of female team foil and of team sabre, which is the current world champion, but I am convinced that we will do well even leaving this situation aside: in London there have been disciplines that did less well but are extremely trusted on a sporting level. In these years I have not stopped talking for a single day to federal presidents, secretaries and coaches, to understand how the progression towards qualifying was going. A hug to Malori, vice world champion, who is one of our great hopes. It is the right moment to send him our message. The type of work we carried out (I think of Roberto Fabbricini, who has always been a crucial connection) is by far the best card we can play to be always more credible, also and especially in our candidature to Rome 2024. In Rio, behind the standard-bearer and Carlo Mornati, there will be only athletes and coaches. I think of the ambassador group: you are the mayors of Casa Italia. For us, it will be crucial to receive in the best possible way all international stakeholders. We will inaugurate Casa Italia on 3 August with an invite, by Renzi and me, that has already been dispatched to all IOC members and to all International federation presidents, with a concert of Gigi d'Alessio, an Italian dinner, a unique and rare occasion to better present our Olympic candidature."
The concept was reiterated by the words of Secretary General Roberto Fabbricini. "You can imagine with how much emotion I am here to speak to you today about this great adventure that is called Rio de Janeiro. With a bit of experience, I followed fairly closely the activity of CONI and of the federations in these three and a half years and I must assure you that Olympic preparation has been made in an exceptional way, dealing with all aspects of the away game. They all did an excellent job. I must congratulate the Istituto Scienza dello Sport (Sport Science Institute) and especially congratulate the federations, as I witnessed a great unity in action and intents between CONI, represented by Carlo Mornati and his magnificent group, and the federations. It will be a difficult and complex Olympic Game, with very dangerous opponents, and I believe that we will be able to all be together with our strength to give the best support to our athletes. Coming back to CONI after three years and a half, I have found some regulations that extremely difficult to comply to in order to participate to the games in any capacity. I believe that the most important effort that all of us and all of you can make it to guarantee the best conditions to athletes and coaches for the competitions. We must be united and in agreement in order to ensure that athletes perceive the support of all of us, each federation looking closely after their athletes and after those of the Italian team. I believe that at the end the result will come. We still have some ongoing qualifications, we are all optimistic because we must be so and once we have obtained the qualification of these team sports that are currently not on the list, it might then become easier to think of a good way through the Olympic tournament. Personally, I believe I have found in each federation a strong focus towards the event and a spirit of collaboration that many times in the past has not been as strong".
Anna Riccardi, Olympic Preparation executive, talked instead about the locations that are destined to house the Italian team for training, and about the Olympic village. All these were presented in detail. "It is a vast Olympic village (Italy will be at building 20, editor's note), therefore we paid particular attention to the distances to the refectory and to transports, which are essential services for our team. We will also pay attention to the planning and placement of the different groups on the basis of the different disciplines and of the competition times, so that groups don't cause disturbance one to the other. Bora Bora, Cruzeiro College, Tijuca Tenis Club, Notre Dame, Cepeusp and Unisanta (which is located in Santos, devoted to swimming and triathlon) will be our reference points for training and for the management of athletes before races".
Antonio Spataro, Chief medical officer of the Medicine and Sport Science Institute, presented instead the data relative to medical aid activities. "In 2015 we performed around 22,000 specialist interventions, examining 724 athletes of the national team, representing 28 Olympic disciplines. Thanks to our innovative screenings, from 2004 to 2014, we found 171 cases of athletes who were considered healthy but had some form of heart disease, thus avoiding any emergency interventions: this I is what we do to promote health. In Rio, in the Olympic Village, we will have 4 doctors and 3 physiotherapists available, together with cutting-edge equipment. Outside the Village, there will be a doctor and a physiotherapist, available also to support federal doctors. Zika? IOC is in close contact with the Brazilian authorities and with the WHO to set safety guidelines. We will keep everyone informed promptly, in collaboration with the Spallanzani institute of infective diseases. All athletes will undergo anti-doping tests before the Games and we will remain vigilant so that no one takes substances without our consent".
Diego Nepi, head of marketing of CONI, focused his speech on the choice of Casa Italia, reaping an admired applause from the audience. "We started with the idea of making an impossible mission happen: trying to choose a place that would emanate the values that represent Italian sport and that would be able to kindle our hearts. We wanted to also be original and creative and to stay away from stereotypes, and for this reason we chose six "ambassadors" to transmit and promote the uniqueness of being Italian: Antonio Rossi, Jury Chechi, Carlton Myers, Andrea Lucchetta, Elisa Santoni and Alessandra Sensini, together with Fiona May”. The chef of Casa Italian will be Davide Oldani.
Danilo di Tommaso, Head of Communications, presented the numbers and trends connected to the accreditation of Italian media to the Games. "Compared to London, we registered an overall -12.42% in the assignment of IOC to CONI. This is due to different factors, amongst which the increase in accredited Countries: in Athens there were 135, in Rio 195, 44% more. We are also affected by "no shows", those who receive the accreditation but do not retrieve it, and by the "continent" issue: the Games this time will be hosted in South America, therefore there is a reduction in concessions to Europe". The limitations were then mentioned with regard to the accredited media, in compliance with the Olympic charter, which also sets restrictions in the use of social media.
A challenge to transform the Capital into the Smart City of tomorrow
Rome’s bid will be the opportunity to transform the Capital into a Smart City, based on system technologies and innovation that meet the needs of every citizen. This is the objective of the collaboration that begins from today’s meeting between the Rome 2024 Committee, startuppers, enterprises and universities, organized with the support of the Lazio Region and Unindustria.
"Only with a great team effort we can bring out the potential of this city. The Olympic and Paralympic Games must be an opportunity for the entire population ", said President of the Rome 2024 bid Committee, Luca di Montezemolo, speaking at the Press Center of the Olympic Stadium. "Today more than ever we need this challenge to look forward, to get Rome and Italy involved , but also to generate economic development. Opposing the bid means surrendering and inhibiting improvement and growth. This is an opportunity not only to renovate or build new sports facilities, but also to invest in ideas. We need young people to launch important initiatives. We must support them and direct their efforts towards this huge challenge", continued Montezemolo.
"The contribution of the world of innovation is crucial for the Rome bid" said the Assessor for Economic Development of the Lazio Region Guido Fabiani. "Lazio is the third Italian region for the number of innovative start-ups, proving that we are engaged in a great deal of creative initiatives. I believe in young people and their ideas to help improve the city before the Games, "said Fabiani.
"The role of major events, like the Olympics and the Paralympics, is crucial and strategic for the growth and development of the area. Rome needs new challenges, new projects, new goals. The Games are a stimulus for the future of the city and its citizens, "said Giampaolo Letta, vice president of Unindustria.
"There are many young talents who went abroad with their ideas. This is an opportunity to bring the "brain drain" home, in our country, "said Fausto Bianchi, President of the group of young entrepreneurs of Unindustria in charge of start-ups and promotion of youth entrepreneurship. "On our side we will do anything we can to create the right environment for networking and sharing ideas. We must start laying the foundation for the future Smart City and share projects with the bid Committee”.
Monday Malagò and Pescante sign an agreement for Nanjing to host first World Roller Games in 2017
On Monday 1st February, the President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, and IOC member Mario Pescante, a Permanent Observer of the International Olympic Committee at the UN, along with the FIRS President Sabatino Aracu and the Deputy Mayor of Nanjing, HU Wanjin, will sign - at the Sala Giunta at CONI's headquarters at 10am - the official agreement for the Chinese city to host the first edition of the World Roller Games in 2017. The ceremony for the official recognition of "Nanjing - World Capital of Roller Sports" will be held during the event. Nanjing already hosted the second summer edition of the Youth Olympic Games in 2014.
In a change to what was decided last February in Rome at the FIRS Congress, Barcelona will not be the city to host the first edition of the World Roller Games: radical political and administrative changes took place following elections and the new administration of the Catalan city was unable to guarantee the best possible organisation of the 2017 event and asked to be released from its commitment. However, this did not put a stop to the great project of bringing together all of the various Roller Sports World Championships into one big event: the huge success of the last edition of the Youth Olympics and the widespread appeal and popularity of Roller Sports, as demonstrated at the SportsLab during the Olympic Games, show that the city of Nanjing is ready and enthusiastic to organise the first edition of the World Roller Games in 2017.
On Monday Malagò and Pescante at the signing of the agreement for Nanjing to host the first World Roller Games in 2017
On Monday 1st February, CONI President Giovanni Malagò, together with IOC member Mario Pescante, Permanent Observer of the Internation Olympic Committee at the UN, together with FIRS President Sabatino Aracu and Nanjing's Vice Mayor, HU Wanjin, will sign - in CONI’s Board Room at 10 am, the official agreement to assign to the Chinese city the first edition of the World Roller Games in 2017. In such occasion, the ceremony for the official recognition of "Nanjing - World Capital of Roller Sports" will also be celebrated. Nanjing has already the seat of the second summer edition of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
Contrarily to what decided last February in Rome during the FIRS Congress, Barcelona will therefore not be the seat of the first edition of the World Roller Games: following the elections that led to a radical change in the political and administrative management, the new administration of the Catalan city considered not to be able to guarantee the optimal organisation of the event for 2017 and asked to be able to withdraw from the commitments made. This nevertheless did not stop the great project to concentrate in a single great even the different World Tournaments for all disciplines on rollers: the city of Nanjing, on the back of the success of the previous edition of the Youth Olympics and of the enormous dissemination and popularity of Roller Sports, present as demo sport at the SportsLab during the Games, declared itself ready and enthusiast to organise the first edition of the World Roller Games of 2017.
Press Release of the National Board
This morning, in the headquarters of the Municipal Council of Cortina, meeting no.1041 of the CONI National Board took place, and it started with the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting of 17 December. In his opening communication, President Malagò explained the reasons for the meeting being held in Cortina, as exactly 60 years ago, on 26 January 1956 at 11:30, the opening ceremony of the Cortina Winter Olympic Games took place, these being the first Olympic Games occurring in Italy.
At the opening of the proceedings, the Mayor of Cortina Andrea Franceschi also intervened. President Malagò then continued by complimenting the female and male athletes that gained world-class results in the last month. Sincere congratulations were expressed for the successful visit paid by the Committee for the promotion of the Rome 2024 Olympics, together with the Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, to IOC President Thomas Bach in Lausanne.
The Board then took note of the letter from Ottavio Cinquanta, communicating that he will not stand at he next election of the International Ice Sports Federation, and that therefore from June he will no longer be a member of IOC. The Board expressed great affection for and friendship towards Cinquanta, who promised to continue to promote Italian sport initiatives all the same. On 28 January, at 5:30 pm, at CONI's Salone d'Onore, commemorations will take place to mark 50 years since the Bremen Tragedy. The Annual Report summary prepared by Enrico Cataldi, Prosecutor General for Sport, was then examined and praised: over the course of 2015, Cataldi tackled 3,242 files. With reference to the upcoming Youth Winter Olympic Games planned at Lillehammer between 12 and 21 February, the Italian team is now set, led by Anna Riccardi and composed by 37 athletes (20 males and 17 females), of which 21 belonging to FISI and 16 to FISG. The standard-bearer will be Felix Schwarz, luger from Merano, who just turned 18 on 1st January.
The Board also approved the regulation to support female athletes in maternity leave. The Board then took note of the resignation of the Extraordinary Administrator of the Italian Bowling Federation, Francesco Purromuto, for newly arisen international commitments, and decided to entrust the post to Antonello De Tullio, with Alvio La Face as Deputy Administrator. The Board then nominated Luigi Fischetti as member of the First section of the Italian Anti-Doping Tribunal. After having examined a long series of other organisational and administrative issues, and having formulated the necessary resolutions, the Board ended the meeting at 11:40 am.
The Italian team has been selected, 37 athletes will be in Lillehammer. Luger Felix Schwarz will be the flagbearer
CONI's National Board met today in Cortina, and formalised the composition of the Italian team for the second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will be held at Lillehammer from 12 to 21 February. There will be ten days of races with more than a thousand competing athletes (from 15 to 18 years old), representing 70 countries, ready to challenge each other across 70 competitions. The Italian delegation, under the guide of Anna Riccardi, one of CONI's Olympic Preparation executives, will be represented by 37 athletes across 13 disciplines, with luger Felix Schwarz (born in 1998), designated as flagbearer for the delegation and winner of the junior World Cup, in the double with Lukas Gufler. Here is the complete list:
WINTER SPORTS (21)
ALPINE SKIING (4): Pietro Canzio, Michael Tedde, Sofia Pizzato, Carlotta Saracco. CROSS COUNTRY SKIING (2): Luca Del Fabbro, Chiara De Zolt Ponte. NORDIC COMBINED (1): Aaron Kostner. SKI JUMPING (2): Alessio Longo, Lara Malsiner. LUGE (5): Fabian Malleiller, Ivan Nagler, Felix Schwarz, Lukas Gufler, Marion Oberhofer. BIATHLON (4): Patrick Braunhofer, Cedric Christelli, Irene Lardschneider, Samuela Comola. SNOWBOARD (1): Caterina Carpano. FREESTYLE SKIING (2): Tobias Knollseisen, Sophia Insam.
ICE SPORTS (16)
CURLING (4): Alberto Zisa, Luca Rizzolli, Martina Ghezze, Stefania Constantini. ICE HOCKEY (1): Anita Muraro. SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING (1): Gloria Ioriatti. SPEED SKATING (4). Francesco Betti, Jeffrey Rosanelli, Noemi Bonazza, Chiara Cristelli. FIGURE SKATING (6): Adiren Bannister, Edoardo Caputo, Pietro Papetti, Lucrezia Gennaro, Irma Angela Caldara and Francesca Righi.
Celebration of 60 years since the First Edition of the Olympic Games in Italy. Malagò: precious memories
Italian sport celebrates Cortina. At the eve of the 60th anniversary of the opening ceremony of the first edition of Olympic Games hosted in Italy, CONI paid tribute, with a gala evening, to the city that in 1956, thanks to the Olympic event, carved itself a key role in the world arena. The event kicked off with the filming of the event by Rai TV, that for the first time transmitted a live Olympic event, with Giuliana Minuzzo as first protagonist of the athletes' oath and then of the regrets for those races that were marked by misfortune: a moment that was accompanied by the welcome, official but full of warmth, by Malagò, President of CONI, in attendance together with the Secretary General Fabbricini, the Deputy Secretary General Carlo Mornati, the Vice Presidents Scarso and Buonfiglio, the members of the Board (which tomorrow will exceptionally be held right in the Council Hall of the Municipality of Cortina, for meeting no. 1042) and the Presidents of FISI, Roda, and FISG, Gios. Everyone emphasised the importance of this Olympic "first time", with good wishes expressed for the Rome 2024 candidature. Show and emotions, an endless flashback, relived ideally together with some of the most significant protagonists of that edition, the seventh of the Winter Games: the last Olympic torch bearer, Guido Caroli (speed skating) recounted how he fell with the torch before the tripod was lit: "It was due to a cable that they guaranteed would be removed on the day: I was looking at the audience, did not look at the ground, and the cable was still there so I slipped". Together with him, skaters Carlo Calzà and Bruno Alberti, injured before the descent.
Cortina was represented by mayor Andrea Franceschini, in a unique setting: the Cortina Ski Club, founded in 1930 by 18 Roman students and symbol of the promotion of the most authentic values of the competitive sports movement, as highlighted by the plate gifted by CONI to Andrea Reale, director of the establishment, who then returned the favour in kind with a collector's gift, related to the historic postcards of the Games of 1956. The menu was embellished by wines from the Ferrari and Tenute Lunelli wineries.
President Malagò highlighted the importance of this meeting. "We are proud to remember the protagonists of that edition and to guest some of them. Cortina was the Olympic Game that brought Eugenio Monti to fame: he then won the IOC De Coubertin Prize for a commendable act of fair play. This anniversary occurs in a particularly happy moment for the Italian winter sport and ice sport team, thanks to a shared path with great vision. Cortina is working on the 2021 World Cup, I am sure that this celebration will be the prelude to a future that stands up to the talents and beauty that this city is able to generate". In Cortina 1956, Italy won three medals in bobsleigh, of which one gold (Giacomo Conti and Lamberto Dalla Costa). The President of the Republic, Gronchi, was responsible for inaugurating the Games.
Renzi visits the IOC: “Rome awaits you”. Bach: “Very strong bid”, Montezemolo: “Medal plaza at Colosseum”
“The Olympic spirit is very important, but we want to win” said Prime Minister Matteo Renzi shaking hands with IOC number one Thomas Bach. With the Prime Minister, the leaders of the Rome 2024 bid Committee, President Luca di Montezemolo, Vice President Luca Pancalli, coordinator general Diana Bianchedi, Fiona May in charge of athlete relations, along with CONI president Giovanni Malagò and the Secretary General Roberto Fabbricini. Members of the Italian IOC, Mario Pescante, Ottavio Cinquanta, Franco Carraro, and Asoif President Francesco Ricci Bitti were also present.
“This is the right moment for Rome. The government is here, we will do our best until 2017. An event like the Olympics is a great opportunity. The projects are ready, the government is working together with CONI because sport is a piece of the Italian culture and an investment for the future” said Prime Minister that was “very excited” for the visit at the heart of the Olympic movement. “Rome is a very strong candidature – he added -. Respect for everyone but fear of no one”.
“We have seen the presentation of a very strong bid candidature which is addressing all the Olympic Agenda 2020 with a great combination of tradition and innovation by making use of many existing facilities and leaving a great legacy for the Romans and for the Italians. We have strong commitment by the President of the Council of Ministers and the whole government who with all his dynamism and commitment made the point here for the candidature of Roma so we are very pleased with this meeting and we wish the candidature of Rome all the very best in this journey until the election of the host city next year” concluded Bach.
“Italy has an incredible sporting tradition”, said Rome 2024 bid President Luca di Montezemolo. “Think of the leaders of the Olympic Committee like Giulio Onesti, think of the Olympic Games in 1960 that have been the first Olympics of the modern era. We are confident but the competition is still long. The bid Committee is working hard, with great unity of purpose and with the help and support of everyone, "he said, pausing then on the details of the candidature file which will be officially presented on February 17 at the IOC headquarters. According to Montezemolo, "the Flavian Amphitheatre, will be the site of the medal plaza. There will be events in Caracalla, at the beach volleyball court. The entire city with its archaeological sites will live the Olympics”. The candidature file will be presented to the IOC on February 17th, with the three areas and 70% of existing venues ready”.
The CONI President Malagò highlighted the strong sporting component of the Rome 2024 team, “Bianchedi, May, Mornati, Pancalli”. “It was a wonderful meeting, in a great atmosphere, we talked about what we are building. It was very important that the government confirmed its commitment”.
“Renzi was extraordinary not only for supporting the bid but also for the way he conducted the meeting," explained vice-president Luca Pancalli enthusiastic. "We came in with a smile and go out smiling even more, knowing that we must continue to work hard and cultivate the desire to win”.
“The meeting went very well,” said the Rome 2024 coordinator general Diana Bianchedi. "Renzi and Bach covered the technical aspects, but what emerged from this meeting is really the great energy and positive spirit in the group”.
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