Convening
The Athletes’ Agenda
How the IOC AC has Supported Recommendations 3-5 of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 By Joshua Peng Since its inception in 1981, the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission (IOC AC) has been a vital link between IOC leadership and Olympic athletes . Over 22 Olympic Games, the Commission has expanded its size and influence. Originally composed of just nine appointees, it now includes 23 members, the majority of whom are elected by athletes themselves.
One of the Commission’s key roles is supporting the implementation of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda. In 2021, the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 introduced 15 strategic recommendations to advance the Olympic Movement, including strengthening athletes' rights and responsibilities (Recommendation 3), attracting top talent (Recommendation 4), and promoting safe sport and protecting clean athletes (Recommendation 5) . In response to these goals, the IOC AC released its own strategic plan in 2023, outlining steps to address these priorities .
Following the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, the Commission is set to evaluate the progress made toward these objectives . Did it succeed in empowering athletes, drawing elite competitors, and ensuring their protection? By reviewing initiatives from the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and new projects slated beyond 2026, it becomes clear that the Commission made significant strides in supporting Recommendations 3-5.
As a result of these efforts, the Commission has become an increasingly effective advocate for athletes within the Olympic Movement. Recommendation 3: Reinforce athletes’ rights and responsibilities. Throughout the last quadrennial, efforts to “[empower] athletes within the decision-making processes of the IOC and put them at the heart of the Olympic Movement” have been front and center in the IOC’s communications. The increased focus on initiatives such as Athlete365 - a digital platform connecting Olympians to various resources - and greater visibility for the impact of Olympic Solidarity funding are products of Recommendation 3.
The most text-heavy of the 15 recommendations within Olympic Agenda 2020+5, the recommendation encompasses six subsections with 19 specific suggestions for strengthening athletes’ rights and responsibilities. Two notable suggestions include: Building on Olympic Solidarity funding, continue empowering and supporting Athletes’ Commissions (ACs) across the Olympic Movement by encouraging IFs, NOCs and Continental Associations to provide sufficient resources to Athletes’ Commissions.
Create new initiatives with TOPs and RHBs for athletes and Olympians. How has the IOC AC built upon Olympic Solidarity (OS) funding to empower ACs throughout the Olympic Movement? According to its strategic agenda, the IOC AC aimed to ensure that all 206 NOCs have an effective AC by 2025. To achieve this, the IOC AC provided guidance on developing new NOC ACs by sharing best practices and guidance on accessing OS funding.
OS funding is the redistributed broadcast revenue provided to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Continental Associations, and to sports development programs supported by International Federations (IFs). This funding supports development programs for less wealthy NOCs to create greater competitive parity in the Olympic Games. In addition to athletic training, coaching initiatives, and other on-the-field development, NOCs can also access OS funding through yearly NOC AC Activity Grants to set up their own Athletes’ Commissions and to fund AC programs.
According to Olympic Solidarity annual reports from 2021-2024, the total OS budget for the quadrennial was $590 million . Of this, $7.2 million was allocated to NOC AC Activity Grants. When the first Activity Grants were awarded in 2020, the total annual budget was a mere $540,000. Both the total number of NOC ACs and the total number of grant requests increased throughout the quadrennial . From 2021 to 2025, the total number of countries requesting NOC AC Activity Grants increased from 70 to 120.
As of mid-2025, 200 NOCs had their own Athletes’ Commission, 10 more than in 2023. While not having met the goal of 206 ACs by 2025, this growth still demonstrates the IOC AC’s success in supporting commissions across the Olympic Movement and ensuring their stability with OS funding. With a 10% increase in OS funding for the 2025-2028 cycle ($650 million), the IOC AC has an opportunity to ensure the long-term stability of ACs globally.
Another notable suggestion within Recommendation 3 of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 is to create new initiatives with The Olympic Partner (TOP) sponsors. The TOP program is the highest sponsorship level of the Olympic Games with an estimated value per quadrennial of at least $200 million . In addition to exclusive and global marketing rights surrounding the Olympic Games, TOP sponsors are given the opportunity to launch activations around the Olympic Games that impact the athlete experience.
Athlete-centric activations are designed and executed in collaboration with Athlete365 , a platform that the IOC Athletes’ Commission launched in 2017 to connect Olympians and Paralympians to career and educational opportunities, physical and mental health services, and connect brand management support. A new initiative that debuted during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris was the Athlete365 x Powerade Mind Zone , a mental wellness area within the Olympic Village sponsored by the Coca Cola subsidiary.
The IOC AC counted approximately 2,300 athletes from 148 countries who took part in mindfulness activities such as guided meditations and visualizations through virtual reality. From data collected by the Commission, 92 percent of participants responded to the activation with positive feedback. With support from IOC AC leadership, the Mind Zone returned to the Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina to provide similar services.
Following the diffuse model of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the Mind Zone was present in all six Olympic Villages offering mindfulness activities including virtual reality experiences, art therapy, and guided breathing. Across different sports and disciplines, athletes made use of the space to prepare for and decompress from competition. First time Olympian and German speedskater Hendrik Dombek said of his experience and of the Mind Zone: “It’s my first time at the Games…it's more hectic, and I feel restless.
It's very important to have a space where you can just chill out, relax and decompress.” Stevenson Savart , Haiti’s first Olympian in cross-country skiing, said that Mind Zone aided his preparations: “This space allows me to recharge and get rid of stress before competition…It allows me to have a clear mind. Afterwards, I feel settled and ready to go. It’s the perfect place.” Images from US ice hockey player Kendall Coyne-Schofield’s social media from inside the Athlete365 x Powerade Mind Zone (@kendallcoyne26, 2026).