This initiative, backed by six athlete ambassadors, seeks to raise awareness about the dangers of competition manipulation among qualified athletes, their support teams, and officials, while also encouraging them to make informed and ethical choices.

Competition manipulation occurs when athletes intentionally underperform or deliberately lose. It also involves officials making intentional wrong decisions that affect the outcome of the competition. This may be done for financial, sporting, or other advantages.

Raising awareness and educating athletes is one of the most effective ways to prevent competition manipulation. Therefore, the awareness campaign is launching now, encouraging all athletes participating in Paris 2024 to complete the online course before the Olympic Games. This will allow them to fully concentrate on their competitions once they arrive in France.

The six ambassadors, chosen in collaboration with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs), include Pascal Gentil, an Olympian from France specialising in Taekwon-do; Nina Kanto, an Olympian from France in Handball; Nchimunya Mweetwa from Zambia, representing Football; Louise Bawden, an Olympian from Australia in Beach Volleyball; Consuelo de las Heras from Chile, representing Field Hockey; and Maria Barakat from Jordan, a member of the NOC staff.

In the upcoming weeks, these ambassadors will work to educate their peers about the rules and urge athletes not to share any confidential information related to their sport. They will also participate in specialised webinars designed to inform all NOCs about the available resources and the necessary educational measures for their Olympic delegations. Additionally, they will support activities organised by individual NOCs and IFs.

A dedicated "Believe in Sport" section is now available on Athlete365, the IOC’s digital platform for Olympians and elite athletes. This section includes a variety of educational materials on preventing competition manipulation, such as an online course, the Code of Conduct, and instructions on how to confidentially report issues via the IOC’s Integrity Hotline.

During the Games, athletes, coaches, and officials accredited for Paris 2024 will have the opportunity to meet the ambassadors at an education booth located in the Athlete365 House within the Olympic Village.

“I am honoured to be an ambassador for ‘Believe in Sport’ at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” said ambassador Louise Bawden, who competed for Australia at three Olympic Games in volleyball and beach volleyball.

“In a world where we are all more contactable and accessible than ever before, ensuring athletes are educated about the risks associated with competition manipulation reduces the chances of coercion or mistakes that carry significant consequences," Bawden concluded.