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In October, the IOC co-hosted a forum with the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania aimed at developing women’s leadership in sport. The Advancing Women in Leadership Roles Forum for Europe provided a platform for European sports leaders to discuss how to improve gender equality in sports leadership, as part of the IOC’s commitment to equal participation by women in sport on a broader level. During two days of panel discussions which were led by European sports leaders and gender equality experts from outside the Olympic Movement, speakers, including IOC President Thomas Bach, and participants made the case for gender equality in leadership, and shared practical ideas for engaging more women and men in the discussion and in practice. “Gender equality is not a women’s issue – it’s a basic human right of profound importance,” stated the IOC President during the forum’s opening session. “Men need to take full responsibility and work alongside women to make the world a better place. It is only when everyone does their part that we can make progress.” The forum also provided an ideal opportunity for the IOC to launch the Advancing Women in Leadership Platform – an online collaborative learning community that aims to connect and inspire women in sport, and also to provide useful resources for leaders who support gender equality. IOC FORUM AIMS TO DEVELOP WOMEN LEADERS OLYMPIC CHANNEL HONOURED AT SPORTEL AWARDS The Olympic Channel original series “Camps to Champs” was awarded the Jury Prize at the World Sports Marketing & Media Convention (SPORTEL) Awards on 24 October, organised under the Honorary Presidency of IOC Member H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. A four-part series, “Camps to Champs” investigates how sport can positively change lives by visiting refugee camps and areas housing people who have been displaced. Each episode is told through the eyes of an Olympian who demonstrates the impact of outreach programmes and grassroots sports activities. During the ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, IOC Member Camiel Eurlings also presented the IOC Grand Prize to UEFA’s #EqualGame campaign video. The Peace and Sport documentary prize went to “Girl Unbound: The War to be Her”, a film about Pakistani squash player Maria Toorpakai, a member of the IOC Women in Sport Commission. A day earlier, the Olympic Channel was named Best Sports Thematic Channel at the 2017 TV Sports Awards annual gala, also held in conjunction with SPORTEL. The award recognises a channel or platform that dedicates itself to a specific sport and offers its fans new and exclusive insight into their interests or hobbies. Pictured The winners from the SPORTEL Awards On 7 November, the IOC announced the winners of the Golden Rings Awards for the best broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, at a ceremony which was held in Lausanne. Awards were presented across six categories, with American broadcaster NBC Olympics winning three: “Best Olympic Feature”, “Best Athlete Profile” and “Best Olympic Digital Service”. The “Best On-Air Production” and “Best Olympic Programme” awards went to BBC Sport and SporTV/Globosat respectively, while Olympic Broadcasting Services’ coverage of beach volleyball won “Best Olympic Sports Production”. IOC ANNOUNCES GOLDEN RINGS WINNERS 14 OLYMPIC REVIEW