The initiative, a key diplomatic effort by the State Department, aims to engage young girls and women on how success in athletics can develop important life skills and improve academic achievement. It also is designed to increase cross-cultural understanding between international participants and Americans.

Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” embracing the full range of diplomatic tools—in this case, swimming—to bring individuals together and foster greater understanding.

The two-day programme will be structured around plenary and dialogue sessions, during which the delegates will review policies, exchange views on best practices and identify future action in the fields of sport, education and culture.

Harnessing the power of mentoring, the Department, in collaboration with espnW, will connect international and American women to build capacity and create sustainable sports opportunities for underserved women and girls worldwide.

Still, in the unquantifiable world of soft power, hosting an Olympic games is a big deal. Some 100 presidents, princes and other national leaders will flit by London at some point during the games, along with up to 40,000 journalists.

The U.S. State Department joined ESPN’s women’s unit in creating a mentoring program that links emerging international female sports leaders and American women in the same fields.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in partnership with USA Track and Field and the Oregon Track Club, announced that 12 girls and four female coaches from The Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago will participate in a track and field exchange program in Washington, D.C. and Eugene, Oregon, June 18-28, 2012.

The head of the International Olympic Committee has warned that any athlete not prepared to compete against a rival nation for political or religious reasons in London will be heavily punished.