IOC Athletes’ Forum ends with concrete measures to strengthen athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement

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10/10/2015

Forum assesses the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations for athletes

The 7th IOC International Athletes’ Forum came to a close in Lausanne on Saturday with a set of recommendations aimed empowering Athletes’ Commissions at all levels.
The Forum warmly welcomed Olympic Agenda 2020, particularly the athlete-related recommendations.
The Athletes’ Forum recommendations included:
·         Empowering athletes through better communication and provision of information.  Fully integrating all athletes’ communications into the Olympic Channel.
·         To make all International Federations establish athletes’ commissions in accordance with the relevant IOC guidelines.
·         The Court of Arbitration for Sport to develop and educate athlete arbitrators.
IOC President Thomas Bach, himself an Olympic fencing champion, also joined the Athletes’ Forum, taking part in Q&A sessions with the athletes on Friday and Saturday. In his closing remarks, he praised those present for their hard work and welcomed their recommendations.
 
“These are a great set of recommendations that underline the commitment of the IOC to put athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement,” he said.  Many of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020 were proposed by the IOC Athletes’ Commission, and will further strengthen their role.  As one of the founding members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 1981 it is great for me to see the progress made from those first steps until today, where the athletes play a fundamental role in decision-making.”
Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Claudia Bokel thanked her fellow athletes for their active engagement and constructive discussions.
“Athletes were central to the framing of many of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020.  We are fully engaged in their implementation. This Athletes’ Forum was extremely productive and a great chance to exchange ideas; and we will continue to suggest new ways that athletes can remain at the very heart of the Olympic Movement,” said Claudia Bokel.
The full set of recommendations resulting from these discussions will be presented to the IOC Executive Board in December.

The three-day Forum, which takes place every two years, saw the participation of over 100 athletes from 40 countries with 100 Olympic medals and 200 Olympic appearances between them. They included Athletes’ Commission representatives from the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), International Federations, Continental Associations and, for the first time, athlete representatives from the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games.
The plenary sessions and panel discussions covered a number of topics concerning athletes – from effective leadership and Athletes’ Commission management best practices to athletes’ services and welfare, communication and experiences during Games time and beyond.

The Forum also included a practical session on the IOC’s latest initiatives for athletes, including the Olympic Athletes’ Hub and Integrity e-learning programme. The participants were given the exclusive opportunity to test drive and share first-hand their feedback on these athlete-centred platforms prior to their launch in early 2016 ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement, and their voice is central to the IOC’s decision-making. Olympic Agenda 2020 reiterated the IOC’s commitment to strengthening support for athletes through a series of recommendations currently being implemented.

Brazil harbours high hopes for Beach Volleyball success in Rio

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20/08/2015

Brazil’s beautiful coastline is well known for its stunning scenery, and it is also synonymous with beach volleyball, with games being played out in the shadows of stunning natural backdrops along the length of the country.

After football, volleyball – in both its indoor and beach forms – is the second most popular sport in Brazil and not surprisingly, the country has produced some of the most successful teams in history.
Perhaps surprisingly, though, beach volleyball didn’t really take off in Brazil and elsewhere in South America until the 1980s. The sport had already growing at an exponential rate across the USA by the time that Brazil first hosted its tournament in 1950. From that point onwards, more and more facilities appeared across the country, and by the 1980s the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema were crammed with courts and nets.
In 1986, Rio de Janeiro hosted the first international beach volleyball exhibition which was watched by 5,000 spectators. A year later, the city hosted an international FIVB-sanctioned tournament on Ipanema Beach. Two FIVB men’s tournaments followed in 1988 and 1989 before the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series arrived in 1990, taking place in front of sell-out crowds.
©Getty Images
The Atlanta Games in 1996 saw the debut of beach volleyball as an Olympic sport, and it was no surprise to see Brazil and USA dominating the podiums.
Brazil entered two teams into both the men and women’s competitions. The men’s pairings of Roberto Lopes and Franco Neto, and Ze Marco de Melo and Emanuel Rego finished outside the medals, but the country’s women’s teams more than made up for it, with top seeds Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva overturning compatriots Monica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel in the final to collect gold and silver.
Brazil’s women took two places on the podium again four years later in Sydney, though Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede defeated by the host nation’s pair in the final and were forced to settle for silver. Adriana Samuel and Sandra Pires collected Bronze.
Behar and Bede added another silver in Athens in 2004, but this time round it was Brazil’s men who took centre stage. The pairings of Márcio Araújo and Benjamin Insfran, and Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos were seeded one and two respectively. And while there was disappointment for the favourites, Rego and Santos won gold after a scintillating final against Spanish duo Javier Bosma and Pablo Herrera.

Now, as the country prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2016, both the men and women’s teams will feel they are better placed than ever to succeed.
One thing is for sure, all of the tools are in place for the country to continue exerting a major influence on the sport they embraced with such gusto in the 1980s.
Competitors and spectators in Rio next summer can certainly expect the host nation to put on a show worthy of this scintillating sport as it returns to the Olympic stage.

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IOC President praises ‘great commitment’ of Republic of Korea President for Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018

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19/08/2015

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach met Republic of Korea President Geun-hye Park at the Blue House in Seoul today to discuss the status of preparations for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

In the third meeting between the two leaders, they discussed the good progress and quality of construction of Olympic venues over the last year. President Park reiterated her government’s full support and guidance for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
“We had a very successful visit here in Korea,” said President Bach. “And I can say that we see the preparations for the Olympic Winter Games 2018 really being on track. There has been great progress made since my last visit.
“It was very important to have the opportunity to experience once more the real firm and great commitment of Republic of Korea President Park to the success of these Olympic Winter Games and also her great appreciation for the role sport plays in society. I was really impressed once more with this conversation with the President.”
President Bach told President Park of the reinvigorated cooperation between the International Federations, the PyeongChang Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (POCOG) and the IOC due in part to the Integration Working Group, which has proven very effective in its support for the Olympic Winter Games 2018.
IOC President Thomas Bach with PyeongChang 2018 President Cho Yang-ho
The IOC President singled out PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee President Cho Yang-ho for his role in galvanising the preparations for the Games.
“My thanks to President Cho, who is doing an excellent job together with our IOC Coordination Commission,” said President Bach, who was accompanied throughout his one-day visit to Seoul by President Cho. “It is a real pleasure to see how the construction is coming off the ground, how the operations are making progress, and that we see the staffing of the Organising Committee with experienced people.”
As the organisers begin to shift from a transition stage to a more operational stage in preparations for the Games, focus is increasingly being placed on upcoming test events and the key learning opportunities they will provide. Recent efforts by POCOG to raise the profile of the Games are having a positive impact, but increased communication in and outside the organisation are needed in the lead-up to the first test events next year.
Earlier, President Bach spoke at a lunch organised by POCOG President Cho. The lunch was attended by leaders of the government, business and sports sectors. Accompanying President Bach were IOC Executive Board Member and Coordination Commission Chair for PyeongChang 2018 Gunilla Lindberg, IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper and Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi.
The President also visited the headquarters of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and Worldwide Olympic Partner Samsung.
President Bach is scheduled to travel to Beijing tomorrow for a joint meeting on 21 August between the IOC Executive Board and the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). He will also attend the Opening Ceremony of the IAAF World Championships at the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

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IOC Session receives updates on implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020

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02/08/2015

After the unanimous approval of Olympic Agenda 2020 in December 2014 each IOC Session will have a section devoted to the implementation of the 40 recommendations. Today at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, reports were delivered on the bid process, sport programme and host city proposal, turnkey solutions, roles of the International Federations, support to athletes, preparations for the launch of the Olympic Channel, ethics, changes to the IOC Commissions, and changes to the Olympic Charter.

IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi and IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell provided a detailed report on the implementation of the first three recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020 – shaping the bidding process as an invitation recommendation, evaluating bid cities by assessing key opportunities and risks, and reducing the cost of bidding.
“Olympic Agenda 2020 brings not only effectiveness and transparency but also opportunities for smaller countries, which were a little discouraged by the higher costs and investments recently made by certain Organising Committees,” said IOC Member in Slovakia Danka Bartekova. “I welcome these initiatives because it means there is a possibility even for smaller countries to bid for the Olympic Games. A wider range of countries that can apply means a more diverse experience not only for the athletes but also for Olympic fans and supporters around the world.”
IOC Member in the Netherlands Camiel Eurlings called the fact that four European National Olympic Committees (from France, Germany, Italy, and Hungary) and the United States Olympic Committee have expressed their commitment to bid for the 2024 Olympic Games a “hopeful development” that showed just how well-received the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations have been.
“I would take this positivism to continue incentivising ourselves and to keep on implementing these recommendations vigorously,” he said. “Let us remain very open to the flexibility that is provided in these recommendations. I clearly think we are on the right track.”
NOC Relations
The IOC granted full recognition to the South Sudan National Olympic Committee. Click here for more information.
Olympic Programme
In line with the Olympic Charter, the Session today approved the programme of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, which is the same as that for the XXII Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. The sports are skiing, biathlon, curling, luge, bobsleigh and skeleton, skating, and ice hockey. All seven Olympic sports contributed significantly to the success of the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, bringing real added value to the programme.
A proposal from the IOC Executive Board on the possible inclusion of new events on the programme for the Olympic Winter Games 2022 would be presented to the IOC Session before the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
World Flying Disc Federation
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF), meanwhile, was granted full IOC recognition today by the Session. The IF had been provisionally recognised in 2013 and is in full compliance with IOC requirements as specified in the IOC Recognition procedure adopted by the IOC Executive Board in April 2007.
The WFDF is the international governing body of all flying disc sports, including ultimate, beach ultimate, disc golf, freestyle, guts, and individual events. The IF counts 62 member associations that represent flying disc sports and their athletes in more than 58 countries.
IOC Administration, others
The Session also heard reports on legal affairs, the IOC administration, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS).

South Sudan NOC granted full recognition at 128th IOC Session

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02/08/2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today approved the full recognition of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of South Sudan during its 128th Session in Kuala Lumpur. It becomes the latest territory to be recognised following the NOC of Kosovo last December. The IOC now counts 206 NOCs. 

IOC President Thomas Bach personally welcomed the South Sudan NOC, represented by its President Lt. Gen Wilson Deng Kuoirot and its Secretary General Tong Chor Malek Deran, into the Olympic fold and presented them with a certificate of recognition and an Olympic flag.
President Bach said: “With this recognition, we send a signal of hope to this young nation of South Sudan; a signal of hope because sport builds bridges between people and cultures. In sport all people are equal, all ethnic groups, all cultures and all religions are equal; a signal that South Sudan needs in difficult times.”
Wishing them a very bright future, he added: “We look forward to welcoming you at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where for the first time in your history, you will march behind your national flag.”
This recognition comes after years of collaboration between the IOC, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the local sports bodies. The NOC of Sudan was also praised for its key role in facilitating the establishment of a South Sudanese National Olympic Committee.
“We would like to thank the NOC of Sudan who has been a real partner and friend,” stated President Bach. “On behalf of the entire Olympic Movement, I would like to thank you for your great cooperation with your South Sudanese neighbours. It is an example of what sport can do and demonstrates also what autonomy of sport from politics really means because despite political dispute, you have worked together with your friends and neighbours and have made this recognition possible.”

President Lt. Gen Wilson Deng Kuoirot said. “It is with a deep sense of honour and humility that we receive the privilege of being accepted into the worldwide family of the Olympic Movement.  Over the past few months our young country underwent tremendous challenges of internal armed conflict. However, we firmly believe that this historic day of our acceptance into the IOC will be a milestone and a great vehicle for promoting repatriation, national unity, peace-building and development of our young nation. It will also give great hope and inspiration to the youth of the country.”
He added: “We will arm our young people with sport, and not with guns.”
The South Sudan NOC met the requirements for recognition as outlined in the Olympic Charter. These include the sport and technical requirements as well as the definition of “country” as defined in Rule 30.1 – “an independent State recognised by the international community.”
It has taken some time for the sports structures to be established in South Sudan, which became an independent country on 9 July 2011 and shortly thereafter, a UN Member State on 14 July 2011. At present, it counts seven Olympic sports federations.
While the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next summer will permit South Sudanese athletes to compete for the first time under their nation’s flag, it will not be the first time that they have competed in the Olympic Games. At London 2012, marathon runner and refugee from South Sudan, Guor Marial, was exceptionally authorised to compete as an Independent Olympic Athlete under the Olympic flag.  Similarly, ahead of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing last year, a promising young 400m runner from South Sudan, Margret Rumat Rumar Hassan, was exceptionally provided with a place in athletics and competed as an Independent Olympic Athlete. Both athletes are presently training and setting their sights on Rio 2016.
Watch Margret’s story from war zone to international spotlight here.

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IOC awards 2018-2024 broadcast rights in Asia

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29/07/2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that Dentsu Inc. (Dentsu) has been awarded the exclusive broadcast rights in 22 countries in Asia for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020, as well as the Olympic Games in 2022 and 2024, the host cities of which have yet to be elected.

The agreement means Dentsu will continue as the exclusive gatekeeper for broadcast rights (all languages; all media platforms) in Afghanistan Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This agreement ensures Olympic broadcast coverage for fans across the region, including on free-to-air television. Having begun our broadcast relationship with Dentsu at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, I am pleased we will continue through to 2024.”
Kiyoshi Nakamura, Executive Officer of Dentsu said: "Following the acquisition of the broadcast rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, we are delighted to strengthen the ongoing relationship between the IOC and Dentsu through the distribution of the broadcast and exhibition rights for all the Olympic Games until 2024. We are dedicated to contributing to the long-term development of the Olympic Movement and to deliver the excitement of the Olympics to the fans in these Asian countries and territories.”
IOC Vice-President Zaiqing Yu, Delegate IOC Member for Broadcast Rights in Asia, said: “Dentsu has a good understanding of the region’s commercial and broadcast environment, and their expertise and insight will help the Olympic Movement develop its presence and ensure excellent Olympic broadcast coverage of future Games.”
Dentsu is the Olympic broadcast partner in the region for the Olympic Games Rio 2016:
http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-awards-broadcast-rights-in-17-asian-countries-for-sochi-2014-and-rio-2016/207486
http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-awards-2014-16-broadcast-rights-in-central-asia/202197

Teens Get Active with Olympic Moves

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12/06/2015

On 5 June, 6,000 teenagers from 200 schools across the Netherlands came together to participate in the final of the “Olympic Moves” programme. Held in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam, the participants competed in 14 sports disciplines.

Olympic Moves is the result of a partnership between Worldwide TOP Partner Coca-Cola, the IOC and NOC*NSF. It is the largest school sports programme in the Netherlands, and through a combination of sport, music and entertainment, it encourages young people...etcthe largest school sports programme in the Netherlands, and through a combination of sport, music and entertainment, it encourages young people to get active and contributes to their development. The final was the culmination of months of training and competition.
NOC*NSF General Manager Mr Gerard Dielessen said: “Via Olympic Moves, we want to reach and inspire pupils of secondary schools with the power of sports and actively carry out the Olympic values of ‘excellence, ‘respect’ and ‘friendship’. Exercising together offers young people lots of fun, enthusiasm and satisfaction, and contributes to their personal development. We win with sport.”
This year, Olympic Moves was promoted widely across social media, including Facebook, and became a trending topic on Twitter, with 2.5 million impressions.

For over 10 years, Olympic Moves has been encouraging change and getting over 150,000 students a year physically active. To see further examples of how Olympic Moves has been used as a powerful tool to engage young people, see: http://www.olympic.org/news/olympic-moves-programme-inspiring-change/244316.
The NOC*NSF and Coca-Cola are already planning to further develop the next phase of the Olympic Moves project in the Netherlands, including bringing in exciting new concepts. The IOC and TOP Partner Coca-Cola are looking to develop the programme internationally, working with other National Olympic Committees in the future.

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IOC President meets athletes - sees first competitions, after attending spectacular European Games opening ceremony

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13/06/2015

President Bach attended the first competitions on the opening day of the European Games in Baku.  During the day he met athletes from shooting, triathlon, karate and wrestling.

President Bach began the day by visiting the brand new Baku shooting centre, which will go on to host the ISSF World Cup next year and the European Championships the year after. The President went on to see the Women's Triathlon. After the competition, he met the winner and London 2012 gold medallist, Swiss athlete Nicola Spirig.
Later the President also visited Karate and Wrestling.
The packed day of competition followed the opening ceremony, which included a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga.

"This was a spectacular opening ceremony full of symbolism and history. It showed how sport can unite people and build bridges," he said.
"We saw Russian athletes marching alongside Ukrainians. We saw Serbian and Kosovan teams marching at the opening ceremony, and we saw an Armenian team alongside their hosts from Azerbaijan. This is the power of sport to bring people together regardless of background, belief or nationality. This is something that sport can do, and maybe something that only sport can do," he added.

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Designers around the world compete for the Medal Design Competition

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26/05/2015

From Canada to Colombia, Argentina to Indonesia, creative designers from around the world have submitted their entries for the International Olympic Committee’s highly coveted Medal Design Competition prize for the forthcoming Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. 

To date, entries have been received from over 40 countries, with the youngest candidate aged just 10 years old to the oldest at 52. 
The competition closes in one week’s time on 1 June and with the high standard of entries it is set to be one of the most hotly contested Medal Design Competitions to date since the inaugural Singapore 2010 YOG.
A judging panel including Olympians and Young Ambassadors and Young Reporters from various editions of the Youth Olympic Games will select the winning design and two-runners-up, and results will be announced at the end of June.  The winning design will then feature on the face of the gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in Lillehammer from 12-21 February 2016. 
The winning designer will win a trip to Lillehammer 2016 which includes tickets to the opening ceremony, as well as a full collection of medals featuring their design.
For more information visit www.medaldesigncompetition.com

IOC President in Rome meets Italian President, Rome 2024 bid leaders, and receives top sports award

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22/05/2015

IOC President Thomas Bach was in Rome to receive the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI)’s highest award for contribution to sport. 

He started the day at the Palazzo Quirinale for a meeting with the Italian President.
The leaders discussed the benefits of sport for society. President Sergio Mattarella said: “the world has many problems. Sport is the antidote to those problems because it enters the hearts and minds of people.”
The two leaders also discussed Rome's bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.
President Bach said that Italy was “very well placed”. “With your great attachment to Olympic ideals, with your athletes and your love of sport you will have a strong bid”, he said, adding: “But you will face strong competition.”

Also at the meeting with the Italian President were CONI President Giovanni Malagò and IOC Members Franco Carraro and Mario Pescante.
As part of the Invitation Phase initiated in the framework of the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, the President also met members of the Rome 2024 Olympic bid, including leader Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo and the Mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino.
Later, at the award ceremony, the President was given the “Onesti Award”, named after the long term President of CONI for 34 years until 1978. In the citation, President Bach was praised for “immersing himself in his work with passion” and for “carrying out reforms whilst also respecting tradition.”
Receiving the award, President Bach said he was “glad to be in Italy where you fight for and defend the Olympic values.”
Also at the ceremony were the President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), Francesco Ricci Bitti; the President of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), Carlo Croce; the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Bruno Grandi; and the Presidents of the International Skating Union (ISU), Ottavio Cinquanta, and of the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT), Ivo Ferriani.
Previous recipients of the award include Italian sporting icons Alberto Tomba, Sara Simeoni and Pietro Mennea, as well as previous IOC Presidents Juan Antonio Samaranch and Jacques Rogge.

TOP Partner GE supports the IOC ACP Programme

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©Getty Images (1), GE

22/05/2015

The 7th IOC Athlete Career Programme (ACP) Forum, which aims to share best practices on supporting athletes worldwide with their career transitions, will be held in Lima, Peru, from 26 to 28 May.

The Forum will bring together athletes, members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, NOCs and Adecco representatives, to exchange knowledge and experience on how best to support athletes with balancing dual careers and preparing post-sport careers.
One of the speakers will be former Team USA swimmer and Olympic gold medallist Dan Ketchum, who now works for Worldwide TOP Partner GE as an Operations Leader within the Aviation division. Ketchum will be speaking on a panel about athlete engagement with sponsors, as well as participating in an Athlete Learning Gateway live event focused on athletes in the workplace.

Ketchum said: “I am very excited to be taking part in the IOC ACP Forum. When I finished my career as an athlete, there was little assistance provided to make the transition into the workplace, so I believe the IOC’s Athlete Career Programme will be a great support for other athletes in the future. I want to be able to share the experience and the challenges I faced once my sporting career finished. The IOC is focused on putting athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement, and, as a former athlete, I believe that there is a lot that GE and I can offer.”
Ketchum competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and was part of the winning US team in the men`s 4x200m freestyle relay. Dan joined GE in 2005 as an intern, then a year later transitioned to GE’s Operations Management Leadership Programme.  He has had held several positions in fulfilment, customer service and manufacturing programmes, and currently manages a manufacturing facility for aircraft engines. Dan also spent two years as a high-school swimming coach.
As an advanced technology and services company, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. Since 2006, 17 Olympians have enjoyed careers with GE following their sports career. These athletes work in a wide range of roles across GE. The company is currently planning additional opportunities with the IOC, and the ACP Forum in Peru will be a focal point in the development of how the business can play a long-term role in supporting the IOC’s Athlete Career Programme.
Chris Katsuleres, Director of Olympic Marketing at GE, said: “As a business, we benefit from the attributes that made the Olympians successful in their athletic careers. Their unique backgrounds and traits, like motivation, focus, drive and determination, are a huge benefit in the work place. Working with the IOC ACP, we are very interested in looking at opportunities that we can provide to athletes in the future through enhanced leadership and management training. We have the world-renowned GE training facility at Crotonville in the USA, and we are interested at looking at how we can use this facility to help transfer athletes’ unique skills and assets into the labour market.”

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Net gains - the evolution of beach volleyball

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21/05/2015

Beach volleyball has come a long way since its formative years on the American beaches. Here, we chart the rise of the popular spectator sport.

A cumulative crowd of 425,000 fans gathered in London in 2012 to watch what was beach volleyball’s fifth appearance at an Olympic Games. The scenes in the British capital were a far cry from the sport’s modest beginnings at the early decades of the 20th century. 
©Getty Images
Volleyball – from which the beach variation later derived – can be traced back to 1895, when American William G Morgan created a less physical version of basketball. It took a further 20 years for beach volleyball to evolve, the beaches of Waikiki in Hawaii providing the perfect platform. The sport quickly spread across to Italy, Russia, India and the rest of Europe thanks to American Extradition Forces, and again when troops travelled to Europe in the 1940s.
The sport enjoyed its greatest acceleration in America during the Great Depression of the 1930s, not least because it was cheap to play and offered people a chance to escape their troubles and head to the beach.
The first two-man version of the sport was played in Santa Monica, California. The same US state also hosted the first two-man tournament in 1947.
©Getty Images
California became a real hotbed for beach volleyball, which quickly became as much a part of the local lifestyle as surfing. The Beatles were once photographed passing a ball around during a visit to California on tour while even Marilyn Monroe gave it a namecheck; put simply, it was cool.
In the 1960s, President Kennedy attended the first official volleyball event in Sorrento Beach, Los Angeles. California then hosted its first commercially sponsored tournament in 1974, which lead to further professional tournaments and even a sponsored tour in 1980, which eventually turned national.
The popularity of beach volleyball spread to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where the first international exhibition was hosted in 1986. A year later, the famous Copacabana coastline staged the first international FIVB-sanctioned tournament, which sparked a succession of further competitions all over the world.
©Getty Images
Beach volleyball enjoyed a defining moment in 1994 when it as officially recognised as an Olympic discipline by the IOC. Two years later, in Atlanta, 24 men’s teams and 18 women’s teams competed for Olympic medals on Atlanta Beach in front of sell-out crowds.
©Getty Images
Four years after the overwhelming success of its Olympic debut, beach volleyball became an even bigger hit on Bondi Beach during the Sydney Games. Athletes from USA and Brazil, the two countries that had done so much to develop the sport, dominated the competition, just as they did in Athens in 2004.
By 2008, in Beijing, the event was extended over 14 days of action (it had been six in Atlanta, 10 in Sydney and 12 in Athens). At London 2012, the beach volleyball tournament was played in the shadow of iconic venues such as Big Ben and the London Eye and the players fully lived up to the drama of the occasion. The Americans enjoyed continued success, with American duo Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor winning an incredible third straight Olympic gold in the women’s competition.
©Getty Images
With the focus now shifting to Rio in 2016, there is every reason to expect beach volleyball to enjoy its most spectacular Olympics yet.

President Bach announces widespread changes to IOC Commissions - one third of commission members now women, a 49% increase since he took office.

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31/05/2015

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, today announced widespread changes to the composition and function of the IOC commissions for 2015. The changes are a direct result of the reforms stemming from implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020.

The review of the scope and composition of the IOC commissions was one of the 40 recommendations approved by the 127th IOC Session last December in Monaco. The new make-up of the Commissions reflects the philosophy initiated by Olympic Agenda 2020, and will provide a strong support to the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board and the IOC President in the implementation of the roadmap designed to shape the future of the Olympic Movement. The changes to the function and composition of the Commissions have been undertaken by the IOC President working closely with the IOC Executive Board.
President Bach has significantly increased the number of women nominated to a commission compared to two years ago when he was first elected, with a third (32 percent) of places now taken by women. That is a 49 percent increase since he took office. There are also increases in the numbers of members from Africa and Oceania, as well as an increase in the number of chair persons from the Africa and Asia now accounting for 34 percent.
Please click here for an explanation of the changes to the Commissions.
The commissions now also include more representatives from the different stakeholders of the Olympic Movement and, for the first time, representatives from international organisations such as the United Nations. This shows a clear continuity with the open and inclusive consultation process initiated in the early stages of the discussions on Olympic Agenda 2020.

“These changes are another major step in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.  “They demonstrate the close dialogue with our stakeholders and society at large, with whom we started this process nearly two years ago. The increase of women’s participation and the broader geographical representation will encourage more inclusive decision making,” he said.
Among the changes, two entirely new commissions have been created: an Olympic Channel Commission, which will ensure that all relevant stakeholders and expertise are consulted throughout the growth and development of the Olympic Channel; and a Communications Commission, which will help to develop strategies to support the promotion of the Olympic values, and the IOC’s vision and mission to a global audience.
Another example of Olympic Agenda 2020 already being implemented is the adoption of recommendations 30 and 31. In line with these recommendations the session in Monaco adopted the new Olympic Charter. It requires the Chair and the members of the new IOC Ethics Commission be elected for the first time by the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, which will take place from 31 July to 3 August.
Further changes have been made with regard to the structure of the Commissions, the working method and the composition. Please click here for full information and composition of the commissions.

Death of Peter Tallberg, IOC member in Finland

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu. A Creative Commons license.

16/05/2015

It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learnt of the death of Peter Tallberg, IOC member in Finland, at the age of 77.

A five-time Olympic sailor, Peter Tallberg was the second-longest serving current IOC member, having been elected in 1976. Only Doyen Vitaly Smirnov, who was elected in 1971, has served longer.
IOC President Thomas Bach immediately reacted to the death of Peter Tallberg: 'As the founding chairman of the Athletes’ Commission, Peter was my first teacher at the IOC,’ he said. ‘He worked all his life for sport and for protecting the clean athletes. The athletes of the world and all those who love sport owe him a huge debt and he has left a lasting legacy for the Olympic Movement for which we can all be grateful. As a mark of respect and to remember such a great man the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast for three days at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne’ Bach added.
During his 40-plus years working for the Olympic Movement, Mr Tallberg had a strong and far-reaching impact. He chaired the Athletes’ Commission from its inception in 1981 until 2002, when he became an Honorary member of the commission. He was also a member of the following commissions:
- Eligibility (1979-1980)
- Olympic Programme (summer) (1980-1994)
- Olympic Movement (1981-1999)
- Coordination for the Games of the XXV Olympiad in 1992 in Barcelona (1989-1992)
- Study for the Preparation of the Olympic Games of 1996 (1989-1990)
- Preparation for the XII Olympic Congress (1989-1994)
- Enquiry for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in 2000 (1993)
- Coordination for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in 2004 in Athens (1998-2004)
- “IOC 2000” (1999), Evaluation for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 (2002-2003)
- Coordination for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 in London (2005-2012)
- Nominations since 2014
Mr Tallberg was the President of the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU, later International Sailing Federation - ISAF) (1986-1994); President of the Finnish Yachting Association (1977-1983), and President of the Scandinavian Yacht Racing Union (1978-1981).
He captained the Finnish Olympic Yachting team (1976), was Vice-President of the Finnish Squash Association (1974-1976), became a Council member and Secretary General of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF, later SportAccord) (1988-1998), and was a member of the Executive Board of the European Sport Conference (1994-1998).
Mr Tallberg worked tirelessly to place the athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and to protect sport from all forms of corruption. He was a Council Member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (1999-2002) and member of the World Olympians Association (WOA) (2007-2014) as liaison for the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
Before transitioning into the administrative side of sport, Tallberg was a decorated sailor who competed in five editions of the Olympic Games. His best performance at the Games was a fourth-place finish in Star at Tokyo 1964. He finished 15th in the 5.5m in Rome 1960, 11th in Star at Mexico City 1968, 12th in Soling at Munich 1972, and 11th in Star at Moscow 1980.
Tallberg was Junior European centreboard yachting champion (1953); Finnish champion in Finn (1969), in Soling (1970 and 1972), in H (1974); Nordic Finn champion (1969); Swedish champion (1963 and 1965) and European Star champion (1967).
He also enjoyed practising other sports, including squash, table tennis, skiing and golf. As a skier, Tallberg was Finnish junior slalom champion in 1954. He finished 3rd in the Finnish senior squash championships in 1978.
The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Peter Tallberg’s family.

PyeongChang 2018 celebrates 1,000 days to go with new slogan

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©PyeongChang 2018 (2)

16/05/2015

The PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) has marked 1,000 days to go until the 2018 Olympic Winter Games by unveiling its Games slogan – “Passion. Connected.” – at a special event in Seoul.

POCOG hopes that these two simple words will help express the objectives and legacies of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.
“The new slogan embodies POCOG’s vision to expand winter sports participation to a truly global audience and encourages people to create and share their once-in-a-lifetime experiences at PyeongChang,” said POCOG President Yang-ho Cho. “By hosting the 2018 Games we want to make a lasting effect on the youth and inspire the generations to come.”
According to POCOG, “Passion” represents PyeongChang’s status as the stage for a global festival in 2018, where people will experience the excitement of the Olympic spirit, while enjoying the warm hospitality of Koreans and sharing inspiring stories.
“Connected”, meanwhile, signifies the openness of the host city, where every generation can participate in the Games – no matter where they are – thanks to Korea’s cutting-edge technology and cultural convergence.  It also represents a new beginning and the opening of ‘New Horizons’ for winter sports in Asia.
The new slogan was launched at a special event – dubbed ‘Happy PyeongChang, Promise for 1,000 days’ – that took place in Seoul’s Olympic Park.

More than 4,000 participants were expected to take part in the event, including POCOG President Yang-ho Cho, Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jong-deok Kim, Governor of Gangwon Province Moon-soon Choi, representatives from the sports industry, officials from Host and Venue Cities, dignitaries from the national assembly and members of the public.

PyeongChang 2018 Honorary Ambassadors including Olympic figure skating gold medalist Yuna Kim, artistic director of the Korean National Ballet Sue-jin Kang and former speed skating Olympian Kyou-hyuk Lee, were also planning to come together to participate in a commemorative ceremony to highlight the PyeongChang’s passion and desire to stage a successful Olympic Winter Games over the celebratory weekend.
POCOG President Yang-ho Cho added: “Celebrating just 1,000 days-to-go to the Games today, we’ve seen the connected passion of our citizens and are sure that it will help us to successfully stage Korea’s first Winter Games. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all stakeholders and staff for their support so far, and look forward even more in the remaining 1,000 days.”
In addition to the event in Seoul, other Host and Venue cities also celebrated the 1,000 days-to-go milestone. Gangwon Province operated a special train from Seoul to Chuncheon, the province’s capital, which saw various winter sports stars share their stories with younger athletes and sports fans, while the cities of Chuncheon, PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon also hosted evening celebrations for local residents to share the festive spirit and enthusiasm for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

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UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy pledges greater access to sport for youth refugees

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©Petterik Wiggers (2), UNHCR

11/05/2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary President and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport, Jacques Rogge, concluded a mission in Ethiopia visiting young South Sudanese refugees last week. Accompanied by IOC Member in Ethiopia Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, he vowed to help provide young refugees with more opportunities to play sport. 

Visiting the Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps in Gambella, where over 200,000 people have sought refuge since violence flared in their homeland two years ago, Rogge met many young refugees and their families. The former IOC President  also watched a number of boys and girls take part in various sporting activities, from athletics to football and volleyball games.

He said: “Sport is a great peace factor. I believe that when teams face each other in refugee camps, they learn to foster respect, reconciliation and friendship.”

The UN Special Envoy took this opportunity to stress the health benefits, and the educational, development and social value of sport and physical activity for youth refugees, asserting that measures will be taken to offer greater access to sport, as the IOC looks to invest in sports facilities and programmes in the region.

Read the full story here
Taking action for youth refugees  
This was the IOC Honorary President’s second field trip with UNHCR since being appointed a UN Special Envoy in 2014. Last October, Jacques Rogge visited the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan, which celebrated its first anniversary earlier this month with a week of celebrations, and cultural and physical activities.



To mark this occasion, the camp officially inaugurated the multi-purpose sports ground funded by the IOC. In addition to providing the facility, the IOC, together with local partners, will also implement a full programme for children to play sports including football, volleyball, basketball, field hockey, and handball, in addition to taking part in the recreational programme already underway in the camp. 

Learn more about the IOC’s cooperation with the UN

Learn more about peace through sport

Doha Media Workshop on Women and Sport for Africa, Asia and Oceania

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©IOC/Raitis Purins

12/05/2015

More than one hundred delegates from Africa, Asia and Oceania will participate in a media workshop on women and sport in Doha on 15 and 16 May 2015. Jointly organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee, the workshop will bring together women and men who work in sport and media to look at making positive changes for women in sport.

The workshop aims to raise awareness and educate media professionals about the importance of the media in promoting gender equality. It will also provide opportunities for participants to share their experiences and learn from each other.

The speakers will include leaders from the Continental Associations and National Olympic Committees,Olympians, as well as representatives from the media and the business worlds. Among those who will take the floor are the Chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, Lydia Nsekera, the Chairperson of the Qatar Women’s Sport Committee and winner of the 2013 IOC Women and Sport Award World Trophy, Ahlam Salem Mubarak Al Mana, as well as the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Intendant General Lassana Palenfo, and the OCA President, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al-Sabah, both IOC Members.

Key themes to be discussed during the two-day event include: Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in 2015 and beyond – The key potential of media as a platform to accelerate changes; What is the crucial role men can play in advancing gender equality?; Addressing the imbalance - challenges posed by the media and their impact on gender equality; Promoting leadership of women through the media; Media coverage of women’s events & the “rules” of media coverage; and Why aren’t more women working in sports media?

For further information on the Workshop, visit the Qatar Olympic Committee website at: www.olympic.qa

Learn more about the IOC Women and Sport Commission

Rio 2016 opens application process for Ceremonies

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©IOC

13/05/2015

The Rio 2016 Organising Committee has opened applications for volunteers to take part in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Watched by an audience of billions around the world, the ceremonies will be one of the highlights of the Games and will include memorable moments such as the athletes’ parade, lighting of the Olympic cauldron and handover of the Olympic flag to the next host city – Tokyo 2020. 

All the ceremonies will take place in Rio’s iconic Maracanã stadium, and the productions will be run by a selection of renowned Brazilian artists, including Fernando Meirelles, who directed the Oscar-nominated film, City of God. 

“The Olympic Movement relies on the talents of volunteers as the backbone of these ceremonies which aim to represent the people and culture of the host nation,” said Rio 2016 Director of Ceremonies Leonardo Caetano. “Volunteers will not only be able to watch the performance, but also be a part of it. There’s no better place to watch the show than from centre stage.” 

With 5,000 volunteers alone set to take part in the Opening Ceremony, there are a huge number of roles available. Applications are open to anyone who is aged 16 or over by 1 April 2016, and all nationalities are welcome, although a basic understanding of Portuguese is required. 

Rio 2016 organisers have stressed that volunteers do not require any previous experience or special talents, just lots of energy and enthusiasm.

“We’re going to recruit people of all ages and backgrounds, with or without artistic experience,” said Rodrigo Raposo, volunteer coordinator for the company Cerimônias Cariocas 2016. “We’re looking for dancers, acrobats, skateboarders, roller-skaters, jugglers and graffiti artists. But most importantly, we are looking for enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to participate.”  

Auditions will begin in November 2015 with rehearsals for successful applicants starting in April 2016.  

Find out more about the volunteer applications at www.rio2016.com

IOC President visits Vanuatu - sees sporting “inspiration” in the wake of devastation left by Cyclone Pam

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04/05/2015

IOC President Thomas Bach arrived in Vanuatu Sunday, just six weeks after the island nation was hit by the devastating storm. The trip, which was planned before the winds battered the country, was an opportunity to discuss with the local sporting movement how the IOC funding will be spent to rejuvenate the sporting facilities.

The IOC is coordinating a plan, with the support of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), to rebuild sports facilities and the headquarters of the NOC in Vanuatu.

The USD 500,000 fund will also be used to help Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands, also affected by the disaster.

President Bach visited a hockey and multisport centre badly damaged by the storm, which welcomes more than 1,000 young people a day, training young athletes as well as organising leagues and competitions.

The sports centre has facilities for hockey, basketball, football, futsal, table tennis, boxing, volleyball, netball and cricket.

He also saw the devastation at a sports hall used for basketball, tennis and badminton, where huge panels had been ripped off by the high winds.

“We hope that our contribution will give hope to the whole population. When a nation’s athletes thrive it has a positive effect on the whole community, and when young people get a chance to play sport it can bring a whole community together,” he said.

Later, the President and Director General of the IOC played tennis with local children at a training centre in the capital, Port Vila.

The President also visited Vanuatu rowing club, set up with help from Olympic Solidarity, the Australian and New Zealand rowing federations and the International Rowing Federation (FISA), which provides top level training for young promising athletes.

At a reception at the centre, the IOC President told the audience: “Vanuatu is starting to rebuild, and we are here to take part in this process by helping to rebuild the nation’s sporting infrastructure. We want to support the athletes in this region so that they can return to their sporting life as soon as possible, and prepare for their next sporting challenges.”

Read the full speech here

The Prime Minister Joe Natuman thanked the IOC for its help. “Despite the devastation, sport remains vital to Vanuatu. We will try to support sport in whatever way we can and to respect the independence of sport.”

The IOC President also held a meeting with the President of Vanuatu, Father Baldwin Lonsdale, in which ONOC President and IOC Member Robin Mitchell was awarded the Order of Vanuatu for his services to sport in the country.

In a meeting with the Prime Minister, the two discussed the IOC's help in rebuilding sporting infrastructure in Vanuatu and the role of sport in society, as well as the importance of including sport in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Later, President Bach was welcomed to the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee (VASANOC) by the NOC President, Antoine Boudier, and opened a small museum dedicated to sport and athletes from Vanuatu. At the opening he said: “We came to Vanuatu to encourage you, we are leaving inspired by you. We are inspired by the optimism and by your true Olympic spirit by never giving up. We are happy to contribute to rebuilding your country and, through sport, give hope to people and particularly youth in Vanuatu.”