With the approval of the Agenda 2020 reforms, IOC President Thomas Bach cemented his own power basis. The question is if he also re-established the power of the IOC in a changing sports world. Andreas Selliaas gives a personal account from the IOC session in Monaco.

Tokyo’s hosting of the Olympic Games in 1964 was a PR triumph, which reflected on the entire population’s self-confidence. The Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s vision for the 2020 Games is to repeat this success, but it will be a Japan with all its strengths, weaknesses and inner conflicts that opens its doors to the world.

The Russian Athletics Federations is accused of systematically doping athletes through a state-sponsored programme. WADA promises to fully investigate the accusations and the IAAF has referred the allegations to their ethics committee.

Following a long illness, Professor Margaret Talbot OBE, President of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) passed away on Tuesday 2 December 2014.

The IOC has released the 20+20 recommendations for IOC president Thomas Bach’s 2020 Agenda that is supposed to bring about a reformed IOC. Main points in the proposals are sustainability and changes in the bidding process. Good governance is suggested being upheld via self-evaluation.

A strong commitment from various partners in the city of Aarhus secures the return of Play the Game 2015 to the city next year.

The World Cups in Russia and Qatar will take place as was decided in 2010. This is the conclusion that Hans-Joachim Eckert, head of the adjudicatory arm of FIFA’s ethics committee, draws from the Garcia report.

As part of the European Commission’s work on fighting match-fixing, two reports have been released. One examines what regulatory frameworks are in place and the other look into how the reporting and sharing of information in the area are carried out.