A celebration of sport, the consolidation of an already very solid bond with Italy: IOC President Thomas Bach was today decorated with the Collare d'Oro, the highest honour in Italian sport. CONI President and IOC member Giovanni Malagò awarded it to him in the Palestra Monumentale of the Foro Italico, formerly the historic seat of CONI National Council meetings. The appointment today had previously been postponed at the eleventh hour after a plane malfunction prevented the conferment last 20 December during the 2021 Collari ceremony held at Rome’s Parco della Musica Auditorium in the presence of the Premier Mario Draghi.

Thus, the encounter between the Prime Minister and the biggest figure in world sport, originally planned as a sideline to the ceremony, was rescheduled remotely the following day. The physical event was postponed until yesterday, when President Bach, along with President Malagò, was received by the Premier at Palazzo Chigi.
Today’s ceremony in Foro Italico’s university hall, meanwhile, proved an opportunity to strengthen the bond that binds the five rings and the links between Rome and Lausanne as well as CONI and the IOC. 

The union was also celebrated through the images of the Italia Team triumphs at the most recent Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 and by the designation of Milano and Cortina to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. And the relationship also stems from Bach's own sporting career, which is inextricably linked to Italy and his Olympic win at the 1976 Montreal Games against the Azzurri team made up of Attilio Calatroni, Gian Battista Coletti, Fabio Dal Zotto, Stefano Simoncelli and Carlo Montano (present at the ceremony today) in the foil team final. 

In the audience were representatives from all over the Italian sports world, starting with IOC members Federica Pellegrini and Ivo Ferriani, President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, honorary IOC members Franco Carraro, Mario Pescante and Manuela Di Centa, CONI General Secretary Carlo Mornati, CONI Vice Presidents Silvia Salis and Claudia Giordani, through to the presidents of National Sports Federations, Associated Sports Disciplines, Sports Promotion Bodies and members of National Board and National Council, representatives of Regional Committees as well as athletes and technical staff. 

"Dear President Bach, our whole world is present here, the representatives of 13 million people,” outlined President Malagò. “Here we have the World Championship trophy won by the men's national volleyball team, but it was not the most recent Italian triumph. Over the last few days we have received three gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics awarded to Sofia Raffaeli and we grow ever prouder of our achievements. We are extremely pleased to welcome you again to the home of Italian sport to bestow upon you our most important honour, for the courage you have shown on numerous occasions.”

“The world has reserved many challenges for us, from the pandemic to navigating uncharted waters, but we have managed to move ahead safely thanks to your leadership”, continued the head of Italian sport. “Tokyo was a strong message to the world, a new chapter in sport. We have demonstrated the unity of our world, facing truly difficult times! We are very proud that our symbol is the symbol of the IOC. And we have always safeguarded these five rings. Dear Thomas, thank you for having been and continuing to be an example. You will always be my President. Long live the IOC, long live Italy and long live sport”.

The Italian IOC members then took to the floor. Ferriani recalled that: "To the Olympic motto 'Faster, Higher, Stronger', President Bach had added the word 'Together'. This is an example of what the IOC and the great family of world sport represent today. Thank you for this extraordinary example of community”. Afterwards came the participation of former CONI Presidents Carraro and Pescante. "Thank you to President Bach for having led the IOC with wisdom and foresight through such a complex period of our history," declared Carraro in his speech. "After being an extraordinary athlete he has shown his great leadership skills. The entire world of sport should be grateful to Bach," added Pescante. Pellegrini, a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, and Di Centa, a former member of the Commission, thanked Bach for "having put athletes at the centre of the movement".

The coordinator Diana Bianchedi, representing Milano-Cortina 2026, then spoke: "Thomas Bach has reminded us throughout his career how important it is for an athlete to set an example and inspire new generations. We kept this in mind through every moment of our application process for Milano-Cortina. We want these Games to bring prestige to our country, to the entire international sports movement and to leave an important legacy for everyone”. Before the awarding of the Collare, there was some witty banter between Bach and Carlo Montano, the only Italian capable of beating him in the defeat of Italy in the Montreal 1976 final, a representative of a family that has won a total of 14 Olympic medals.

It was then time for Malagò to confer on Bach "the most important of the Collari d’Oro", greeted with a standing ovation from the hall. "Thank you for this prestigious Collare d’Oro, an award that belongs to the entire IOC without whose support, we would have been unable to do anything. And Italy has played a special role in all this", said the number one of world sport. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart", he added in Italian, a phrase he then repeated to thank CONI and its federations for the aid offered to Ukrainian athletes hosted in Italy, starting with the Acqua Acetosa Olympic Preparation Centre. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what Italy, the Italians and CONI have done for refugee athletes from Ukraine. Our mission is to unite, not divide. We remain united in our values of non-discrimination and inclusion", specified Bach, "values which Italian athletes have embodied perfectly in their interpretation of the new motto: Faster. Higher. Stronger. Together". The IOC leader then congratulated CONI for its successes and the record medal haul at Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. "Italy and CONI have a special place in my heart. I congratulate President Malagò and the Committee, an esteemed member of the IOC, for the historic result achieved at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, with 40 medals won and incredible progress compared to Rio de Janeiro”.

He then turned to the global challenges facing sport and the organisation of Milano Cortina 2026. "There are challenges we face, from sustainability to the economic crisis, but we do not have to worry because we can count on the efficiency and organisational skills of our Italian friends. We are very confident that the Games held under the banner of Italian Life, of the Italian bella vita, will be excellent – the IOC President is certain of it. So let's come together and live this Olympic spirit: Faster. Higher. Stronger. Together. Forza azzurri!”. (Photo Mezzelani GMT)