Olympic Highlights 27-11-2023

The annual 14^th Advanced Team Physician Course took place in Medellín, Colombia, earlier this month. This three-day Course brought together almost 80 participants (including 30 speakers) from 20 countries, with 15 local participants from Colombia. This Course is geared towards the practical issues of working with high-level athletes in a team sports setting. The 12^th IOC Course on Cardiovascular Evaluation of Olympic Athletes also took place in Medellín over two days. With more than 50 participants (12 speakers) from 17 countries, including 19 local participants from Colombia, the Course offered the attending physicians a basic knowledge of cardiovascular evaluation, in line with the protocol suggested by the IOC. Both Courses are organised under the auspices of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, which is chaired by IOC Member Uğur Erdener.

OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS

Laura Martinel, a judo coach from Argentina, and Taesuk Chang, coach of the Republic of Korea women’s épée team, have been announced as this year’s winners of the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award. Martinel is a longstanding judo coach from Argentina who has trained her compatriots to continental, world and Olympic victories. Chang, meanwhile, is at the forefront of growing women’s fencing in the Republic of Korea. Both are Olympians in their own right: Martinel competed at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, while Chang also competed at Barcelona 1992, and again at Atlanta 1996. The Award, launched in 2017, recognises the vital role played by coaches in the life of any athlete – both on and off the field of play. Awarded to two coaches each year (one female, one male), they are overseen by the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission led by its Chair, Sergii Bubka. Full news release here.

International Federations

SUMMER IFS

International Hockey Federation (FIH)

On 20 November, the FIH celebrated World Children’s Day with the launch of the “Start Hockey Challenge”. The programme is aimed at encouraging and making it easier for children around the world to play hockey and cultivate a healthier lifestyle. The Start Hockey Challenge builds on the “Start Hockey Programme”, which was launched on the World Children’s Day in 2022 for communities, clubs, schools and individuals, to support the initiation into and development of hockey skills, in particular among young people with little or no hockey knowledge or background. Full details here.

International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM)