The International Olympic Committee –IOC– has established four new working groups as part of its strategic initiative “Fit For The Future”. These teams will address key areas of Olympic governance: the Youth Olympic Games, the Olympic programme, the protection of the female category, and commercial partnerships and marketing.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry underlined that these four groups “will allow us to meet deadlines and bring essential technical expertise to complex and important discussions, while realigning areas where we consider it necessary to strengthen our Movement.”

The future of the Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games –YOG– Working Group will examine the relevance and potential of the event, as well as oversee the selection of the 2030 host city. It will be chaired by IOC member Danka Hrbeková, and was created after the decision that the Future Host Commission should focus solely on the Olympic Games of the Olympiad.

This change has direct implications for candidate cities interested in hosting the event, as the new group will integrate its recommendations into the allocation process, potentially reshaping the map of future Olympic hosts.

Reviewing the Olympic sports programme

The Olympic Programme Working Group, chaired by IOC member Karl Stoss, will review the structure of the Olympic programme with criteria such as relevance, scale of the event, and the integration of new disciplines. Its responsibilities include proposing a transparent mechanism for the inclusion or exclusion of sports, as well as analysing potential adjustments to the Games calendar and duration.

The group’s work will be closely followed by the International Federations, which rely heavily on Olympic status for visibility and funding. The possibility of introducing emerging sports or revising existing disciplines is generating significant attention within the federative movement.

Protecting the female category

The Protection of the Female Category Working Group will bring together experts and international federations to develop clear guidelines ensuring competitive fairness. The names of its members will remain undisclosed for now, in order to safeguard the independence and confidentiality of the process.

This initiative aligns with global discussions on how to ensure a strong female category in sport, a debate already engaging several federations at the international level.

IOC commercial and marketing strategy

The Commercial Partnerships and Marketing Working Group, chaired by Luis Alberto Moreno, will analyse existing programmes and platforms, and evaluate how to adapt the IOC’s business model to today’s competitive global environment. The team will examine best practices from other organisations and explore how Olympic Broadcasting Services –OBS– and Olympic Channel Services –OCS– can be further leveraged to generate revenue.

The digital dimension will be a key factor, as the IOC’s new commercial strategies aim to connect with younger audiences and diversify revenue streams beyond traditional sponsorship. The groups will also have the option to invite external experts, broadening perspectives within the consultation process.