European Olympic Academies

🏅 EOA Medal of Merit in Gold Awarded to Prof. Agajan Abiyev

A highlight of the Eighth EOA General Assembly, held on October 9, 2025, in Prague, was the presentation of the EOA Medal of Merit in Gold to Prof. Agajan Abiyev, President of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Academy.

The distinction honours his outstanding contribution to the foundation and early development of the European Olympic Academies. As a long-time leader of the National Olympic Academy of Azerbaijan and former Secretary General of the , Prof. Abiyev played a pivotal role in shaping the EOA network and fostering its growth since its very beginning.

Beyond this special moment, the General Assembly brought together representatives from 26 National Olympic Academies and partner organisations, including the International Olympic Academy, the European Fair Play Movement and the Association of African National Olympic Academies, reaffirming our shared commitment to Olympic education, good governance, and cooperation across Europe. 🇪🇺

👉 Read the full summary here: https://www.eoaolympic.org/conclusions-of-the-eighth-eoa-general-assembly-in-prague/

© EOA/ČOV Tomáš Kozáče

EOA Flame Awards 2025 Presented at the Gala Dinner in Prague 🇪🇺🇨🇿

Exactly one week ago, the historic Tyrš House in Prague, a landmark of Czech sport and Olympic heritage, set the stage for the festive Gala Dinner of the Seventh EOA Congress, where this year’s EOA Flame Awards 2025 were proudly presented.

The evening celebrated excellence in Olympic Education and Heritage, symbolically bridging the past and present of the Olympic Movement.

In the Olympic Heritage category, two projects were honoured for preserving and interpreting the Olympic legacy:
🏅 Czech Olympic Academy – "Olympic Multimedia Library ŠUPČÍK"
🏅 National Olympic Academy of Ukraine – "Memorabilia in Olympic Culture and Heritage"

In the Olympic Education category, two initiatives received first place for inspiring the next generation with the Olympic values of respect, friendship, and excellence:
🏅 Serbian Olympic Academy – "Promotion of Olympic Values: Respect, Friendship and Excellence"
🏅 German Olympic Academy together with German Sport Youth and the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF) – "German-French Olympic Youth Camp Paris 2024"

For the first time, the Awards were decided by a newly established EOA Flame Awards Jury, including representatives from the European Olympic Committees - EOC, the International Olympic Academy (IOA), and the EOA Education and Heritage Commissions – a step that strengthens collaboration and transparency in recognising excellence across Europe.

The Gala also featured the launch of “The Idealist”, a new publication by the Czech Olympic Academy, authored by George Hirthler, celebrating the intellectual and cultural legacy of Czech Olympism.

A heartfelt thank you to the Czech Olympic Academy and the Czech Olympic Committee for hosting an unforgettable evening that embodied the Olympic.

Discover all award-winning projects and full press coverage:
👉 EOA Flame Awards 2025 – Gala Dinner Overview: https://www.eoaolympic.org/eoa-flame-awards-2025-presented-at-the-gala-dinner-in-prague/

© EOA/ČOV Tomáš Kozáče

The 7th EOA Congress officially opened in Prague! 🇨🇿 🇪🇺

Under the patronage of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), more than 60 delegates from 30 National Olympic Academies gathered in Prague for a week of exchange, dialogue, and reflection on “Current Issues and Developments of the Olympic Movement – Commemorating the Olympic Congress in Prague 1925: Lasting Legacy and Ongoing Challenges.”

Opening addresses by Prof. Manfred Laemmer (President, EOA), Alexandr Kliment (President, Czech Olympic Academy), José Manuel Araújo (EOC) and Prof Charilaos Tsolakis (IOA) set the tone for inspiring discussions ahead — highlighting the power of education, cooperation, and values-based leadership in shaping the future of Olympism.

A special highlight will be the festive evening at Prague’s historic Tyrš House, honouring this year’s EOA Flame Award laureates for their outstanding contributions to Olympic education and heritage.

💬 “The Congress is not only a tribute to Prague’s Olympic legacy but also an opportunity to shape the next 100 years of Olympic education and values promotion in Europe,” said Prof. Laemmer.

🤝 With partners including the European Olympic Academy, International Olympic Academy, European Fairplay Movement (EFPM), ICSSPE and Association of African National Olympic Academies (AANOA), the EOA Congress continues to be a unifying platform for knowledge exchange, dialogue, and cooperation across and beyond Europe.

Learn more about the Congress programme at our website: https://www.eoaolympic.org/eoa-congress-prague/

Olympic Day across Europe ✨🇪🇺

On behalf of the EOA Education Commission, we are delighted to share the comprehensive documentation of Olympic Day 2025 celebrations organised by our members.

Across Europe, National Olympic Academies actively engaged thousands of people in creative ways, bringing the Olympic values to life through sport, education and community initiatives.

👉 Discover the full report:

Olympic Day 2025: Activities, Stories and Inspirations from our Members Olympic Day 2025 across Europe: runs, school projects, Olympians, videos and full reports from member NOAs - curated by the EOA Education Commission.

📘 EOA Annual Report 2024 published

We are pleased to share our Annual Report for 2024 with our members, colleagues and friends in the Olympic Movement. The interactive report highlights the activities of the past year, showcases the work of our members and provides insights into the development of our organisation.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed – we invite you to explore the report and hope you enjoy reading it!

👉 Read the Annual Report:https://www.eoaolympic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2024-Annual-Report_digital.pdf

Kick-off in Chisinau: Together with our partners, we launched the Erasmus+ project Integrity and Values Atlas in the Neighbourhood Region. 🇲🇩🇺🇦

Our Senior Advisor Sönke Schadwinkel represented EOA on site and contributed to shaping the first steps. The project will strengthen integrity in sport in Moldova and Ukraine through research, roadmaps and capacity-building.

We are looking forward to the next phases and to working closely with our partners on this important mission. 💪

👉Read the full article:

Partners officially launched “Integrity and Values Atlas in the Neighbourhood Region” project | European Olympic Academies (EOA) The kick-off meeting of the new Erasmus+ project Integrity and Values Atlas in the Neighbourhood Region took place on 12–13 September in Chisinau, Moldova, hosted by the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova. The meeting gathered all partners to start the project, exchange expertis...

Olympic Person of the Month – August 2025

Seventy years ago, Sir Roger Bannister achieved what many believed to be impossible. He became the first human to run the mile in under four minutes. His 3:59.4 at Oxford’s Iffley Road Track in 1954 broke a psychological barrier and changed athletics substantially.

Already two years earlier, Bannister had left his mark on the Olympic stage. At the 1952 Games in Helsinki, he was among the favourites in the 1500m final. Despite running a British record of 3:46.0 minutes, he narrowly missed out on bronze by just six-tenths of a second – a medal that went to Germany’s Werner Lueg.

But Bannister’s legacy goes beyond (Olympic) sport. After his career on the track, he became a distinguished neurologist and academic, publishing over 80 scientific papers and making significant contributions to the medical understanding of the nervous system.

💬Honouring him in this month connects history to the present: from Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s new indoor world record earlier this year to Faith Kipyegon’s attempt to break the women’s 4-minute barrier, the mile continues to carry Bannister’s spirit of courage, innovation, and belief in the impossible.

👉 Discover his full story here: https://www.eoaolympic.org/olympic-person/roger-bannister/

Exactly one month ago, the European Youth Olympic Festival 2025 lit up Skopje with unforgettable moments, strong performances and inspiring encounters - excellently organised by the European Olympic Committees.

Beyond medals, the Festival was about values, safeguarding and international friendship. The EYOA programme and the BESST project, implemented on site by Ignitx, shaped a safe and educational environment for nearly 4,000 young athletes.

Read our full recap, including reflections by Henning Kunkel on his final mission as Education Officer of the Deutsche Olympische Akademie (DOA) :

👉

EYOF Skopje 2025: Olympic Values, Safeguarding and Friendship | EOA Nearly 4,000 young athletes from 48 countries gathered at EYOF Skopje 2025. Olympic values, pioneering safeguarding with BESST, and the EYOA programme turned the Festival into a safe and inspiring stage for Europe’s youth.

The countdown is on – less than two months until the 7th EOA Congress in Prague! 🇨🇿

The Olympic Movement is at a turning point: from the challenge posed by the Enhanced Games and the urgent need to address the climate crisis in the future of the Winter Games, to growing political influence of autocratic governments in sport and the risk of polarisation on the road to LA 2028. The historic appointment of the first woman to lead the Movement adds a further dimension – sparking debate on the cultural, political, and strategic shifts ahead.

From October 6 to 10, 2025, the Czech Olympic Academy will host an inspiring week of keynotes, debates, and workshops exploring these pivotal issues – alongside a festive gala at the historic Tyrš House, home to the EOA Flame Awards 2025.

📩 Not yet registered? Members are invited to register by August 23, and interested guests are welcome to contact [email protected] to explore participation opportunities.

🔗 Find out more:

Preparations for the 7th EOA Congress Prague 2025 in Full Swing | EOA Preperations for the 7th EOA Congress Prague 2025 – a week of keynotes, debates, and cultural events at the sites of the legendary IOC Congress 1925.

EOA Flame Awards 2025 – Collaboration Across the Olympic Movement 🔥

The EOA Flame Awards celebrate the most inspiring projects in Olympic Education and Olympic Heritage across Europe – and in 2025, the selection process gets even more nuanced.

For the first time, our jury brings together:
🤝 The trusted leadership of the EOA Board
🤝 Expertise from the International Olympic Academy (IOA)
🤝 Insight from the European Olympic Committees (EOC)
🤝 Specialist knowledge from the EOA Heritage and Education Commissions

This unique collaboration ensures a fair, balanced, and representative evaluation, reflecting the diversity and excellence of the Olympic Movement in Europe.

🏅 The 2025 Jury
Olympic Heritage Category: Bernard Hilgers, Roula Vathi, José Manuel Araújo, Dr. Anita Sterea, Dr. Ansgar Molzberger
Olympic Education Category: Prof. Mariia Bulatova, Prof. Tsolakis Charilaos, José Manuel Araújo, Denise Panagopoulou, Yarden Har Lev

A heartfelt "thank-you" to our partners at IOA and EOC for their commitment and support, and to our Commissions for enriching the process with their expertise.

Who will join the ranks of our previous awardees? Stay tuned - the winners will be unveiled at the EOA Congress in Prague. Wishing our jury insightful deliberations and all participants the best of luck!

Read more → https://www.eoaolympic.org/eoa-flame-awards-jury-2025-collaboration-across-the-olympic-movement/