“The Olympic Management Course is an outstanding initiative, a true flagship of CONI.” With these words, CONI President Giovanni Malagò officially opened the second edition of the Olympic Management Course, dedicated to the memory of Franco Chimenti.

Italy’s top sports official addressed the class following an opening introduction by CONI General Secretary Carlo Mornati. The course, run by CONI’s High School for Olympic Specialisation, aims to train highly qualified professionals who can actively contribute to the success of sport and the national Olympic team.

The programme is designed for twenty participants—graduates and elite athletes who have taken part in at least one Summer or Winter Olympic Games. It spans 300 hours, divided into nine modules, and requires full-time attendance and residential participation at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre in Rome.

The course provides an in-depth understanding of the Olympic System both nationally and internationally, with a strong focus on the governance of CONI and other sports institutions. It aims to enhance participants' comprehension of sport, Olympic values, and relevant regulations, while developing expertise in key areas such as legal frameworks, finance, marketing, innovation, management, and contracts—across all levels of ability and disability.

“There is an opportunity for you, as students, to take part in a placement during the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, just as last year’s class did in Paris,” Malagò added. “You will be immersed in a truly exceptional environment. Only the Olympic Committee can offer this kind of specialist training, and the calibre of the teaching staff brings added value. General Secretary Carlo Mornati has always supported this initiative, which reflects the prestige, history and international standing of CONI’s educational path. The people speaking to you today are directly involved in the sporting world. This course is genuinely unique. We are on the ground, on the front line. We live and breathe this reality”.

Before leaving, President Malagò also paid tribute to the late Franco Chimenti, for whom the course is named:
"He was my long-serving Vice President at CONI, the historic President of the Italian Golf Federation, President of CONI Servizi, and President of the 2023 Ryder Cup, which was a resounding success. It is absolutely right to honour those who helped shape and elevate our sporting world. It is no coincidence that we also named the road in front of the Aula Magna at the Olympic Preparation Centre after Franco Chimenti".