IOC Executive Board updated on progress of boxing preparations for Tokyo 2020
On the opening day of its first full meeting at Olympic House, the new headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, the IOC Executive Board (EB) was given a report on the steps being taken in boxing on the road to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The Chair of the Monitoring Group, Nenad Lalovic, provided an update on the situation of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), which had its recognition suspended in May, and IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell reported on the work of the Olympic Boxing Taskforce on behalf of its Chair, Morinari Watanabe.
The main points were the achievements since the IOC Session in June. The anti-doping arrangements for Tokyo 2020 will be replicated for the qualification events, with the International Testing Agency (ITA) doing over 500 in-competition tests and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) responsible for sanctioning in the event of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. The Olympic Boxing Taskforce has also placed a heavy focus on engagement with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), National Federations and athletes by using every existing opportunity, including a number of continental games. A dedicated website with content in multiple languages has been launched on Athlete365, the IOC’s platform devoted to athletes.
“The Taskforce has been very active with its five members under the leadership of Mr Watanabe. They have all added a huge amount from their various perspectives, and the Taskforce itself has had regular conference calls and has been involved in every step along the way. At the moment we are putting in place a management structure with a dedicated project team,” said McConnell.
Athlete engagement
The IOC EB was informed that, for the first time, the IOC Athletes’ Commission has started its direct, in-person engagement with athletes prior to the Olympic Games. The Commission has been able to reach 8,500 athletes and 2,300 entourage members by attending 15 international sporting events this year, including four continental games, World Championships and a number of competitions in Tokyo.
This engagement has perfectly complemented the extensive work done by the NOCs and International Federations (IFs), and continues to ensure that key information reaches athletes before the Games, and excite them about the prospect of competing at the world’s premier sporting event.
Recognition of AIMS
The IOC Executive Board also approved the proposal to put forward the Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) to the IOC Session in January 2020 for full recognition, in accordance with Rule 3.3 of the Olympic Charter, which states that the IOC may recognise IFs and associations of IFs. This does not confer recognition on individual members of AIMS, and the existing process for IF recognition remains unchanged.
Changes of nationality
Five changes of nationality were approved in agreement with the respective IFs and NOCs. The athletes were permitted to change nationality without serving the three-year period since last representing their former countries:
Mr Tomer GOLOMB - Judo - from Israel to Poland
Ms Anastasiia IANINA - Rowing - from Russia to Belarus
Mr Pavel OLEJNYIK - Wrestling - from Ukraine to Hungary
Mr Szebasztián SZABÓ - Swimming - from Serbia to Hungary
Ms Ekaterina VEDENEEVA - Gymnastics - from Russia to Slovenia
Diploma reallocations
Following the disqualification of the athletes listed below from the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, the IOC EB confirmed the following diploma reallocations. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has modified the results accordingly.
Cross-country skiing – Women’s team sprint
- Anastasia DOTSENKO (RUS – 6th place), member of Team Russian Federation, by the IOC Disciplinary Commission in its decision dated 1 December 2017 and partially confirmed by the CAS in its decision dated 2 November 2018.
- Julia IVANOVA (RUS – 6th place), member of Team Russian Federation, by the IOC Disciplinary Commission in its decision dated 9 November 2017 and partially confirmed by the CAS in its decision dated 2 November 2018.
Team Russian Federation is disqualified. Therefore, the new ranking is as follows:
6. Switzerland
7. United States of America
8. Austria
Cross-country skiing – Women’s 4x5km relay
- Yulia TCHEKALEVA (RUS – 6th place), member of Team Russian Federation, by the IOC Disciplinary Commission in its decision dated 1 December 2017 and partially confirmed by the CAS in its decision dated 2 November 2018.
- Julia IVANOVA (RUS – 6th place), member of Team Russian Federation, by the IOC Disciplinary Commission in its decision dated 9 November 2017 and partially confirmed by the CAS in its decision dated 2 November 2018.
- Marina PILLER (ITA – 8th place), member of Team Italy, by the FIS Doping Panel in its decisions dated 23 October 2017.
Teams Russian Federation and Italy are disqualified. Therefore, the new ranking is as follows:
6. Poland
7. United States of America
8. Czech Republic