The newly-elected board of the ISSF Athletes Committee held a one-day meeting in Cairo ahead of the opening World Cup of the season that involved contributions on vital topics from key members of the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission and the Paris 2024 Olympic Organising Committee.
There was also discussion around the ISSF E-Sports Committee and the internal rifle, pistol and shotgun topics related to the athletes.
Seven board members were present in the Egyptian capital, with three others present virtually as the Committee focused, as ever, on representing all athletes in line with Agenda 2024.
During the day the agenda had many speakers online to conference with the members and discuss important topics IOC Athletes Commission, Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organizing Committee and ISSF E-Sports Committee were among them.
Emma Terho, chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission, vice-chair Seung-Min Ruy, the main liaison with ISSF and Karen Dolphin, the IOC’s Head of Athlete and Olympian Relations were online directly from the Youth Winter Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, in the first meeting of the afternoon.
In the space of more than an hour many topics were discussed between the ISSF and IOC representatives and many plans were formulated for the future.
The Athletes Committee chair Cassio Rippel of Brazil, who will be competing in the World Cup, told ISSF:
"We have had a really good working relationship with the IOC Commission members for a really long time. It’s important that we keep our Committee always aligned with the Olympic Movement.”
With less than six months to go until the Paris 2024 Olympics begin on July 26, the subject of final preparations for the Games was naturally top of the agenda.
On-site facilities at the Chateauroux venue and the possibility of athletes travelling up to Paris to take part in the Opening Ceremony were among the items discussed with Peter Underhill of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee.
“We have been working with Peter Underhill frequently on all matters relating to the Games,” Rippel added. “He has been highly participative – he works with us all the time and answers the questions we have.
"Of course at this moment we are in the final months approaching the Games and it is important that we are having the knowledge about what is going on, to be able to update our athletes and answer the questions they have.
“So now we have the final calendar, the final programme and we are looking at the final preparations for the Games venue at Chateauroux.
"We know it is not Paris so we will have to use some different facilities, especially for accommodation.
"This is clearly a concern for the athletes and the Athletes Committee.
“And we want to be able to help in the best way to have the best facilities for the athletes. And that’s why Peter’s input has been really important.
“Because, for example, we talked about how things will be managed inside the venue, inside the field of play.
"How will be the transport plan for the spectators and athletes, which is very important.
“Practice dry-firing areas and a proper place for the athletes to be able to rest, with toilet facilities, all of these kind of things, as athletes, we always give a look at this perspective.
“And we have heard details from the Organising Committee about the proper security procedure for firearms and ammunition which will prevent the athletes from having to spend too much time at the airport.
“We have had examples in other Games where athletes were only able to bring with them a limited amount of ammunition. So we are also working on that to enable athletes to bring as much as they need.
“So we always need to support and update the athletes. That is our approach along with the Paris Organising Committee,
“Arrangements are being made for two existing accommodation venues in Chateauroux. One is very close to the range, at Pesi, and the other is closer to the city, maybe a 25-minutes’ walk away.”
There was also discussion about how athletes might want to interact with the Opening Ceremony. While there will be an event at the Chateauroux headquarters of the event, there will also be the opportunity for athletes to travel to Paris to take part in the event personally.
“Every athlete who wants to participate in the Opening Ceremony will be allowed to with the help of the Organising Committee,” Rippel added.
“Logistically it will be a three-hours train journey, plus every athlete participating in the Olympic Games knows that the time to participate in the Opening Ceremony takes really long, plus waiting time, the parade.
“At the end it will be really long journey but it’s up to the athletes to decide.
“They would probably be getting back in the early hours of the morning the next day.
“Of course if you are participating in the early days of the competition it would not work as you may be getting back at 2am. But all the others who are competing after four or five days would have time to rest afterwards.”
Meanwhile the Athletes Committee is preparing for tomorrow’s presentation of the male and female Athlete of the Year 2023 awards to, respectively, Clement Bessaguet of France and Doreen Vennekamp of Germany, both of whom will be also competing in Cairo.