The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was updated with preparations of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games and the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games in the Executive Board (EB) meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

This was the second day going into the meeting. The EB recommended the gradual return to international competitions for Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals a day ago.

Regarding the nearest Games around the corner, test events and operational training exercises of Paris 2024 will start this summer. Meanwhile, phase 2 of ticket sales started two weeks ago on the 500-day countdown of the Games, after the initial round of sales reached 3.25 million tickets. In addition, some 45,000 volunteers are also expected to be recruited.

Milan Cortina 2026, the next edition of the Winter Olympic Games, presented a new governance structure, including a new Executive Board of Directors and the Government's Interministerial Committee, which oversees infrastructure development and the organizational plan of the Games.

Zhang Hong, who is the chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Youth Olympics, as well as China's first Olympic champion in speed skating, provided updates on Gangwon 2024, including the unveiling of the official mascot at the one-year countdown, six new ambassadors and the appointment of two Olympic gold medalists as co-presidents.

(With input from Xinhua)