Topic:
Country: Chile
Delegate Name: Adelyn Kim
International Olympic Committee
Wellbeing of Olympic Athletes
Chile
Adelyn Kim
Forest Hills Northern High School
Chile recognizes that Olympic athletes are not getting the welfare they deserve regarding their well-being. No Olympic athlete should be put in a position where they are in need of health aid. While competing there is a multitude of health concerns including local viruses and infections from the host country, contaminated food and water, and sport-related injuries. While Chile has the resources to support its athletes, Chile named the Luminary South American Hospital as its official recovery site for Olympic athletes, Chile identifies that not all countries have this privilege.
Chile believes that athletes deserve access to well-being resources, and along with designated medical help, Chile has also had the opportunity to offer mental health resources. While developing and underdeveloped countries may not have the financial or structural aid required to achieve working conditions, Chile is delighted to support these advances. Last year, in 2022, NOC initiated a new Olympic committee the Chilean Olympic committee which recognizes athletes that may suffer from mental health illnesses. The committee aims to combine both sports and clinical psychology to create a support system for competing athletes. Chile would push for the adaptation of this committee for all countries, as they recognize the importance of mental health alongside the physical well-being of athletes.
Chile advocates for IOC policies that benefit the well-being of olympic athletes, in aspects of both mental and physical health. The COCH may be used as a framework for mental health aid, however, Chile encourages other countries to offer and suggest possible solutions. No Olympic athlete should be in danger of underperformance or harm to physical/mental health due to a lack of resources that the IOC has the ability to provide. The IOC should allow for the revision and reformation of current Olympic athlete well-being procedures, as Chile is in support of these modifications.
