EOC President Spyros Capralos delivered his continental report for Europe to the ANOC Executive Council in Beijing, China on 6 February 2022.

Capralos, who is also the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) and a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), began by commending the IOC and the Chinese hosts for their efforts in staging the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

“We last met in the totally different environment of Crete, and here we are in Beijing and witnesses to yet another miracle: an Olympic Winter Games in the age of Covid just over half a year after an Olympic Games,” said Capralos. “Great credit for this must of course go to the hosting nations but above all to the IOC; Thomas Bach and his team have managed to keep both Olympics on course absolutely brilliantly.”

He then went on providing the Members with an in-depth look at the latest activities of the EOC since the last meeting in Crete, Greece last October, including the EOC Strategic Agenda 2030, the ongoing work of the new EOC Commissions as well as the upcoming EYOFs in Vuokatti (FIN) and Banska Bystrica (SVK).

The EOC President also gave updated information about the European Athletes’ Conference, which was originally scheduled for 18 January at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels and has now been put off to 10 March due to Covid restrictions. Together with the IOC, the EOC is working on a document to be presented to the EU on that occasion, whose main topic will be the need to protect the European Sport Model.

Finally, Capralos thanked ANOC President Robin Michell and Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg for taking many initiatives in support of the NOCs. In particular, he praised the ANOC Digital Accelerator Programme, which includes the Beijing 2022 NOC Photography, an up and running service providing NOCs with high-quality photos from the Games.