12 June 2024 – The 10,500 athletes who will be competing at the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 will have access to a wide range of new spaces and services, such as the Athlete365 Mind Zone and the Olympic Village Nursery. Emma Terho, Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission (AC) updated the IOC Executive Board (EB) on the dedicated areas and initiatives that will be available to athletes in the Olympic Villages this summer.

Exclusive spaces for athletes in the Olympic Villages

Located in each Olympic Village, the Athlete365 House will be the dedicated space for athletes and their entourage members, where they will be able learn more about all the IOC support programmes available to them and increase their awareness of key topics such as anti-doping and competition manipulation.

In the same location, all athletes competing at the Games will be eligible to vote for four new IOC AC members from 18 July (when the Olympic Village opens) to 6 August 2024. There are 31 candidates up for election, representing 31 countries and 15 summer sports. The elected athletes will replace four members whose terms finish at the end of Paris 2024.

“The Athlete365 House will be a place to learn, relax, meet peers and watch the live action, but not only that,” explained Emma Terho. “All athletes will have the chance to vote for their representatives and therefore make a difference in the athlete representation worldwide”.

Terho also introduced two new initiatives, strongly supported by the IOC AC: “Thanks to the efforts of the IOC and IOC AC, for the first time at the Olympic Games two additional spaces will be available to athletes in the Olympic Village: the Athlete365 Mind Zone and the Olympic Village Nursery.”

The Athlete365 Mind Zone is the first space in an Olympic Village looking after the athletes’ mental health, delivered through Woldwide Olympic Partner Coca-Cola, and specifically the Powerade brand.

“The Athlete365 Mind Zone will be a welcoming space allowing athletes and entourage members to tune in to their emotional needs, mentally prepare for their next competition and check in with a trained staff member available at the IOC Safe Sport Area.”

Emma Terho – Chair of the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission

Thanks to another Worldwide Olympic Partner, P&G (with its Pampers brand), athlete parents will have access for the first time to the Olympic Village Nursery, providing a space for playtime and family bonding. The Nursery does not provide childcare, but is rather a dedicated and quiet space for Olympians and Paralympians to have quality time with their children. It can be booked for a private or shared timeslot through an online booking system.

Athlete digital engagement

Terho provided an update to the IOC EB on athlete engagement digitally, starting with the launch of the Athlete365 app, which will be launched prior to Paris 2024. It will complement the Athlete365 web community (where over 170,000 elite athletes, Olympians and athletes’ entourage members have registered), and will become the primary place for athletes to find all the Games-time information, access the learning courses and discover all the programmes developed for them.

Strengthening athlete representation

Finally, Terho reported to the IOC EB about the IOC AC’s efforts in representing athletes: “The IOC AC remains constantly involved in decision making through the various commissions and working groups that its members are part of. The IOC AC members meet on a monthly basis to discuss the development of its ongoing work and the current issues facing the athlete community.”

Additionally, to strengthen and empower the athlete network, the IOC AC has planned a targeted approach to support National Olympic Committees’ and International Federations’ ACs to be more active and engaged. A number of ACs that need the most help has been identified and a tailored approach to support them has been developed. Since March 2024, IOC AC members have met and engaged with over 35 ACs to support their work.