The first ‘Giulio Onesti’ Olympic Management Course concludes. Malagò: “A course that highlights the importance of specialisation in sport”
The first edition of the ‘Giulio Onesti’ Olympic Management Course, launched by CONI’s Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation, has come to an end. The Salone d’Onore at CONI hosted the graduation ceremony (photo: Ferdinando Mezzelani GMT), marking the conclusion of the course for ten male and ten female graduates, as well as two former athletes: double Olympic bronze medallist in rowing Matteo Castaldo and former Azzurro swimmer Marco Belotti, who participated in two Olympic Games. The aim is to create cutting-edge, highly qualified professionals who will contribute to the success of sport and the Olympic team.
“Many people try to enter the world of sport, some of you have been champions,” said CONI President Giovanni Malagò, addressing the students during the ceremony. “This course highlights the importance of integration and specialisation in the world of sport. This year it was named after Giulio Onesti, and the next edition will be dedicated to the memory of Franco Chimenti, a person to whom Italian sport owes a great deal”.
The 300-hour course, divided into nine modules with mandatory attendance and residency, took place from 6 May to 16 October 2024 at the ‘Giulio Onesti’ Olympic Preparation Centre in Rome. It provided an in-depth understanding of the Olympic System at national and international levels, with a focus on the management of CONI and other sports institutions. Enhance understanding of sport, Olympic values and regulations for people of all abilities and disabilities and stimulate an in-depth understanding of legal, finance, marketing, innovation and management and contracting skills: these were some of the course’s aims.
The training programme also included an internship: the students were integrated into CONI’s Olympic Delegation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (the internship took place between Rome and Paris), with roles individually assigned by CONI’s Secretary General and Head of Mission for the French Olympics, Carlo Mornati.
“Today, a circle has been closed,” emphasised CONI Secretary General Carlo Mornati. “It was a great course, characterised by professionalism. The students came to Paris with us and had an important professional experience”. Also present was Angelo Maria Petroni, Scientific Director of the Advanced School of Olympic Specialisation: “This is a professional school, not an academic course. When you come here, you’ve ‘already eaten’ – you have to learn to put it in practice. Now we can say it: it worked. Sport is not a separate world but a part of civil society, the economy, and the nation. CONI is an autobiography of Italy.” Gianni Letta, President of the Committee of Trustees for Olympic Training, who opened the first Olympic Management Course for General Secretaries with a lecture last February, added: “I guarantee that our congratulations to the graduates are genuine, sincere, and well-deserved. These diplomas are not just decorated parchments: they are important documents that have had substantial value throughout history. CONI’s school is a prestigious institution in our country, loved by all and appreciated worldwide. No valid organisation today can do without excellent managers. We wish you a brilliant career”. Carlo Nardello, Consultant for the Olympic Training Project, then outlined the various stages of the course, and Giampiero Pastore, Director of CONI’s Institute of Sports Medicine and Science, reiterated the importance of the contribution of CONI professionals to the success of the course and initiated the graduation ceremony.
The second edition of the Olympic Management Course, dedicated to the memory of Franco Chimenti, is scheduled to run from 5 May to 10 October 2025.
Cerimonia dei diplomi per gli allievi del 1° Corso in Management Olimpico
