The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made history with its first-ever Olympic Esports Week, which concluded in Singapore after three action-packed days of live finals in the Olympic Esports Series and exhibition matches.
This groundbreaking event successfully bridged the gap between the physical and virtual realms of sports while embracing inclusivity and diversity.
In collaboration with the Singaporean Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore, and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), the IOC welcomed the world to Singapore for this momentous occasion.
It signified a significant milestone in the advancement of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement, further strengthening the bond with the gaming community.
The live finals of the Olympic Esports Series stole the spotlight during the week. Developed in partnership with International Sports Federations (IFs) and game publishers, this competition brought together over 130 players from all corners of the globe to vie for gold, silver, and bronze Olympic Esports Series 2023 trophies in 10 mixed-gender category events.
The passionate crowd in Singapore, along with online viewers, cheered on the participants as the thrilling action unfolded.
The last day comes to a close in Singapore 🥲
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) June 25, 2023
Here are some of the highlights from this incredible event! 🔥
Thanks for following along the first-ever #OlympicEsportsWeek! pic.twitter.com/YQawa4A59u
Let’s take a look at the winners who claimed glory in their respective categories:
Archery:
Gold – Jared Montgomery (MontyDey)
Silver – David Chan (dchan)
Bronze – Kyosuke Takebayashi (ZouSenpai)
Baseball:
Gold – Mori Shoma (SHORA)
Silver – Horiike Hiroki (TAIJYU)
Bronze – Wang Chia-Ming (CMWANG)
Chess:
Gold – Aleksei Sarana
Silver – Maksim Chigaev
Bronze – Son Nguyen
Cycling:
Gold – Team Fuego (Lou Bates, Marlene Bjärehed, James Barnes, and Martin Maertens)
Silver – Team Epic (Charlotte Colclough, Jacquie Godbe, Michal Kamiński, and Ben Hill)
Bronze – Team Lava (Lam Kong, Alice Lethbridge, Lionel Vujasin, and Teppo Laurio)
Dance:
Gold – Dina Amandine Morisset (TheFairyDina)
Silver – Joseph Cordero (Aazzlano)
Bronze – Antonino Pomilia (Just Nino)
Motor Sport:
Gold – Kylian Drumont
Silver – William Murdoch
Bronze – Angel Innostroza
Sailing Inshore:
Gold – Tim Carpentier (UOL Pepitō)
Silver – Cavan Fyans (Cavan Fyans)
Bronze – Francisco Melo (Magic – ChicoPMelo)
Sailing Offshore:
Gold – Baptiste Renaut (Baptiste_REP – PVe)
Silver – Xavier Coquiard (Koky – PVe)
Bronze – Aurélie Martin (BlackPanther BSP)
Shooting:
Gold – Lucas Malissa (anon)
Silver – Alexander Feyzjou (Boltz)
Bronze – Andrej Piratov (Merstach)
Taekwondo:
Gold – Nigel Tan
Silver – Natalie Tor
Bronze – Wu Jingyu
Tennis:
Gold – Anass Benghazi (Anteo)
Silver – Shenghao He (Kafe)
Bronze – William Foster (Fozzy)
The IOC ensured a fair playing field by implementing the recommendations regarding Individual Neutral Athletes. This enabled players from Ukraine and those with Russian passports to compete side by side in a peaceful environment.
The Olympic Esports Series 2023, organized by the IOC, commenced in March, inviting professional and amateur players from around the world to participate in the second edition of this virtual sports competition
. Developed in collaboration with various IFs and game publishers, the series witnessed a substantial growth in events compared to the successful Olympic Virtual Series in 2021.
With over half a million players entering the qualification rounds, the anticipation was high as they vied for a spot in the first live finals experienced by fans.
In addition to the Olympic Esports Series, several exhibition matches delighted fans, allowing them to witness the skills of the world’s top esports players and teams.
Here are the winners in their respective games: Team Williams Resolve (women’s) and Karmine Corp (men’s) in Rocket League, Team Oceania in Duathlon, Antonin Landrea (11FR_Anto) in Virtual Table Tennis, and Thum Homchuen (MindRPG) in Street Fighter.
The first-ever Olympic Esports Week attracted approximately 20,000 spectators who had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the action and explore new sports and innovations at the interactive free-to-play zone.
People of all ages and backgrounds were invited to participate in activities like rowing, golf, and basketball, fostering a sense of inclusivity and engagement.
Furthermore, the Olympic Esports Week served as a platform for the sports and esports communities to converge and exchange ideas. The Olympic Esports Week Forum facilitated discussions on crucial topics such as player welfare, diversity and inclusion, and combatting online bullying, inviting industry experts to share their insights.
During the Closing Ceremony, IOC Vice-President Ser Miang Ng expressed his thoughts on the event, stating, “The inaugural Olympic Esports Week here in Singapore has been a historic milestone, a celebration of the best of virtual sport and esports. We have built bridges between the physical and virtual worlds of sport. We have seen the sports and esports communities meet and share ideas. Together, we have discussed opportunities and challenges.”
He further added, “The first Olympic Esports Week was a remarkable celebration of inclusivity and diversity. New friendships have been formed, and old friends have been reunited. We hope these bonds continue to grow. While celebrating these successes, we will build on this new momentum to move forward.”
The Worldwide Olympic Partners, including Alibaba and Samsung, provided crucial support for the Olympic Esports Week, aligning with the IOC’s vision to foster the development of virtual sports and gaming as outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020+5.
For fans worldwide eager to relive all the thrilling moments, they can catch up on the action through Olympics.com and the official Olympic social media channels.