Francesco Ricci Bitti has been unanimously elected Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee. The 83-year-old Italian executive was chosen by IOC members meeting in Costa Navarino, Greece, during the 144th Session, which will also elect the successor to IOC President Thomas Bach.

It was Bach himself who presented Ricci Bitti’s candidacy, together with that of former United Nations Secretary-General and Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission, Ban Ki-moon. “It is a great honour and pleasure to propose, on behalf of the entire Executive Board, two exceptional leaders,” said Bach, who praised Ricci Bitti’s commitment to autonomy, cohesion, and good governance within the Olympic Movement.

The position of Honorary Member is granted to distinguished individuals outside the IOC who have rendered outstanding service in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The last person to be named Honorary Member was Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State, who passed away in 2023. This marks the first time the honour has been awarded to an Italian executive.

In his long career in sports management, Ricci Bitti (photo: Roberto Di Tondo CONI) served as President of the Italian Tennis Federation and later of the International Tennis Federation (1999–2015). He was also an IOC member from 2006 to 2012. From 2013 to 2024, he served three terms as President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). In 2016, he was awarded the Collare d’Oro by CONI, Italy’s highest sporting honour. Throughout his distinguished career, he was also a member of the CONI Executive Board and National Council.