Safe Sports Day: how IOC protects athletes
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognizes the importance of protecting athletes on Safe Sports Day, which is celebrated on August 8. It aims to raise awareness among the sports movement with regard to the protection of athletes around the world, and should prompt sports organizations to pay particular attention to this issue. The safety and well-being of athletes is a priority and a fundamental value for the IOC. These principles are set out in the Olympic Charter, by which the organization is guided. To help International Federations and National Olympic Committees define their own strategies for the protection of athletes, the IOC prepared a special Guidebook in 2017. The document was developed in collaboration with stakeholders including athletes and experts in this area. One of the major innovations, first introduced at the Rio 2016 Games, was the presence of a protection programme manager in the Olympic Village. The IOC provides ongoing support to organizations that are currently developing their policies in this area. To this end, a series of webinars for international federations was held in 2019. Protecting honest athletes and anti-doping measures are top priorities for the IOC, as outlined on the 2020 Olympic Agenda, a strategic roadmap for the future Olympic Movement. The IOC is currently conducting additional analyses of samples taken at the 2012 London Olympic Games. This programme, which uses the latest scientific methods of analysis, aims to test samples for all substances banned in 2012. The IOC has been keeping samples from the Athens Olympic Games since 2004 and analyzing them systematically. The International Olympic Committee is a non-profit, independent international organization consisting of volunteers, dedicated to building a better world through sport. It reallocates more than 90% of its income towards the broader sports movement, which means that 3.4 million dollars are channeled every day to help athletes and sports organizations at all levels around the world.
