Latest news with #KirstyCoventry
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Dakar 2026 Advances Venue and Legacy Plans As Youth Olympic Games Preparations Intensify
International Olympic Committee news With less than a year and a half until the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026 begin, the seventh meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Coordination Commission marked another key milestone in Games planning. The two-day hybrid meeting brought together key stakeholders to review the latest progress in Dakar 2026 preparations. Newly appointed Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange, IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry and an IOC delegation participated on-site in Dakar, while other Commission members joined remotely – including IOC Vice-President Nawal El Moutawakel, who has played a pivotal role in the leadership and direction of the Commission from its early stages and has recently been named Vice-Chair. The discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment to delivering Africa's first Olympic sporting event, with a strong focus on operational success and a lasting legacy for the Senegalese youth. The meeting opened with a video message from IOC President Thomas Bach, who praised the progress made by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (YOGOC) and underlined the unique significance of the first Olympic sporting event on African soil. 'We all know that the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be truly special,' he said. 'Dakar 2026 will be a moment for Africa to shine on the global stage. Dakar 2026 will welcome young athletes from around the world to celebrate sport, culture and the legendary Senegalese spirit of teranga.' Learning Academy launches first cohort A central highlight of the meeting was the official launch of the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy – a flagship initiative designed to train and recruit over 400 young professionals aged 21 to 35 in the lead-up to the Games. This structured programme equips participants with essential skills in Games management and operations, enabling them to support the Organising Committee, while building long-term event delivery capacity across Senegal and the continent. Venue master plan finalised as works progress The Coordination Commission welcomed the finalisation of the Dakar 2026 venue master plan, which now includes confirmation of the road cycling route. The race will start and finish along Dakar's scenic Corniche Ouest, providing a vivid and iconic backdrop. Significant construction progress has also been reported across key venues, enhancing overall venue readiness. Comprehensive planning across Games operations In addition to people management, legacy and venues, the Coordination Commission reviewed progress across all functional areas, including technology, ticketing, Games services, marketing, security, athlete education and youth engagement. Progress has been made since the last Commission meeting in November 2024. The Commission emphasised the importance of transitioning towards a more operational and delivery-focused approach, with the YOGOC evolving into its Games-time structure. Humphrey Kayange, Chair of the Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026, said: 'With less than 18 months to go, we are entering the final stretch. These past two days have been incredibly valuable, filled with constructive exchanges that have helped us build a clear picture of where we stand. The momentum that's been built gives us confidence as we move forward towards delivering extraordinary Games for Africa.' Ibrahima Wade, General Coordinator of the YOGOC, also reflected on the progress made and the strengthened commitment from all stakeholders: 'By the end of this 7th meeting, the Coordination Commission, led by its new Chair, Humphrey Kayange, had seen and welcomed the considerable progress made in the various areas related to the YOG Dakar 2026 preparations, and observed that the stage is set for memorable YOG on African soil. It was heartening to hear IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry's re-affirmed commitment to supporting our project. This is an additional reason for the OCOG teams and all the national stakeholders to feel motivated and engaged. The spirit of co-creation between the IOC and Dakar 2026 that has been present so far is evident once again.' Corniche de Dakar to host Espace Let's Move Plans were also shared for the Corniche de Dakar, which will serve as the main hub for celebration and youth engagement during Dakar 2026. This iconic coastal stretch will host Espace Let's Move, a vibrant zone featuring engagement sports alongside a comprehensive programme of cultural, educational and interactive activities. Organised in partnership with national federations and local stakeholders, the area will offer sports demonstrations, health and nutrition workshops and activations promoting the Olympic values. Live entertainment and local food stalls will help create an inclusive, festival-like atmosphere that welcomes young people and families into the heart of the Games experience. Dakar en Jeux 2025 to celebrate youth, sport and Olympic values Looking ahead, the Dakar en Jeux Festival will return later this year for its fourth and final edition before the YOG. Taking place from 3 to 9 November 2025, the festival will once again bring together sport, culture, education and health in a dynamic week-long celebration that reflects the spirit and values of the Games. The YOG Dakar 2026 will take place for two weeks from 31 October, bringing together the world's best young athletes aged up to 17 years. The Games will be held across three host sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly). ### The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit, civil, non-governmental, international organisation made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 4.7 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. ### For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email: [email protected], or visit our web site at Broadcast quality footage The IOC Newsroom: Videos YouTube: Photos For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr. To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Content Licensing Unit at: [email protected]. Social media For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on X and YouTube. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from International Olympic Committee
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
IOC confident that Brisbane on track for 2032 Olympic Games
IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry speaking as IOC Coordination Commission members attend a press conference for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on May 22. PHOTO: EPA-EFE – The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) confidence that Brisbane organisers were on the 'right path' to host the 2032 Olympics has been reaffirmed by a three-day visit to the city by the coordination commission, its new chief said on May 22. Former showjumper Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski officially took over during the visit from IOC president-elect Kirsty Coventry as chair of the commission, which oversees preparations for the Games on behalf of the Olympic movement. 'Through our regular engagement with the organising committee, we are confident that Brisbane 2032 is on the right path,' Jaworski told a news conference in Brisbane. 'This week gave us meaningful opportunity to witness progress first-hand and to reaffirm our commitment to Games that will leave a lasting legacy for the community and place Brisbane confidently on the world stage.' Jaworski said the example of the legacies for Melbourne and Sydney when those cities hosted the Games in 1956 and 2000 should convince waverers in Brisbane of how beneficial the Olympics would be for the city. 'Melbourne has hosted, and Sydney has hosted, and there's certainly legacy there. There's a lot of goodwill globally remembering these cities as hosts, and I think we can count on Brisbane... being brought to the world stage (if) we have a successful Games,' she said. Since the last meeting of the coordination commission, the Queensland government has published its third, and what it says will be the final, venue plan for the Games. Despite bid commitments on sustainability in line with the IOC's 'New Norm' reforms for host cities, the plan included the building of a new Olympic stadium and a national aquatics centre in an inner city Brisbane park. 'When you talk about the 'New Norm', one of the key things is about the Games being part of the city or the host. It's not about turning the host into what the Games need, but the other way around,' Jaworski said in answering a question about the changes. Local organising committee chief Andrew Liveris said it had been a relief to finally get a plan in place his team could enact, even if he did not think any ground would be broken on the big new venues until the end of 2026. He said: 'I love to plan and implement. It's really hard to plan when the plan keeps moving on you, right? So our job now is to create certainty out of this plan. There's work to do on that.' 'We're not out of the woods completely, but we are mostly out of the woods, and we have certainty around some pretty big decisions,' he added Liveris said all the venues needed to be completed at least a year before the start of the Games and accepted that issues of labour shortages in Australia's construction industry and local building constraints were a concern. 'We are part of a bigger problem, and one that has to be solved by the current (Queensland) government. They're very dedicated to doing it,' he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Malay Mail
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
IOC confident Brisbane 2032 Olympics is on track after key visit by coordination commission
SYDNEY, May 22 — The International Olympic Committee's confidence that Brisbane organisers were on the right path to host the 2032 Olympics has been reaffirmed by a three-day visit to the city by the coordination commission, its new chief said today. Former showjumper Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski officially took over during the visit from IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry as chair of the commission, which oversees preparations for the Games on behalf of the Olympic movement. 'Through our regular engagement with the organising committee, we are confident that Brisbane 2032 is on the right path,' Jaworski told a news conference in Brisbane. 'This week gave us meaningful opportunity to witness progress firsthand and to reaffirm our commitment to Games that will leave a lasting legacy for the community and place Brisbane confidently on the world stage.' Jaworski said the example of the legacies for Melbourne and Sydney when those cities hosted the Games in 1956 and 2000 should convince waverers in Brisbane of how beneficial the Olympics would be for the city. 'Melbourne has hosted, and Sydney has hosted, and there's certainly legacy there,' she said. 'There's a lot of goodwill globally remembering these cities as hosts, and I think we can count on Brisbane... being brought to the world stage (if) we have a successful Games.' Since the last meeting of the coordination commission, the Queensland government has published its third, and what it says will be the final, venue plan for the Games. Despite bid commitments on sustainability in line with the IOC's 'New Norm' reforms for host cities, the plan included the building of a new Olympic stadium and a national aquatics centre in an inner city Brisbane park. 'When you talk about the 'New Norm', I think one of the key things is about the Games being part of the city or the host,' Jaworski said in answering a question about the changes. 'It's not about turning the host into what the Games need, but the other way around. So it is unique.' Andrew Liveris, President Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, gestures during the 3rd IOC Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission press conference at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane May 22, 2025. — AFP pic Create certainty Local organising committee chief Andrew Liveris said it had been a relief to finally get a plan in place his team could enact, even if he did not think any ground would be broken on the big new venues until the end of 2026. 'I haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face (since the announcement),' he said. 'I love to plan and implement. It's really hard to plan when the plan keeps moving on you, right? So our job now is to create certainty out of this plan. There's work to do on that. 'We're not out of the woods completely, but we are mostly out of the woods, and we have certainty around some pretty big decisions.' Liveris said all the venues needed to be completed at least a year before the start of the Games and accepted that issues of labour shortages in Australia's construction industry and local building constraints were a concern. 'We are part of a bigger problem, and one that has to be solved by the current (Queensland) government,' Liveris said. 'They're very dedicated to doing it.' — Reuters
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Next IOC president Kirsty Coventry hands over the baton in planning for Brisbane 2032 Olympics
BRISBANE, Australia — Kirsty Coventry has completed a ceremonial baton change before she takes over as International Olympic Committee president next month, handing off oversight of preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Games during a three-day inspection visit to southeast Queensland state. Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski replaced Coventry as head of the IOC's coordination commission for the 2032 Summer Games after the Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe was elected to take over from Thomas Bach in the sporting organization's top job.
Toronto Star
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Next IOC president Kirsty Coventry hands over the baton in planning for Brisbane 2032 Olympics
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Kirsty Coventry has completed a ceremonial baton change before she takes over as International Olympic Committee president next month, handing off oversight of preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Games during a three-day inspection visit to southeast Queensland state.
