IOC President Thomas Bach: The International Athletes’ Forum 2023 concluded here following a two-day meeting, with over 400 representatives discussing topics that will shape the future of sport.
Representatives from the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Federations (IFs), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), among others, were in attendance.
IOC President Thomas Bach held a two-hour Q&A session with the representatives at the conclusion of the forum on Monday, exchanging ideas and solutions on a series of topics, including the Olympic Games Paris 2024, safe sport, mental health of athletes, and the neutral status of Russian and Belarussian athletes in international competitions, among others, Xinhua reports.
Bach said, “(The Olympic Games Paris 2024) will be the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to be planned and delivered in line with the reforms of our Olympic Agenda. They will be sustainable, urban, inclusive and youthful Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will also be the first-ever Olympic Games with gender parity. The IOC has allocated exactly the same number of quota places to female and male athletes.”
Notable Olympians such as Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol, American sprinter Allyson Felix, and American Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn also shared their experiences at the Games and offered their perspectives on modern sport.