A tribute to around 80 veteran Olympic journalists who have covered at least ten editions of the Games. Hosted at the Teulié Military School and creatively directed by Andrea Camporesi, CEO & Creative Director of FREE EVENT, the ceremony celebrated decades of sports journalism and the values of Olympism, in the presence of IOC members, institutions, sports legends, and leading figures from the international media world.

On the eve of the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, around 80 veteran Olympic journalists were honoured at the AIPS Journalists on the Podium event, held on Thursday, February 5 at the Teulié Military School in Milan, under the creative direction of Andrea Camporesi, CEO & Creative Director of FREE EVENT.

30 OLYMPIC GAMES

With 30 Olympic Games (14 winter and 16 summer) coverage to his name, 84-year-old Italian photographer Giuliano Bevilacqua led the elite list of awardees who have covered 10 or more summer and winter Olympic Games, including Milano Cortina 2026.

These legendary journalists, who have dedicated decades to the advancement of sports journalism and Olympism through their tireless work across various forms of media, received certificates, copies of Michael Payne’s autobiography “Fast Tracks and Dark Deals”, elegant boxes of creativity-driven candies from Amos Sweets, the main sponsors of the event, and neck warmers from Pelliot. All attendees also received neck warmers as well as Amos Sweets candy.

SPECIAL GUESTS

Sports legends, Olympic champions and IOC members were among the dignitaries who took on the role of presenting the awards to the journalists.

The special guests in attendance included Col. Antonio Calligaris, commander of the Teulié Military School, Ma Enduo, founder and chairman of Amos Sweets, Federica Picchi, Lombardy Region’s Secretary for Sports, Marco Riva, president of CONI Lombardia, Ruiqi Liu, chairman of the board of HYX Group and Michael Payne, former IOC Head of Marketing.

The IOC members who joined the ceremony were vice-president Nawal Moutawakel, Paul Tergat, Morinari Watanabe and honorary member Manuela Di Centa.

ITALIAN SPORTS LEGENDS

Alongside Di Centa, other Italian sports legends present were Alberto Tomba, Claudia Giordani and Maria Rosa Quario, Federica Brignone‘s mother, who is also a journalist and has covered 10 Olympic Winter Games. The aforesaid protagonists featured in interview sessions during which they reflected on their careers and shared their expectations for the Milano 2026 Games.

JOURNALISTS ON THE PODIUM

Invited on stage by Sky TG24’s Valentina Clemente, host of the event, AIPS president Gianni Merlo, who has covered 27 Olympic Games, presented the activities and projects that the International Sports Press Association has accomplished in recent years, especially the AIPS Centenary Celebration which took place during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games.

The first edition of the AIPS Journalists on the Podium took place at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games with more than 100 Olympic journalists awarded Honav’s replica of the London 2012 Olympic torch. Since then this unique tradition has left a positive and beneficial impact on many other single-sport and multi-sport events.