02 June 2025 - The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athletes’ Commission (AC) will host the 12th edition of the International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) on 11 and 12 June 2025 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The event will bring together more than 400 athlete representatives and offer many more the possibility to follow live on IOC platforms.
Hosted by Olympian and broadcaster Jeanette Kwakye, the Forum will feature panel discussions, Q&A sessions and interactive workshops. All plenary sessions will be livestreamed in full on IOC Media YouTube channel, allowing global audiences to follow in real time.
Held every two years, the IAF provides a platform for athletes’ commissions from International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Continental Associations as well as Olympic Games Organising Committees, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to meet in person and discuss the issues that matter most to athletes, while equipping them with resources designed to strengthen their own athletes’ commissions. The IAF is the world’s largest gathering of athlete representatives.
The full programme can be found here.
Programme highlights include:
- A Q&A session with IOC President Thomas Bach
- A fireside chat between IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry and IOC AC Chair Emma Terho
- A conversation between Olympic legends
- Updates on upcoming Olympic Games
- A session on the athlete support provided by Olympic Solidarity and the Worldwide Olympic Partners
Day 1: Athlete support, communication and commission best practices
The Forum will officially open at 9 a.m. CEST on Wednesday 11 June with an introduction from IOC AC members, including updates on its strategy, the resources available through the Athlete365 platform and the wider support for athletes’ commissions.
The morning will continue with parallel sessions on key topics such as anti-doping, mental health and well-being, prevention of competition manipulation, and social media engagement, plus a dedicated session for athletes’ commission administration staff.
In the afternoon, a panel on building effective athletes’ commissions will showcase best practices from across the Olympic Movement. The day will conclude with a session highlighting athlete support, including funding and resources provided by Olympic Solidarity and the Worldwide Olympic Partners. Panellists will include seven-time Olympic champion Allyson Felix, alongside a number of athletes who have benefitted from the various types of support available to them.
Day 2: Athlete leadership, Olympic Games and global engagement
The second day will begin with a live Q&A session with IOC President Thomas Bach, followed by a fireside chat between President-elect Kirsty Coventry and IOC AC Chair Emma Terho.
Later sessions will explore principles of effective athlete representation, including breakout discussions on athlete engagement and feedback processes. A dedicated session will also look ahead to upcoming Olympic Games, with insights on preparations and the athlete experience.
A global platform to strengthen athlete representation
Since its inception in 2002, the IAF has empowered athlete representatives to unite, make their voices heard and gather tools and knowledge to strengthen athlete support. Outcomes and feedback from the Forum are presented to the IOC Executive Board, helping to shape policy and bring about tangible benefits for athletes around the world.
For further details and the full agenda, please visit the dedicated IAF page on Athlete365.
