During a two-day visit to Lausanne, twelve athletes from seven African nations—all recipients of Olympic Solidarity Scholarships for Paris 2024—were greeted at Olympic House and the Olympic Museum. IOC President Thomas Bach invited five of them, who competed in the Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, to sign the Olympians Wall.

Following their selection for an Olympic Solidarity scholarship by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the visiting athletes are currently training at the Centre Régional Jeunesse et Sports (CRJS) Petit-Couronne (France) with the goal of qualifying for Paris 2024. They compete in swimming, boxing, judo, and athletics. This training program, held at a top-tier facility about two hours northwest of Paris, is the outcome of an alliance between the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) and Olympic Solidarity.

Through a variety of programs at Olympic House and a visit to the Olympic Museum, the athletes had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the Olympic principles, history, and culture while they were in Lausanne.

Gives sign in the Olympians Wall

Five Olympians were among the group, and they were asked to autograph the Olympians Wall at Olympic House. Four of these athletes competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: sprinters Seco Camara (GBS) and Natacha Ngoye Akamabi (CGO), who carried the flag during the Opening Ceremony, and judokas Housni Thaoubani (COM) and Ismael Alhassane (NIG). In addition to competing in Rio 2016, Judoka Andrew Mlugu (TAN) carried the flag during the Opening Ceremonies.