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Logo MILANO CORTINA 2026 International Olympic Committee
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Olympic Day 2025: “Let’s Move?” together for more motivation, community and joy
- IOC AND WHO
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), is launching the next iteration of its ongoing initiative aimed at inspiring and supporting people to move more. “Let’s Move?” shines a light on the benefits of playing sport and working out together, celebrating all the inspiration, connection and enjoyment this brings, and is the theme of this year’s Olympic Day (23 June).
Alarming numbers of people across the world are not meeting the minimum activity level required for optimal health: one in three adults and 81 per cent of young people (WHO, 2024). Rallying the power and inspiration of the Olympic Movement to highlight this worrying trend, while aiming to encourage and create opportunities for everyone to move more, Let’s Move launched in 2023 as part of the Olympic Movement’s mission to make the world a better place through sport.
“Sport is joy, sport brings people together. Sport and physical activity are also the low-cost, high-impact tool for healthy bodies, healthy minds and resilient communities. We invite people everywhere to experience the joy of sport, and to take a friend along to play sport on Olympic Day and inspire beyond,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
“Let’s Move?” shines a light on the benefits of playing sport and working out together, celebrating the motivation, community and joy that movement with others brings.
Participating in group physical activities can help people start moving and keep going. Through shared goals, encouragement and fun – an important factor for many young people to play sport (89 per cent of young people surveyed cited having fun as a reason they play sport, IOC/Allianz MoveNow Move365 Report, 2023) – sport is more than just moving. It is also an opportunity to spend time with others, connect and build community. This can create a sense of belonging and help fight loneliness – something the WHO has identified as a growing concern for people’s health – and support mental well-being.
“Physical inactivity is a silent global health emergency - one that is shortening lives and straining health systems. Too few people understand its risks, and too many lack the means to change course. At the same time, social connection is emerging as a serious public health challenge. By promoting inclusive, community-based physical activity, we have a powerful opportunity not only to improve physical health, but also to build social bonds and enhance mental well-being,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Let’s Move?” is the theme of Olympic Day, the global celebration of sport and getting active that takes place on 23 June each year to commemorate the founding of the modern Olympic Games in 1894. This year, everyone is encouraged to invite a “+1” to walk, run, dance, skip and move with them. People can simply ask a friend to join their team or workout, use specially created “Let’s Move?” digital tools, and share their moves socially @Olympics #LetsMove.
“Some of the most powerful moments in sport happen outside competition. They happen when a teammate joins you on the days you don’t feel like training, when you work together to reach your goals - it’s in the shared effort, the mutual support, the community you build along the way,” said IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry.
As part of the Olympic Day celebrations, there will be mass participation events and digital activations across the Olympic Movement, with over 150 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Sports Federations, and Olympic Games Organising Committees (OCOGs) expected to take part.
Worldwide Olympic Partner Samsung is inviting people to join the “Let’s Move?” challenge (available only on Android), to walk 260,000 steps between 23 June and 21 July. For its part, Worldwide Olympic Partner TCL has launched its first global campaign to mark Olympic Day, with a film connecting future host cities LA and Milan through dance and expression, and giving people the opportunity to take part in a social dance challenge on 23 June.
In China, the Olympic Mini Programme on WeChat is running a challenge until 30 June, where people can take part in a daily sports challenge — including a team mode — to set goals, practise together and compete with friends. In India, 50 sports venues around the country will be made available for pairs to book to play sport together free of charge. Details at Olympics.com.
Let’s Move?” will continue beyond Olympic Day, with the ambition, and the support of the Olympic Movement, to keep inspiring and enabling people to move and enjoy physical activity through resources, activations and content. This campaign is intended to highlight the positive impact that community sport and physical activity have on physical, mental and social health, and contributes to the IOC’s Olympism365 priority area of “Sport, Health and Active Communities”. In this framework, a wide range of initiatives aimed at bringing sports and health organisations together are delivered in collaboration with the WHO, to provide more opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to be more active and enjoy the benefits of participating in regular sport and physical activity, and to contribute to the WHO’s Global Action on Physical Activity (GAPPA) and the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy to reduce physical inactivity by 15 per cent in adults and adolescents by 2030.
President Malagò and FIDAL President Mei honour nonagenarian marathon runner Antonio Rao
- CONI
CONI President Giovanni Malagò today presented the Bronze Star for Sporting Merit to Antonio Rao, the over-90 marathon runner who holds the world masters record in the M90 category.
The ceremony took place at Palazzo H in the presence of Stefano Mei, President of the Italian Athletics Federation (FIDAL). On the occasion, Malagò also gifted Rao — who was accompanied by his daughter Antonella — a commemorative plaque bearing the inscription: "The Italian National Olympic Committee to Antonio Rao, with esteem and friendship, for his exceptional sporting spirit, deep passion for sport, and a marathon in his heart".
Originally from Polistena, Calabria, but a long-time resident of Rome, Rao is a regular participant in the Rome Marathon. In the most recent edition, he completed the race — for the third consecutive year — in under seven hours.
In 2023, at the age of 90, he set a world masters record in the M90 category with a time of 6:14:44. His achievements have gained international recognition, with the International Olympic Committee featuring his story on its official website following his latest performance in the Italian capital.
500 days to Dakar 2026: why the next Youth Olympic Games will be historic
- YOG
In exactly 500 days, the next Youth Olympic Games will begin in Senegal.
On 31 October 2026, Dakar 2026 will launch with the Opening Ceremony at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium.
As well as being a grand intro to the greatest festival of youth sport in the world, the entire event is set to be historic.
Eight years after the last YOG, Buenos Aires 2018, the world’s most promising athletes will gather together for a competition that has the potential to launch their sporting careers, as well as change their lives.
Dakar 2026 will not only leave an indelible mark on those competing, but – perhaps more so – on the history of sport and the continent of Africa because, for the first time ever, an Olympic competition will be held on African soil.
With excitement growing for the Games 500 days before they commence, read on to discover the reasons why Dakar 2026 will be an unmissable event.
The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be the first of its kind.
The entire competition will be held in the West-African country of Senegal. While different editions of the Games have, since Athens 1896, taken place in Europe, the Americas, Oceania and Asia, they have never been hosted in Africa.
But all that will change next year.
The historic nature of the event means it will transcend borders. While Senegal will host the Games, the impact on the entire continent will always be remembered, with the motto of Dakar 2026 paying testament to this: Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.
“First, it’s a big responsibility and we’re aware of that” Ibrahima Wade, General Coordinator of Dakar 2026, told Olympics.com in November 2023. “But it’s also a beautiful passion to say that Africa will host its first [Olympic] event on Senegalese land.
“We are reassured to see the entire continent mobilised behind Senegal”.
Dakar 2026 will include a number of events that have never featured on the Olympic programme, with the martial art Wushu the most significant addition among them.
In addition to Wushu, new variations of traditional sports will be on show, including baseball5, which combines elements of baseball with beach wrestling, as a tribute to Senegal’s deep wrestling tradition.
Dakar 2026 will also have full gender equality on the field of play, with a total of 1,350 girls and 1,350 boys competing in 73 medal events per gender and seven mixed events.
In addition to the many nations represented on the field of play, Dakar 2026 will welcome a new team to the competition for the first time in YOG history: The Youth Refugee Olympic Team.
While the Refugee Olympic Team has featured at past Olympic Games, including athletes like Cindy Ngamba, who won a bronze medal in boxing at Paris 2024, this is another first for the Youth Olympic Games.
It’s not by chance that this historic addition is happening at Dakar 2026.
“Africa currently hosts more than 47 million out of the more than 120 million displaced people globally” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) explained during the announcement of the decision to include the Youth Refugee Olympic Team by the Executive Board.
The presence of the Youth Refugee Olympic Team aims to “draw attention to this reality” through a competition that has the potential to inspire young people across the world.
While the names of the athletes involved in the Youth Refugee Olympic Team are not yet known, a selection process began in early 2025 in Kenya.
From 31 October to 13 November 2026, sporting history will be written every day in different sports. New Youth Olympic champions will be crowned, and undoubtedly, records will be broken.
But this is only likely to be the beginning, with history having already shown us that some of the greatest athletes on the planet began their journeys at the Youth Olympic Games.
At Paris 2024, the likes of Brazilian beach volleyball stars Ana Patricia and Duda, athletics sensations Julien Alfred and Noah Lyles, and table tennis players Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, all graduated from the Youth Olympic Games to win gold in the capital of France.
The question now is: who will be next?
While the Youth Olympic Games have not yet begun, their impact is already being felt by young people across Senegal.
Since 2022, the Dakar en Jeux Festival has taken place every year, celebrating the fact that the Youth Olympic Games are headed to Senegal, the land of Teranga (which means hospitality in Wolof). The festival has helped young people across the country discover Olympic sports, Olympic values and more.
Since 2024, the project Impact Spark has been helping to foster healthier habits among young people, while the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy aims to give new graduates and young workers tools to help them succeed, and the Civic and Sporting Olympic Certificate has been rolled out within Senegalese schools.
Dakar 2026 also has a strong commitment to eco-responsibility, with all of these initiatives helping to ensure a strong legacy for the Games before they have even begun.
And all of this is fostering more excitement for what will be a truly historic Youth Olympic Games.
Pope Leo XIV closes the Jubilee of Sport: “Sport, a precious means for training in human virtues”
- AT ST PETER’S
Sport reflects the beauty of God. It’s a powerful message delivered by Pope Leo XIV during the Eucharistic celebration on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, marking the conclusion of the Jubilee of Sport. Present in St Peter’s Basilica were all the branches that make up the world of CONI: from National Sports Federations to Associated Sports Disciplines, from Sports Promotion Bodies to Meritorious Associations. Also in attendance were the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, seated near the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, alongside many champions, such as former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, Olympic judo champion Pino Maddaloni, former footballer and current Mayor of Verona Damiano Tommasi, Paralympic champion Giulia Ghiretti, and NBA star Gordon Hayward – all of whom had taken part the previous day in the roundtable held at the CONI-organised Sport Village in Piazza del Popolo, set up for the National Day of Sport, which this year was rescheduled specifically for the Jubilee celebrations.
Also present among the numerous sports officials and federation presidents was Francesco Ricci Bitti, Honorary Member of the IOC.
“This combination of Trinity and Sport is somewhat unusual,” said Prevost during the homily, “yet the juxtaposition is not inappropriate. Every good human activity is in some way a reflection of God’s infinite beauty, and sport is certainly one of these. For God is not immobile and closed in on himself, but communion, a dynamic relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, which opens up to humanity and to the world.”
“Sport,” the Pontiff explained (photo: ANSA and CONI), “can thus help us to encounter the Triune God, because it challenges us to relate to others and with others, not only outwardly but also, and above all, interiorly. Otherwise, sport becomes nothing more than an empty competition of inflated egos. Here in Italy, spectators at sporting events often cheer athletes on by shouting out, ‘Dai!’ (Come on!). The Italian word, however, means, literally, ‘Give!’ This can give us cause to reflect. Sports are not only about physical achievements, however extraordinary, but also about giving of ourselves, putting ourselves ‘in play’. It is about giving of ourselves for others – for our personal improvement, for our athletic supporters, for our loved ones, our coaches and colleagues, for the greater public, and even for our opponents. Being a ‘good sport’ is more important than winning or not.” Pope Leo XIV then recalled the words of Saint John Paul II, “a sportsman,” he said, who described sport as “joy of life”.
The Holy Father then outlined three reasons why sport remains “a precious means for training in human and Christian virtues” today. “First,” he said, “in a society marked by solitude, where radical individualism has shifted the emphasis from ‘us’ to ‘me’, resulting in a deficit of real concern for others, sport – especially team sports – teaches the value of cooperating, working together and sharing. These, as we said, are at the very heart of God’s own life. Sport can thus become an important means of reconciliation and encounter: between peoples and within communities, schools, workplaces and families. Second, in an increasingly digital society, where technology brings distant people closer together, yet often creates distances between those who are physically close, sport proves a valuable and concrete means of bringing individuals together. It counters the temptation to escape into virtual worlds and it helps to preserve a healthy contact with nature and with real life. Third, in our competitive society, where it seems that only the strong and winners deserve to live, sport also teaches us how to lose. It forces us, in learning the art of losing, to confront one of the deepest truths of our human condition: our fragility, our limitations and our imperfections. This is important, because it is through the experience of these limits that we open our hearts to hope. Athletes who never make mistakes, who never lose, do not exist. Champions are not perfectly functioning machines, but real men and women, who, when they fall, find the courage to get back on their feet.”
Finally, quoting Pope Francis, he offered a wish for all athletes, coaches, managers, and volunteers from the many sporting associations involved: “He liked to point out that the Gospel presents the Virgin Mary as ever active, on the move, even ‘running’, ever ready, as mothers and fathers are, to set out to help their children. Let us ask her to accompany our effort and enthusiasm,” he concluded, “and to guide it always toward the greatest victory of all: the prize of eternal life on that playing-field where games will never end and our joy will be complete”.
What a celebration GNS 2025 was! Piazza del Popolo beats as the heart of an event that brought young athletes together across Italy
- CONI
A festival that radiated from the heart of Rome across all of Italy. This year’s National Day of Sport (GNS) is a special edition, celebrated today and tomorrow as part of the Jubilee of Sport.
Established by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through a directive on 27 November 2003, the GNS is traditionally held on the first Sunday in June throughout Italy. However, this year, due to the Jubilee celebrations, it was postponed, becoming an edition to remember.
At its core was Piazza del Popolo, with its Sport Village, visited during the day by IOC President Thomas Bach, Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, numerous Italian and international sports champions, and many representatives of the sporting world under CONI: National Sports Federations, Associated Disciplines, Promotional Bodies, and Meritorious Associations.
But the true protagonists were the many girls and boys who, in the open-air gym set up for them, took part in free activities, discovering new sports and perhaps beginning to dream of the Olympics.
As mentioned, the celebrations weren’t limited to Rome. It was a nationwide event, with live link-ups with several regions: Basilicata, Calabria, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Sicily, Umbria, Valle d’Aosta, and Veneto, which simultaneously joined in the festivities.
A team effort between CONI Regional Committees (full programme here), sports organisations, local associations, and municipal authorities helped make this nationwide sporting celebration a reality.
“There’s great excitement – you can feel a heat beyond the weather,” said Minister Abodi, addressing participants who braved the scorching temperatures. “This event shows the power of sport to bring people together. Sport is a space for meeting, and today is about promoting peace through sport. Thanks go to CONI, both centrally and regionally, and to all the volunteers who dedicate themselves everywhere, thanks to the passion of the people who make themselves available. The Olympic Committee’s mission also includes promoting sport for all, in the spirit of this day.”
“As city administrators and as Jubilee Commissioners, we fully support this beautiful Jubilee of Sport,” added Mayor Gualtieri. “The world of sport is built on the values of commitment and fraternity, which resonate deeply with the Jubilee. The values of sport are the values of this Jubilee of hope.”
Representing CONI was Territorial Director Cecilia D’Angelo, coordinator of the entire national event.
“All the sports bodies wanted to take part in this special day, and they turned out in large numbers despite the heat,” she said. “I bring greetings from CONI President Giovanni Malagò and remind everyone of the importance of the visit from IOC President Thomas Bach, who came to thank us personally for the work we’re doing here in Italy.”
Maria Cristina Pisani, President of the National Youth Council, added: “We’ve long believed that sport is fundamental for personal and human development. It’s a vehicle for sharing and dialogue that brings hope, especially in a complex moment like the one we’re living through.”
Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, underlined the importance of the faith–sport connection. “I’m here to say thank you to everyone who has joined us in this journey; to the Minister of Sport, to CONI, and to everyone who helped create this wonderful Sport Village. “Today, more than ever, the voice of sport needs to rise louder – it’s a universal language, one that must drown out the cries of war. When speaking to the Giro d’Italia cyclists and then the footballers, the Pope used simple yet powerful words: sport is a vehicle of hope. The next appointment is tomorrow at 10 a.m.: all of us together in St Peter’s Square with Pope Leo.”
In Piazza del Popolo, young participants enjoyed interactive activities and live demonstrations of numerous sports: sport climbing, cycling, cricket, baseball, bocce, badminton, canoe and kayak, track and field, sport dance, football, handball, martial arts and combat sports, water rescue demonstrations with canine units, padel, basketball, Paralympic disciplines, volleyball, weightlifting, rugby, fencing, archery, triathlon, shooting, draughts, traditional sports, tamburello, chess, skymano, and road safety education. There will also be performances and demonstrations of Latin dances, standard dances, solo Latin style, synchro Latin, twirling, tamboo, Muay Thai, and rhythmic gymnastics. With them athletes including Mirko Zanni (weightlifting), Camilla Mancini and Paolo Pizzo (fencing), Marta Bastianelli (cycling), and Emanuele Blandamura (boxing).
A roundtable titled Sport Generates Hope, organised by the Dicastery for Evangelisation, followed – with the participation of stars like Felipe Massa, Gordon Hayward, Caterina Banti, Giulia Ghiretti, Pino Maddaloni, and Damiano Tommasi. As well as video greetings from Edoardo Bove, Simona Quadarella, and Claudio Ranieri.
“On the tatami, sweat shines more than any medal,” said judoka Pino Maddaloni. “On the tatami, you learn the bow, the first gesture of respect for your opponent. Sport is a family. A real athlete never loses. My father dedicated his life to working in deprived areas. Young people can give us a better future.”
“Being a mayor isn’t something you dream of as a child,” said Tommasi, former footballer and now Mayor of Verona. “Is it harder than being a player? In sport, there are many challengers. But in both worlds, it’s about striving for better. In sport, hope is found in giving your all. In politics, you serve a greater purpose. The secret is the team.”
“The greatest support came from family and friends,” said Giulia Ghiretti, Paralympic champion. “That’s how I built everything that followed. Faith? We’re never truly alone. I believe no one gets far on their own.”
“It’s a great pleasure to be here for the Jubilee of Sport and to remember amazing moments in our careers,” said former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. “The hard times taught us many things. I nearly lost my life, but God knows what He wants, and we must always keep believing. Nothing is impossible when you believe.”
Caterina Banti, Olympic sailing champion, added: “It’s an honour to be here, alongside great champions from other sports, on such an important day. I always dreamed of being an athlete, though I came to it late. Today, sailing is full of women. At Paris, there were two mixed classes, the first fully gender-equal Olympics. Sport teaches us inclusion and equal opportunity, regardless of gender. Then, may the best win!”
“What advice would I give to those starting out? To dream big, set high goals, and go after them,” said Gordon Hayward, NBA star. “And not to listen to what others say. There’s only one judge: Jesus. That’s all that counts: we’ll only be judged by Him.”
The day concluded with the “Pilgrimage of Hope” towards the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.
On Sunday, June 15, a cycling pilgrimage traced a route connecting the four Jubilee Basilicas, with riders setting off from the Basilica of St Paul at 8 a.m. The Jubilee of Sport and the National Day of Sport culminated at 10 a.m. with a solemn Mass in St Peter’s Square, presided over by the Holy Father.
La GNS 2025 anima Piazza del Popolo. Anche Bach fa festa con i giovani campioni
President Meloni received the newly elected IOC President Coventry and the outgoing President Bach
- AT PALAZZO CHIGI
This afternoon, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni received at Palazzo Chigi Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Kirsty Coventry, President-elect who will succeed him on 24 June.
The IOC leadership arrived in Rome today for the Jubilee of Athletes, which is being celebrated over the weekend.
Also in attendance were Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), IOC member and President of Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, and Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth(The meeting was photographed by Roberto Di Tondo CONI/IOC).
This is Coventry’s first visit to Italy since her election in March, while for Bach it is his final official visit to Rome as head of the Olympic movement. (agc)
Il Presidente Meloni ha ricevuto a Palazzo Chigi la neo Presidente CIO Coventry e il Presidente uscente Bach
President Malagò and General Secretary Mornati honour representatives of the Institute of Sport Medicine and Science
- CONI
A pillar of Italian sport excellence and a vital support for the Azzurri athletes. Today, CONI President Giovanni Malagò and General Secretary Carlo Mornati personally presented sporting honours to representatives of the CONI Institute of Sport Medicine and Science (IMSS), the key figures behind the scenes of numerous triumphs by Italy’s champions and a crucial safeguard for the health of the national team.
The awards were presented in the presence of Giampiero Pastore, Head of IMSS. Professor Andrea Ferretti, Medical Director of the Institute, and Dr Maria Rosaria Squeo, Head of the Olympic Area of the Institute, were awarded the Silver Star for Sporting Merit. For their scientific contributions, Sandro Donati received the Silver Palm for Technical Merit, while Andrea Cardone and Alberto Di Mario were honoured with the Bronze Palm for Technical Merit. “Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do,” Malagò remarked, “I hope this is only a starting point, not a conclusion”.
Since 1963, the Institute of Sport Medicine and Science has been the sole CONI facility nationwide dedicated to supporting all current and potential Italian Olympic athletes. It is also accessible to sportspeople of all levels and citizens of all ages. The Institute’s Science Area specifically contributes to the success of Italian athletes. Last May, the Institute welcomed a historic visit from President Sergio Mattarella, followed three months earlier by a visit from IOC President Thomas Bach.
Il Presidente Malagò e il Segretario Mornati consegnano le onorificenze ai rappresentanti dell'Istituto di Medicina e Scienza dello Sport CONI
The National Day of Sport returns on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June. A Special Sports Jubilee edition
- CONI
The National Day of Sport (Giornata Nazionale dello Sport - GNS) returned this year with a special edition.
Established by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through a directive issued on 27 November 2003, the GNS is typically held nationwide on the first Sunday of June. This year, however, the event was rescheduled for Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, to coincide with the Jubilee of Sport.
The beating heart of the event was Piazza del Popolo in Rome, which on Saturday, 14 June, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., hosted the Sports Village: an open-air gym offering free activities, hands-on experiences, and live demonstrations. The event featured live link-ups with squares in other participating regions across Italy, thanks to the collaborative efforts of CONI’s Regional Committees, sports bodies, associations, and local authorities, all united in promoting this major celebration dedicated to everyone who loves and practices sport.
Children and young people in Piazza del Popolo enjoyed a full day of free trials and live demos across a wide range of disciplines: sport climbing, cycling, cricket, baseball, bocce, badminton, canoe and kayak, track and field, sport dance, football, handball, martial arts and combat sports, water rescue demonstrations with canine units, padel, basketball, Paralympic disciplines, volleyball, weightlifting, rugby, fencing, archery, triathlon, shooting, draughts, traditional sports, tamburello, chess, skymano, and road safety education. The stage featured performances and demonstrations of Latin dances, standard dances, solo Latin style, synchro Latin, twirling, tamboo, Muay Thai, and rhythmic gymnastics.
The event welcomed the outgoing President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, and the incoming President, Kirsty Coventry, both arriving in Italy on Friday, 13 June.
Also in Piazza del Popolo, the round table Sport Generates Hope took place, organised by the Dicastery for Evangelisation of the Holy See. Distinguished athletes including Felipe Massa, Gordon Hayward, Caterina Banti, Simona Quadarella, Giulia Ghiretti, Pino Maddaloni, and Damiano Tommasi took part. The “Pilgrimage of Hope” unfolded along the route to the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.
On Saturday morning, the Dicastery for Culture and Education hosted the conference The Drive of Hope: Stories Beyond the Podium at the Auditorium Augustinianum. The conference offered a multifaceted reflection on the relationship between sport and hope, featuring elite athletes, international sports officials, academics, and pastoral sport ministers.
On Sunday, 15 June, a cycling pilgrimage traced a route connecting the four Jubilee Basilicas, with riders setting off from the Basilica of St Paul at 8 a.m. The Jubilee of Sport and the National Day of Sport culminated at 10 a.m. with a solemn Mass in St Peter’s Square, presided over by the Holy Father.
Elective National Council: candidates for Presidency and National Board
- CONI
At 2:00 PM today, marking the deadline for submitting candidacies for the Presidency and the National Board ahead of the Elective National Council scheduled for 26 June in Rome, the following individuals have officially declared their candidacies (listed alphabetically):
Presidency: Duccio Bartalucci, Luciano Buonfiglio, Franco Carraro, Mauro Checcoli, Pierluigi Giancamilli, Carlo Iannelli, Giuseppe Macchiarola, Luca Pancalli.
The Central Electoral Commission has excluded the candidacies of Saimon Conti and Ettore Thermes due to failure to meet the eligibility requirements.
The Commission, noting that Dr Franco Carraro’s candidacy is considered eligible and complete according to the current CONI Statute, and in light of the official communication received on 3 June 2025 from the CONI Supervisory Authority, recognises that the matter requires a primary normative interpretation beyond its remit. Consequently, it refers any further and final assessment on the matter to the competent higher-level decision-making bodies of the previous procedure, where activated, as stipulated by the electoral regulations approved by the CONI National Council on 17 December 2024.
NATIONAL BOARD
FSN-DSA Representatives (7 seats, with a maximum of 5 reserved for Federation Presidents):
Diana Bianchedi, Tania Cagnotto, Angelo Cito (Taekwondo), Giovanni Copioli (Motorcycling), Cordiano Dagnoni (Cycling), Luca Antonio M. Di Mauro, Marco Di Paola (Equestrian Sports), Francesco Ettorre (Sailing), Laura Lunetta (Sport Dance), Andrea Mancino (Billiards and Bowling), Giuseppe Manfredi (Volleyball), Ugo Claudio Matteoli (Sport Fishing and Underwater Activities), Stefano Mei (Athletics), Francesco Montini, Claudio Ponzani (Surfing, Water Skiing and Wakeboarding), Flavio Roda (Winter Sports), Mario Scarzella, Giulia Soresina, Paolo Vaccari.
Athletes (2 seats, with equitable gender representation):
Elena Micheli (Modern Pentathlon), Giampaolo Ricci (Basketball), Valentina Rodini (Rowing).
Coaches (1 seat):
Tathiana Garbin (Tennis), Elisabet Spina (Football).
Sports Promotion Bodies (1 seat):
Cecilia Morandini (ASC), Juri Morico (OPES), Andrea Pantano (Libertas), Salvatore Bartolo Spinella (CSAIN).
Regional Committees Representative (1 seat):
Domenico Ignozza, Bruno Perra, Marco Riva, Sergio Roncelli.
Provincial Delegates Representative (1 seat):
Sergio D’Antoni, Domenico Ignozza, Sergio Roncelli, Guglielmo Talento.
Please note that, in order to ensure gender balance, a minimum of 30% of the members of the National Board must be of the underrepresented gender, with at least four members required to meet this criterion.
Lisa Vittozzi receives the 2024 Collare d'Oro. President Malagò: “The streak continues”
- BIATHLON
Lisa Vittozzi at CONI. The biathlon star was welcomed by President Giovanni Malagò in the Sala delle Fiaccole for the presentation of the Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo (Golden Collar for Sporting Merit), the highest honour in Italian sport.
This marks the second time the Azzurra has received the award, having first earned it in 2023 following her gold medal in the relay at the World Championships in Oberhof (Germany) alongside Hannah Auchentaller, Samuela Comola, and Dorothea Wierer. She was honoured again this year after her individual world title in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic).
“The streak continues,” declared President Malagò as he presented the accolade to the 30-year-old from Sappada, whose impressive career also includes an Olympic bronze in the mixed relay at PyeongChang 2018 (with Dorothea Wierer, Lukas Hofer, and Dominik Windisch), six World Championship silvers, four bronzes, four World Cup discipline titles (three in individual, one in pursuit), and victory in the overall World Cup standings in 2024.
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