Saturday, 17 January 2015

2024 bid process gets underway with new Invitation Phase as IOC begins to implement Olympic Agenda 2020 Reforms

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2024 bid process gets underway with new Invitation Phase as IOC begins to implement Olympic Agenda 2020 Reforms
15/01/2015
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today launched the bid process for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in 2024 with an Invitation Phase. It is the first bid process following the adoption four weeks ago of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. Interested National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and potential bid cities are invited to discuss their initial ideas with the IOC and receive various levels of assistance and feedback ahead of the 15 September deadline for officially committing to a bid. There has been strong interest in hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, with the NOCs of Germany, Italy and the United States already indicating their intention to bid.
The 40 reforms that make up Olympic Agenda 2020 were unanimously adopted by the 127th IOC Session in Monaco in December 2014. Through Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC has demonstrated its commitment to safeguarding the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and strengthening sport in society. Implementing the reforms in the bidding process has already begun, as it has in a number of other areas, including the setting up of an Olympic Channel.
Changes to the 2024 Olympic bid process centre on:
- Shaping the bid process as an invitation
- Strengthening the evaluation of bid cities to more clearly highlight key opportunities and risks
- Reducing the cost of bidding and organising the Games
The IOC will contribute approximately USD 1.5 billion* to the organisation of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Through these changes, the IOC is emphasising that bidding for the Games is not a tender for a franchise, and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The bid process is about making proposals and offering solutions that will deliver excellent Games, with no compromise on the field of play for the athletes while also meeting the needs of the city and region to ensure the Games leave a positive, long-term, sustainable legacy. 
Potential bid cities are encouraged to place greater emphasis on the use of existing venues, and temporary and demountable venues where no long-term need exists or can be justified.
NOCs are invited to inform the IOC of their interest in bidding for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in 2024 at their earliest convenience. The IOC will then contact these NOCs to determine the best way the IOC can assist them during the Invitation Phase. To assist interested cities and their NOCs to develop a project that best meets each city’s unique long-term development needs, the IOC will make available the “core requirements” necessary to organise the Games.
The deadline for NOCs to officially launch a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games is 15 September 2015 – the start of the Applicant City Phase that will continue through to the start of the Candidate City Phase in April/May 2016. The election of the host city will take place in the summer of 2017.  
In keeping with the IOC’s commitment to good governance, transparency and ethics, the Host City Contract, Evaluation Commission reports and other documentation will be made public on www.olympic.org. Click here for the letter and outline of the three bid phases sent to the NOCs today.
Details of the second and third phases of the bid process are as follows:
Applicant City Phase
COMMITMENT TO BID AND DEVELOPMENT OF BID CONCEPT
- 15 September: deadline for NOC and City to submit letter to IOC confirming the Application
- IOC makes available to Applicant City and their NOC the full package of bid documentation: full list of Olympic Games “requirements”; Applicant and Candidate City procedures and Questionnaires; Olympic Charter; Host City Contract – including details of the IOC’s contribution to the organisation of the Games
- Focus on sustainability and legacy through the maximum use of existing, temporary and demountable facilities
- IOC hosts Applicant City seminar
- Applicant Cities submit Application File to the IOC
- IOC evaluates applications and makes a report to the IOC Executive Board
- IOC Executive Board selects Candidate Cities
Candidate City Phase
DEVELOPMENT OF DETAILED GAMES PLAN
- Cities participate in IOC Olympic Games Observer Programme, Rio 2016
- Cities participate in Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games debrief in Tokyo
- IOC organises workshops with Candidate Cities – tailored to needs
- Candidate Cities submit Candidature File to the IOC
- Candidate Cities make presentations to the following meetings only: ANOC General Assembly in 2017, International Olympic Summer Sports Federations, IOC Candidate City Briefing, IOC Session in Lima, Peru 
- IOC Evaluation Commission visits each Candidate City and publishes report
- Election of the Host City by the 130th IOC Session in Lima, Peru, Summer 2017 (dates TBC)
- Host City and IOC sign the Host City Contract
 
* Details of the IOC contribution to the 2024 OCOG to be included in the Host City Contract made available to Applicant Cities in September 2015 

Thursday, 15 January 2015

Bjørn Dæhlie: Remembering Lillehammer

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Bjørn Dæhlie: Remembering Lillehammer



14/01/2015
In the latest of our exclusive video interviews, the greatest cross-country skier of all time, Bjørn Dæhlie, recalls his finest hour.
In the 1990s, Norway’s Bjørn Dæhlie established himself as the most successful cross-country skier in history, notching up 29 Olympic and world championship podiums, including eight golds at the Winter Games and seven world titles. Additionally, he scored a total of 46 victories in the FIS World Cup and won no less than six large crystal globes. Up until Sochi 2014, when he was overtaken by his compatriot, the biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen, he held the record for the most Olympic medals won by a winter athlete, with 12 in total, achieved over the course of three editions of the Games (Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994 and Nagano 1998).
On the Saisies cross country course at Albertville 1992, Dæhlie made a blistering Olympic debut, finishing on four of the five podiums in the men’s cross country events. His first triumph came in the 25km pursuit, and he followed that up with golds in the 50km and then in the 4x10km relay alongside Terje Langli, Kristen Skejdal and his role model Vegard Ulvang. He added a silver in the 30km and finished just off the podium in the 10km.


He was equally imperious when the Winter Games came to his native Norway two years later, again taking medals in four of the five cross country events at Lillehammer 1994: gold in the 10km and 25km pursuit, and silver in the 30km and the 4x10km relay. Once more he narrowly missed out on a ‘full house’ of medals, finishing fourth in the 50km.
It was déjà vu all over again at Nagano 1998, though this time three of Dæhlie’s four medals were gold, as he topped the podium in the 10km, the 50km and the 4x10km relay (this time with Thomas Alsgaard, Erling Jevne and Sture Sivertsen), adding a silver in the 15km.
The following year, after picking up his latest large crystal globe in the 1999 FIS World Cup, Dæhlie announced his retirement from competition. A national icon in Norway, he went on to forge a successful business career.
Dæhlie enjoyed a truly fabulous career, packed with triumphs and highlights… but what does he regard as his greatest moment as an Olympian? The date is 17 February 1994. The place is Lillehammer, in his native Norway. Wearing the N°1 bib, he entered the stadium for the final 100m of the 10km, cheered on by the delirious crowds that that flanked the home straight. The Norwegian even managed to take the time to salute the local fans, before crossing the finish line and doing a triumphant 360° pirouette on his skis to celebrate an emotional victory. “When I look through the whole of my career, at all my moments in cross country, this was the most fantastic,” he says…

Tokyo 2020 celebrates 2020 days to go

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Tokyo 2020 celebrates 2020 days to go
©TOKYO 2020
12/01/2015
The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has celebrated 2020 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad by gathering together 20-year-old athletes and hundreds of excited spectators to form a giant ‘2020’.
This latest milestone for the Games coincides with Coming of Age Day in Japan, which celebrates young people who have turned 20 in the last year and have officially reached the age of majority. Olympians and athletes joined hundreds of young people, all aged 20 years old, to mark this special day with events in the plaza in front of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee headquarters, as well as in areas of the Tohoku region affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Among those attending the ceremony were swimmer Kosuke Hagino, a bronze medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games. “We are extremely thankful that so many young 20-year-olds turned up to show their support, even though it was quite cold today. I really felt that there is an increasing interest in and expectations towards the 2020 Games. I would love to be able repay everyone’s support by winning a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” he said.
Joined by 20-year-old swimmers Akihiro Yamaguchi and Daiya Seto, gymnast Akiho Sato and para-cyclist Miho Fujii, Hagino took part in a public discussion session.

“It is a fantastic coincidence that this milestone happens to be on Coming of Age Day in Japan. 2020 days to go to Tokyo 2020 celebrated with 20-year-olds; that is a lot of young adults representing a wealth of hopes, dreams and expectations towards the Games. Tokyo 2020 is about inspiring young people through sport, and today we were delighted to have the opportunity to broaden the network of young people eagerly looking forward to the Opening Ceremony in 2020 days’ time,” said Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Koji Murofushi.
Coming of Age Day ceremonies in the disaster-affected areas of Tohoku were held with a special Olympic flavour. Olympic gold medallist Ryota Murata joined Paralympians Shinji Negi and Aki Taguchi for the celebrations in Morioka City, Iwate prefecture; London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Satoshi Shimizu and Paralympic medallist Junichi Kawai took part in the festivities in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi prefecture; while Olympian Fumie Suguri and Paralympian Yusuke Hatsuse participated in the event in Minamisoma City, Fukushima prefecture.
Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) is a Japanese public holiday established in 1948. Festivities and gatherings are organised by municipal authorities across Japan on the second Monday of January each year, and young females typically dress in traditional Japanese kimonos for the occasion.

Saturday, 10 January 2015

Letter to President Hollande and to the French people from IOC President Thomas Bach

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Letter to President Hollande and to the French people from IOC President Thomas Bach
©IOC/Ian Jones
08/01/2015
"It was with an enormous sense of shock and grief that I heard of the appalling attacks which took place in Paris on Wednesday. Such barbaric acts are an attack on the values of all civilised people from whatever country, religion or creed. 
Let me assure you that the entire Olympic Movement, just as all right-thinking people, stand shoulder to shoulder with you and the people of France today. This was a shocking, brutal attack not just on France but on the values for which we all stand, and the values on which the Olympic Movement is also built. France is a country which stands for the civilized values of tolerance, friendship and respect. Those guns were aimed not just at journalists but at freedom of speech and the values for which France stands so strongly.
As you so rightly said, ‘this was an act of exceptional barbarism’. But these terrorist atrocities will only serve to unite the people of France to stand together against such mindless violence and we in the Olympic Movement stand side by side with you and with France in solidarity."

Wednesday, 7 January 2015

New Year Message from IOC President Thomas Bach

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu. A Creative Commons license.
 New Year Message from IOC President Thomas Bach

©IOC/Ian Jones
05/01/2015
"2014 was a momentous year for the Olympic Movement. After almost 18 months of debate and discussion we reached a strong consensus within the Olympic Movement on Olympic Agenda 2020. The unanimous approval of the 40 recommendations that make up Olympic Agenda 2020 gives us a clear vision of where we are headed and how we can protect the uniqueness of the Games and strengthen Olympic values in society.

It is critical that in 2015 we capitalise on the momentum and energy we have created. We are already moving to the implementation of our strategic roadmap for the future:  Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations will be fully applied in the bid process for the Olympic Games 2024, which opens on 15 January 2015. A new invitation phase will be offered to cities interested in hosting the Games so that they can discuss their initial interest with the IOC. We can already see strong interest around the world in those Games.  The Olympic Winter Games 2022 bid process is already underway, but elements of Olympic Agenda 2020 will be implemented where possible, especially with regard to the IOC assisting bid cities in reducing costs and ensuring a sustainable legacy.

Work continues on the Olympic Channel which will provide a platform for the promotion of Olympic sports, athletes and the Olympic values beyond the period of the Games. We will start developing the brand and “look” of the Channel, as well as working with the TOP sponsors on collaboration.  The corporate structure of the Channel will be developed, and we will start to hire the key staff who will launch and run the Channel. The Channel will harness the huge global interest and extend it beyond the Games in a way that will engage audiences, especially young audiences, in the power of what sport can do.
This year, the IOC will celebrate 100 years in Lausanne. Preparatory work will continue on a new building which will consolidate the IOC headquarters in one location in Lausanne. The IOC administration will be brought together at Olympic Unity House, resulting in substantial long-term savings, increased working efficiency and energy conservation.
2015 will see the preparations for Rio gathering pace, with one year to go marked on 5 August. The preparations are on a good footing, and support for the Games are on the rise. There will be more than 20 test events during 2015. Rio 2016 should be congratulated on its efforts as we move into the delivery phase.
Even if there are no Olympic Games this year, we will have many outstanding sports events in 2015 with Continental Games and many World Championships in Olympic sports which will help foster unity amongst the stakeholders of the Olympic Movement.
Our work undertaken in collaboration with the United Nations will also play an increasingly important role in the year ahead. Following the UN General Assembly’s recognition of the autonomy of the IOC and sport, we must work to strengthen the autonomy of sport. It is essential that we work with national governments to integrate sport into the UN post 2015 Development Agenda, particularly in the fields of education, health, urban planning, cohesion of society and peace-building.
We will continue to work closely with the UN to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport without discrimination of any kind. In 2015 and beyond, we will work together to produce sporting initiatives to promote social integration and economic development worldwide. 
We head into 2015 united and confident, with an Olympic Movement more successful than ever. We have built on our unity in diversity. Working together, we can accomplish even more in the year ahead.
Happy New Year 2015!"

Death of Zhenliang He, IOC Honorary Member

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Death of Zhenliang He, IOC Honorary Member
04/01/2015
It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learnt of the death of Zhenliang He, IOC Honorary Member in the People’s Republic of China, aged 85.
A career politician, Mr He was instrumental in bringing China back into the Olympic Movement. He was elected as an IOC Member in 1981, serving in the role until 2010, when he became IOC Honorary Member. He sat on the IOC Executive Board three times (1985-1989, 1994-1998 and 1999-2003) and served as an IOC Vice-President from 1989 to 1993.
Mr He is credited with helping Beijing win the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games and to open up China to the world.
He was a firm believer in sport’s ability to educate, and long championed the teaching of the Olympic values as well as sport in school curricula.
“Mr He was a man of culture and art. He was a true advocate of the social values of sport and of our Movement and I would like to pay tribute to the passion and energy he deployed over the years to fulfil his mission as an IOC Member in China. He also helped our Movement better understand his country, its people and outstanding culture. The Olympic Movement has lost one of its most fervent ambassadors,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. 
“For me personally he showed me true friendship and gave me invaluable advice from my very early days as an IOC member. I will always remember this with great gratitude,” the President added.
During his three decades working for the Olympic Movement, Mr He was Honorary Member of the Cultural Commission (1995-1999), Chairman (2000-2009) and then Honorary Member (2009-2015) of the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education, and Vice-Chairman of the Sport for All Commission (1985-1987). He was also a Member of the following Commissions:
  • Olympic Solidarity (1981-1987)
  • Olympic Movement (1985-1999)
  • Apartheid and Olympism (1989-1992)
  • Council of the Olympic Order (1989-1993)
  • Preparation of the XII Olympic Congress (1990-1993)
  • Study of the Centennial Olympic Congress – Congress of Unity (1994-1996)
  • “IOC 2000” (1999)
  • “IOC 2000” Reform Follow-up (2002)
  • 2009 Congress (2006-2009)
In 1964, he became the Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Gymnastics Association, and later served as the Secretary General of the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the head of the secretariat of the All-China Sports Federation. In 1979, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Secretary General of the All-China Sports Federation and the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC). He served as the Secretary General of COC between 1982 and 1986, Vice-President between 1986 and 1989, and President between 1989 and 1994.
A keen sportsman, Mr He enjoyed swimming, playing table tennis, tennis, football, basketball and golf.
The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Zhenliang He’s family. The IOC President has asked for the Olympic flag to be flown half-mast for three days in tribute to a great Olympic personality.

Death of Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla, IOC Honorary Member in Colombia

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Death of Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla, IOC Honorary Member in Colombia
06/01/2015
It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learned of the death of Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla, at the age of 89.
An IOC Member from 1988 to 2006, and Honorary Member since 2006, Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla sat on the IOC Medical Commission (1990-2006) and the International Olympic Academy Commission (1989-1990). He also occupied numerous positions within the South American sports movement, including that of President of the Colombian National Olympic Committee (1979-1989); Treasurer of the Pan-American Sports Organisation (PASO) (1983-1992); and Secretary General and Treasurer of the Bolivarian Sports Organisation (ODEBO); and he headed Colombian sports delegations on multiple occasions. He was also one of the pioneers of baseball in South America, as he founded the Bogota Baseball League in 1969 and was its President until 1979.
In parallel to his many commitments in sports administration, he obtained a doctorate in medicine and surgery at the National University of Bogota (1953), before specialising in internal medicine and joining the Colombian Institute of Social Security. He was also an Air Force physician for 26 years. In addition, he placed his medical skills at the service of sport as team doctor for various Colombian delegations. In his free time, he practised baseball and softball.
“Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla was a pioneer and a fervent campaigner for sport in his home country of Colombia and throughout South America. He understood the power of sport to change people’s lives and he worked tirelessly to bring its values across South America. As an IOC member he brought his considerable medical knowledge to the organisation sitting on the Medical Commission for 16 years. He was a great man and a great servant of sport who gave his time and energy to the Olympic Movement. His warm and friendly personality was highly appreciated by all the IOC members. He will be sadly missed by us all,” declared IOC President Thomas Bach.
The IOC expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla.