Olympians Demand Climate Focus as Top Priority for Next IOC Leader

More than 350 Olympians from 85 nations—including 57 Olympic champions and over 100 flag bearers—have united to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to elevate climate action as its “number one priority” ahead of next week’s presidential election.

The unprecedented appeal, signed by athletes across 50 sports, warns that climate-driven disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires—which coincided with the city’s preparation for the 2028 Summer Games—are already disrupting competitions, endangering athletes, and threatening the future of the Olympics.

The letter, delivered as IOC members gather in Greece to select a new president, demands urgent reforms: binding carbon-reduction targets for host cities, a crackdown on sponsors tied to fossil fuels, and leveraging the Games’ global platform to champion environmental policies. Signatories range from Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, who cited extreme heat jeopardizing training in Nairobi, to German bobsleigh legend Thorsten Margis, who likened delayed climate action to “crashing into consequences we can’t undo.”

“The terrible LA wildfires couldn’t have been clearer: the time is now to set a course for a safe, bright future,” said British sailor Hannah Mills, a double Olympic gold medalist and IOC sustainability ambassador. Mills, who spearheaded the campaign, emphasized that Paris 2024’s 50% emissions cut—achieved through renewable energy and low-carbon infrastructure—should set a baseline, not a ceiling. Yet Los Angeles 2028 organizers have yet to disclose detailed climate targets, raising concerns about backsliding.

The push reflects growing alarm among athletes from climate-vulnerable nations. Signatories from the Marshall Islands, Peru, and Fiji—where rising seas and erratic weather upend communities—argue the IOC’s legacy hinges on confronting polluters. Australian sailor Matt Wearn, a two-time gold medalist, stressed that “climate change is already reshaping our oceans,” while Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal warned that “the same system fueling inequality is destroying our planet.”

The IOC, which has branded itself a sustainability leader since adopting a “climate-positive” pledge in 2021, faces mounting scrutiny over partnerships with sponsors like Toyota and Airbnb, whose carbon footprints clash with Olympic ideals. Athletes are urging the next president to reject sponsors undermining climate goals—a direct challenge to the IOC’s revenue model.

With winter sports especially at risk—glaciers used for Alpine events are vanishing, and only 10 of 21 former Winter Games hosts could reliably host again by 2050—the letter signals a generational shift. Five-time U.S. bobsleigh medalist Elana Meyers Taylor, a mother of two, framed the demand as existential: “We need leadership that safeguards the winter landscapes our sports depend on.”

The IOC’s presidential candidates, including frontrunners like Croatia’s Zlatko Mateša and Belgium’s Pierre-Olivier Beckers, have yet to detail climate agendas. But with Olympians vowing to “push like it’s the final sprint,” the election could redefine whether the Games adapt to survive—or become collateral damage in a warming world.