Olympic Summit Esport Decree

(ATR) Talk of awarding Olympic medals for esport is "premature" says a statement from the annual Olympic Summit organized in Lausanne by the IOC.

The Olympic Summit, now in its seventh edition, brings together a group of about 20 elite figures from the IOC, federations, NOCs and other organization. They brainstorm on a Saturday late in the year in Lausanne, behind closed doors, the communiqué the only official account of the meeting.

The statement on esport was the most expansive of any comment on the six topics on the agenda for the 2018 summit.

This year membership of the Olympic Summit included 11 IOC members, eight representatives of international federations, the head of the IOC Athletes Commission and leaders of the three biggest NOCs: China, Russia and the U.S.

U.S. Olympic Committee President Larry Probst, who steps down at the end of the month, introduced his successor, Suzanne Lyons. She will add a needed boost for women in the summit. Just two women were on the 19-member roster for 2018: IOC Athletes Commission chair Kirsty Coventry and IOC vice president Anita DeFrantz.

The statement on esport is the most coherent explanation so far from the IOC on the relationship it should have with this youth phenomenon. It marks the most concrete call to action since an esport summit organized in Lausanne by the IOC in July.

"Recognising the fact that the sports movement is in competition with the esports/egames industry for the leisure time of young people, the Summit agreed that the Olympic Movement should not ignore its growth, particularly because of its popularity among young generations around the world," the statement opens

Agreeing to continue exploration of esport and egaming, the summit noted a list of issues to address. No cooperation will take place with games that "are not compatible with the Olympic values". While violence isnot specifically mentioned in the statement, it’s games employing killing and mayhem that have raised red flags with the IOC.

Agreeing on which games to adopt for the Olympics can be tricky says the statement. What’s hot today may be passé by the time of the Olympics. Technology of today will be supplanted by innovations.

"The industry is evolving rapidly, with the changing popularity of specific games and the rapid development towards augmented reality and virtual reality," says the report.

Also tricky: the wild and wooly world of esport business. The industry is fragmented "with tough competition between commercial operators," says the communiqué.

"The industry is commercially driven, while on the other hand the sports movement is values-based," is the final observation.

"For all these reasons, a discussion about the inclusion of esports/egames as a medal event on the Olympic programme is premature," says the communiqué.

But the summit encourages the development of games that simulate the sports of the Olympic Games. The statement says federations should "gain or retain appropriate control over the electronic/virtual versions of their sports".

The IOC and GAISF, the Global Association of International Sports Federations will now form a "liaison group" with stakeholders from the esport and egames industry.

New GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli is expected to take a leading role in the liaison group. A participant in the summit, Chiulli is president of the UIM, the federation for powerboating.

Other topics covered in the 2018 summit:

The Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration

Progress in the move to make the anti-doping system independent. Valerie Fourneyron, chair of the new International Testing Agency presented a progress report.

Good governance

Multi-sports events and the sports calendar

The allocation of international sports events and the right of athletes to compete without discrimination

Reported by Ed Hula.