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637227979‘YOU NEED TO NETWORK, TO MEET PEOPLE, AND IT’S THANKS TO THE SCHOLARSHIP IN AIGLE THAT I’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. ALL KINDS OF DOORS HAVE OPENED’RIE ODAJIMA, CYCLINGA total of 227 projects benefiting 108 NOCs have been subsidised by Olympic Solidarity over the past four years. In addition, coaches from 170 NOCs have benefited from 979 technical courses run by experts appointed by IFs, while 637 coaches received individual scholarships giving them the opportunity to further their coaching skills and education. At the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the success of the 2013-2016 programme was evident, as coaches who benefited from scholarships and training courses helped NOCs to achieve landmark results, whether in the shape of medals, finishing positions, or simply participation.One such scholar is Rie Odajima. Having competed for Japan [as Rie Katayama] in the mountain bike events at Beijing in 2008 and London four years later, she switched to coaching. But while her experiences as an Olympian will undoubtedly be beneficial to her new career, equally important has been the experience she has gained as a result of her Olympic coaching scholarship at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland.“It’s really difficult for an athlete living in Japan – a country where mountain biking is not that developed as a sport, and which is situated 10 to 12 hours by plane from Europe and North America – to take part in major competitions,” says Odajima. “And as a coach, unless you’re linked up to the world at large you’re not going to be able to put your athletes in the positions they need to be.”As part of her scholarship, Odajima participated in a training course aimed specifically at women, which gave her new friends, ideas and perspective, and helped her reach Rio 2016 as a coach for Japan’s cycling team. “You need to network, to meet people, and it’s thanks to the scholarship in Aigle that I’ve been able to do that,” she adds. “All kinds of doors have opened through the links I’ve been able to create.”Opening such doors for NOCs with less developed coaching structures is a fundamental aim for Olympic Solidarity, and the programme has achieved significant success in Africa, whose NOCs are sending larger delegations to the Games – and winning more medals, following a record haul of 45 for the continent in Rio – than ever before.Victor Tamba, Technical Director for the Congolese Athletics Federation, has attended several training programmes in Montreal (Canada), funded by Olympic Solidarity and delivered by the International Support Program to African and Caribbean Sport (PAISAC) – and believes his knowledge has increased with each one, with clear advantages for the Congolese NOC.“I’ve learned so much,” he says. “It’s thanks to the PAISAC training and supervision from Olympic Solidarity that people have benefited from my knowledge, as they’ve found that I can help in some way with the development [of track and field]. And today, we are putting it to good use.”technical courses helped coaches from 170 NOCs in 2013-16individual scholarships given to coaches in 2013-16projects developing national sports structures, benefiting 108 NOCs in 2013-2016OLYMPIC REVIEW 61OLYMPIC SOLIDARITY