Rome 2024 Chief: Bid "Stronger" After IOC Talks

(ATR) One week in the job, Rome 2024 director general Diana Bianchedi talks to Around the Rings in Lausanne about the Olympic bid, what her team learnt from the IOC meeting and women in sports leadership.

In her first interview with international media, the two-time Olympic gold medalist said the 10-person delegation she headed for the two-day meeting arrived "with many questions" including the need for technical advice.

"We feel really stronger now," the 46-year-old told ATR.

"The committee [IOC] shared the experience of so many Olympic Games and situations that can happen, also in terms of education and legacy."

"It’s very important for us to show to our city and to the people the importance of being a candidate city," she added.

The workshop covered many aspects of the three-phase bidding process, which ends with the IOC vote in September 2017. This included the deliverables for the first bid dossier focusing on ‘Vision, Games Concept and Strategy’ due with the IOC by Feb. 17.

Bianchedi said the Rome bid delegation "have learnt a lot of things".

"The most important message I have now is that the Games have not only to speak to the sports world," she said, remarking on the bid's intention to spread Olympic benefits and values across Italian society, including to Paralympic athletes, families and the senior citizens of the Italian capital.

"I want the Rome people to say that this Games is a big opportunity to change to a modern town through sport," said the gold medalist in the team foil at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and at Sydney 2000. She also has five world titles and two European titles to her name.

Bianchedi is the only woman in a senior leadership position on any of the five bids. Budapest, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome are the other contenders vying for 2024 hosting rights. She started in the director general role only last week, replacing Claudia Bugno who resigned to take another job.

"When they asked me if I was ready to have this important role, I had to think for just one second," she said with a smile.

As an Olympian, "we are used to have challenges. Not just tomorrow but for many years when you start to prepare to win a gold in the Games. For me this is natural to say ‘ok this is a big challenge’."

Bianchedi added: "I was an athlete and won two gold medals. I really lived the Olympic Games of many years. I think that my experience can help to show that these things are possible."

How important is it for there to be women in senior leadership roles in sport?

"I was the first woman vice president of my [national] Olympic Committee so I am used… for sure the Olympic committee has given a big importance to women," she said.

New Rome 2024 athlete relations chief Fiona May makes her debut for the bid on Friday at the EOC general assembly in Prague.

Bianchedi believes the presence of women in influential roles on the bid will help Rome 2024 in its engagement with IOC members and the wider Olympic Movement in the bidding contest.

"Yes, I think so. We know that in Italy we have a growing movement of a lot of women in management. This is good," she said.

Long jump Olympian May agrees."It's not only very good to have more athletes at the top of the bid, but also incredibly valuable to have two women," she said in a Rome 2024 release.

"It's time to change the perception of Italy that some people have abroad. I believe that choosing two women to represent the bid’s committee is a winning strategy and I hope that the percentage of women will increase, both in sports, and among the winners."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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