The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, has created four new working groups that will look at the Youth Olympic Games, the Olympic program, protecting the female category, and commercial partnerships and marketing. These groups, part of the “Fit For The Future” process, follow consultation with the IOC members in June and consultations with the IOC’s honorary and honor members over the summer.
These groups “will allow us to meet deadlines, and bring important technical expertise to these complex and important discussions, while realigning where we feel that it is necessary to strengthen our Movement,” said Coventry.
- The YOG Working Group will take over the process for selecting the host for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). This working group will be chaired by IOC member Danka Hrbeková.
- The Olympic Program Working Group will focus on the sports program, seeking a balance between the size of the Games, the relevance of the sports and disciplines, and the integration of new sports and disciplines. It will be chaired by IOC member Karl Stoss.
- The Protection of the Female Category Working Group will look at how to best protect the female category. This group will consist of experts and International Sports Federations (IFs) whose names will remain confidential for now, to protect the integrity of the group and their work.
- The Commercial Partnerships and Marketing Working Group will look at how the IOC engages with partners in today’s competitive market, including the study of other organizations’ business models and what potential the IOC might have to adapt. This group will also explore the capabilities of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and Olympic Channel Services (OCS) to generate future revenues. It will be chaired by IOC member Luis Alberto Moreno.
The new working groups will start work as soon as possible, said the IOC.
