The International Olympic Committee (IOC), along with International Federations involved in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, and the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, recently convened to strengthen efforts around sports integrity initiatives.
The meeting was led by the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC), with the discussion of the latest developments within the three main pillars of the Unit’s strategy: regulation and legislation; awareness-raising and capacity-building; and intelligence and investigations.
Specifically, the main focus was on how to include National Federations (NFs) in sports integrity initiatives and how to maximise the potential of values-based education to prevent unethical conduct.
At the latest meeting, participants shared ideas to strengthen collaboration with National Federations and discussed co-creating tools and campaigns with the IOC to raise awareness about competition manipulation among athletes, coaches, and referees ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 and Dakar 2026.
The meeting provided the OM Unit PMC with the opportunity to present three new sets of guidelines, which will support the implementation of stakeholder activities:
• Guidelines for Awareness-Raising Activities
• Guidelines on the Implementation of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions
• Guidelines on the Sanctioning of Competition Manipulation.
Athletes as champions of integrity
A number of athlete ambassadors and integrity experts from National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were also in attendance to share their experiences.
The OM Unit PMC recently enhanced its ambassadors programme for the IOC’s Believe in Sport campaign, establishing two official groups of ambassadors. The first group includes all ambassadors who are selected and managed by, and take part in the activations of, their NOC or IF. The second group of ambassadors is appointed by the OM Unit PMC to support IOC activities.
“Being aware of a threat is the first step to avoiding it. The next necessity is to have the knowledge and tools to fight it,” highlighted athlete ambassador Saulius Ritter. The three-time Olympian and Olympic medallist in rowing, who is now Secretary General of the Lithuanian Rowing Federation, attended the workshop to share his experiences in engaging athletes for the cause. “Peer-to-peer communication is very impactful in my view, and it’s great to see our global network of athlete ambassadors growing in the run-up to Milano Cortina 2026, but also the Youth Olympic Games next year in Dakar and, of course, LA28.”
Ramping up efforts ahead of Milano Cortina 2026
“With Milano Cortina 2026 around the corner, this workshop was extremely useful to refresh our knowledge, get up to date on the latest developments in the prevention of competition manipulation and coordinate our efforts with the IOC and the other Winter IFs,” said Heike Grösswang, Secretary General of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF). She added, “Most importantly, it also helped us to plan the next steps in the collaboration with our National Federations.”
Head of the OM Unit PMC Friedrich Martens said, “As we have embarked on a new Olympic cycle, it’s important to know that we have the IFs on board, and their turnout and engagement during this workshop demonstrate that. We wanted this day to be as interactive as possible, and it was great to see how the participants shared their experiences and challenges, and were keen to learn more. We are also implementing similar education initiatives aimed at all NOCs across the globe. In fact, the more we combine our efforts, the more we will be successful in safeguarding sports integrity.”
Sharing, learning, and experiencing
During breakout sessions, participants explored ways to use IF communication platforms for awareness campaigns, educate stakeholders about rules through engaging methods, and define the role of athlete ambassadors. They also experienced a replica of the Olympic Movement Unit’s educational booth on competition manipulation prevention, showcasing learning activities used at major sports events.
Engaging the Olympic Movement
These meetings exemplify the IOC’s commitment to involving all stakeholders within the Olympic Movement in the ongoing effort to uphold the integrity of competitive sports. Initiatives to prevent manipulation are spearheaded by the OM Unit PMC and supported by a recently allocated fund of USD 10 million per Olympiad.
