The European Olympic Committees (EOC) strengthened their commitment to clean and fair sport by hosting a webinar for its members in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Hosted by the IOC’s Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, 33 EOC members attended the webinar on Monday 22 April as preparations for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 continue.
The webinar aimed to consolidate how National Olympic Committees (NOC) are activating projecting around the topic and to ensure they were aware of the resources, including educational activities, available to them in the lead up to Paris 2024.
In addition to input from Evangelos Alexandrakis from the IOC (OM Unit PMC) and EOC Sport Director Peter Brull, representatives from Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Council of Europe presented to the attendees.
Open discussions during the webinar saw different NOCs from across Europe discuss the challenges they have faced, the different systems and processes they have implemented and how they are ensuring they interact with athletes and officials ahead of Paris 2024.
The EOC has worked closely with the Olympic Movement’s Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) since 2020 and Brull emphasised the importance of the webinar.
Sport Director Brull said: “Hosting the webinar in conjunction with the IOC underscores the EOC’s unwavering commitment to thwarting manipulation of competitions, a scourge that undermines the very essence of sportsmanship and integrity.
“As representatives from various organisations convened alongside our member NOCs, we acknowledged the challenges, shared insights and reaffirmed our dedication to safeguarding the purity of athletic competition.”
“As we march forward towards Paris 2024, it was insightful to hear how our different NOCs are educating their athletes and officials in this area, ensuring that they are fully equipped to recognise any abnormal situations at the first Olympic Games in Europe for 12 years.
“We look forward to continuing our work with the IOC and to leading the prevention of manipulation of competition within the Olympic Movement in Europe.”
