IOC Coordination Commission satisfied after fourth visit to PyeongChang

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©PyeongChang 2018

19/03/2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 has wrapped up its fourth visit to Korea, satisfied with progress but clear with the organisers that multiple areas require their focus if the first test events taking place early next year are to be delivered successfully.

Staying for the first time in Gangneung – site of the venues for three of the seven Olympic winter sports in 2018 – the Commission’s trip coincided with the signing of PyeongChang 2018’s latest official Tier 1 partner and the first meeting of the Integration Working Group, following its creation last month at the IOC’s Executive Board meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
Speaking after the meeting, IOC Coordination Commission Chair Gunilla Lindberg said, “The PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG), led by President Yang-ho Cho, and its partners have taken a solid step forward this week in their Games’ preparations. We have seen significant advances in the development of the venues, a major new partner joining POCOG, and a successful first meeting of the Integration Working Group, with all parties working hand-in-hand for the benefit of the 2018 Games. We are satisfied with progress, particularly on construction, but this positive momentum now needs to be continued to allow POCOG and Korea to deliver on their vision and commitments.”
She continued, “With the first test events less than one year away, POCOG and its partners will need to focus simultaneously on multiple objectives over the next year in order to deliver them successfully. The creation of the ‘PyeongChang Winter Series Foundation’ to help organise the events is a step in the right direction, but preparing the delivery team, getting the venues ready, advancing the operational planning, refining budgets and raising the profile of PyeongChang 2018 are all key areas that will require POCOG’s full attention. The Government partners will also have a crucial role to play in the success of the test events, and this is why the strong support for the Games from President Park and Governor Choi is greatly appreciated.”
Each of the different areas mentioned above were covered in depth by the organisers during the meetings, and the Commission used its knowledge and experience of the Games to help provide guidance to POCOG and its partners in each domain. The Commission was clear though that, three years out, rapid progress in each area of preparation would be required if POCOG planned to reach its objectives for this year.
With this in mind, the Commission was informed about the evolution of POCOG’s management structure, which has a strong focus on integration, blending together resources from various stakeholders in Korea. There will also be a number of internationally recognised experts contracted in key areas like sport and operations.
The Commission also congratulated the POCOG team on a number of its recent initiatives, like its three years-to-go event, which engaged all of the national stakeholders together in a celebration of the Games; its first Paralympic Day, which brought Paralympic sport to the citizens of Seoul; and its involvement in the 2015 Dream Programme, which brought young people from around the world to experience winter sports in an educational context in PyeongChang. POCOG was encouraged by the Commission to continue engaging with people from across the country and around the world in order to help spread the PyeongChang 2018 Games’ vision and the Olympic values.
PyeongChang 2018 President and CEO Yang-ho Cho commented, “This is a turning point for PyeongChang 2018. Based on the feedback that we have received over this past week, we will move forward aggressively and with momentum; and our main focus will now be on operations. By working together as a team, we will deliver successful Winter Games.”
The first meeting of the Integration Working Group, which was set up following discussions between the IOC and POCOG in Rio to facilitate decision-making processes and improve integration between all stakeholders, was also successfully held yesterday. Meetings will be held monthly and involve representatives from the IOC, POCOG, the Winter Olympic International Federations, the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Province of Gangwon. This initial gathering outlined how the group will operate, and saw the different parties all commit to enhance their cooperation for the successful delivery of the Games, and already take some important decisions. It was attended by IOC Coordination Commission Chair Lindberg, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, POCOG President Cho, POCOG Secretary General Young-jin Kwak, Vice-Minister of Sport Chong Kim, Gangwon Governor Moon-soon Choi, and Gian-Franco Kasper representing the International Federations.
During its three day visit, the Coordination Commission received updates from the organisers and their partners about areas as diverse as athlete and National Olympic Committee (NOC) services, sport and International Federation services, media operations, governance, legacy, spectators, transport, marketing, technology and the Paralympic Games. The Commission’s venue tour took it to Gangneung Ice Arena, Gangneung Oval, Ice Hockey 1 and 2, Gangneung Media Village and Olympic Village, and the Alpensia sliding centre.
The next visit of the Commission’s Chair to the Republic of Korea will be for a project review visit in July. Monthly Integration Working Group meetings will ensure that the close collaboration between POCOG and the IOC’s Coordination Commission continues apace in the interim.

Ray shines bright on the Olympic stage

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

13/03/2015

Sandrine Ray was only eight when she dreamed that she would one day play ice hockey for Switzerland at the Olympic Games. It was a dream that magically came true at Turin 2006, as she recalls in this latest episode in our Words of Olympians video series.

Born and brought up in the Swiss town of Yverdon-les-Bains, Sandrine Ray has loved ice hockey for as long as she can remember. She first picked up a stick at the age of four and was only eight when she dreamed that she would one day play for her country at the Olympics and walk out before a packed stadium at the opening ceremony.
Recalling that childhood premonition, she said: “It was such a vivid dream that when I woke up, I said to everyone: “I want to go to the Olympics”, even though it was completely impossible, because women's hockey didn't exist as an Olympic sport at that time. But I believed it with all my heart.”
Throughout her career Ray pursued her passion as an amateur player, devoting the rest of her time to her studies and work. Making her name with Lugano, she broke into the Switzerland team as a teenager and saw her dream become even more of a possibility when the IOC included her sport on the Olympic programme in 1998.
She came within touching distance of making it a reality in 2001 when, at the age of 17, she formed part of the Switzerland side that took on Japan in the final qualifying match for Salt Lake City 2002. Playing in front of their home crowd in Engelberg, the Swiss needed to win to go through, but were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw. “We missed out on qualification by a single goal,” lamented Ray. “Everything went wrong for us that day. We didn’t lose the match. We even managed to equalised, but it was all too much to take. I felt so low when I left the rink.
“Four years later we had a second chance to qualify for the Olympic Games, in Turin,” she went on to explain. “We were up against China that time and we scored the winning goal just four seconds from the end of the match. That was it. We were through. Well, for me, in my career, it was the cherry on the cake. I started playing hockey when I was four. I was 23 by the time I went to the Games, so it had taken me practically 20 years to get there, with lots of highs and lows on the way. Making it to the Games was awesome. And, it was just after my 100th international match.”
The dream she had had as an eight-year-old finally came true on 10 February 2006, when she stepped out with the Swiss team at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin for the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Games. Reliving the moment, she said: “What most struck me was everything that there is around the Games, all the sports that have come together. That's something unique, because I'd already been to five world championships. But the experience of the Games… the solidarity that emerges, is really unique as all the sports come together. You see scenes at the Games that you never see anywhere else.”
Switzerland acquitted themselves well on their Olympic debut, finishing second in Group A with two wins, two draws and one loss to advance to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 6-2 by Sweden en route to finishing seventh overall. In doing so, Ray and her pioneering team-mates blazed a trail for Swiss women’s ice hockey, one their successors have followed, qualifying for Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, where they collected a much-deserved bronze medal.

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President Bach meets Japanese Prime Minister Abe

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©IOC/Ian Jones

13/03/2015

In Tokyo to announce a milestone TOP partnership with the Toyota Motor Corporation, IOC President Thomas Bach once again held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The leaders discussed the excellent cooperation and the strong commitment of the Japanese business community towards the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. President Bach remarked that the relationship was a strong asset for the preparation of the Games. He highlighted the contribution in this respect of the role played by IOC Member in Japan and IOC Marketing Commission Chairman Tsunekazu Takeda.
They also discussed the United Nations Truce Resolution ahead of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the upcoming discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of the role of sport. Prime Minister Abe offered the support of his government in this respect.
President Bach was able to give a very positive report on the progress of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (OCOG), particularly in regard to sustainability. The OCOG recently approved three venue changes in the context of Olympic Agenda 2020, which has already saved USD 1 billion from the revised construction budget. The organising committee will continue its work in this direction, he told Prime Minister Abe.

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Looking ahead to empower women and girls through sport

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©IOC

13/03/2015

International Women’s Day may be over, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s efforts to foster gender equality through sport are very much ongoing.

Today, Chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission Lydia Nsekera will speak at the United Nations (UN) 59th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in New York. Convening since 9 March, and in light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be agreed on this year, the Commission is reviewing the progress made since the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.
Adopted at the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing+20) in 1995, this “blueprint” became a crucial milestone to advance women’s rights and to advocate sport. It recognised sport and physical education as a tool to promote women’s health, to fight discrimination and to empower women and girls.
The Olympic Movement, which reaches millions of people of all ages across the five continents, has contributed significantly to this field. In the build-up to the post-2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as on the 20th anniversary of Beijing+20 coinciding with 20 years since the establishment of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, the IOC is eager to demonstrate the value of sport in various arenas of civil society, and support Beijing+20’s call to “Step it up” for gender equality.

The importance of partnership

Looking ahead, the IOC will join UN Women on 16 March to co-host a side event to explore how sport can benefit girls and women within this post-2015 agenda. It will be a unique opportunity to bring together Member States, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society and representatives from the world of sport to position sport as an important tool to promote and achieve gender equality.
This gathering will also allow the various parties to explore the tremendous potential for joint initiatives aimed at empowering girls and women through sport.

Striving for equal access and opportunity

Fostering gender equality and strengthening women’s participation in and through sport is one of the key missions of the IOC. Over the years, we have observed that women’s participation in the world of Olympic sport has grown steadily thanks to the IOC’s constant action, in cooperation with International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
With the adoption in December 2014 of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, the IOC reaffirmed its commitment to work with IFs and NOCs as well as various regional, national and international platforms, such as the UN and UN Women, to increase the possibilities for girls and women in sport and to achieve the goal of female athletes representing 50 per cent of the athletes taking part in the Olympic Games.

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IOC Announces Toyota as TOP Partner to 2024

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©IOC/Ian Jones (6)

13/03/2015

The IOC today announced that Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) will join The Olympic Partner (TOP) Programme.

The IOC and Toyota have reached an agreement through to 2024 in the mobility category, which includes vehicles, mobility services and mobility solutions.
The announcement was made in the 2020 Olympic Games host city Tokyo today by IOC President Thomas Bach and Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, with sustainability as one of its key pillars, Toyota will work with the Organising Committees through to 2024 to provide sustainable mobility solutions for the Games to help with safer, more efficient mobility, including intelligent transport systems, urban traffic systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems. The partnership will help deliver a mobility legacy in the host cities and countries.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This is a very symbolic day. It is the first time in the successful history of the TOP programme that we have had a mobility category. It is in the spirit of the Olympic Agenda 2020 not just in terms of innovation but also in terms of sustainability in mobility. Toyota is the world leader in its field and this partnership signifies a strong commitment to the future of the IOC and the Olympic Movement. Toyota and the IOC share the same values and we welcome Toyota Motor Corporation to the Olympic family.”

Toyota President Akio Toyoda commented as follows: “We will do everything possible to fulfil our new role in The Olympic Partner Programme and to justify the trust that the IOC has placed in us. The addition of the mobility category to The Olympic Partner Programme is important recognition for our entire industry. Under this Olympic flag, let us today reaffirm the power of sport to bring people together. Let us dedicate ourselves to creating a better world by promoting sport in the Olympic spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play.”
Toyota will also support the entire Olympic Movement through funding and a global promotional reach. Under the IOC’s management, the TOP Programme supports the National Olympic Committees and the Organising Committees, helping ensure that the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement are truly global. The IOC redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 3.25 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. Toyota will also bring significant expertise to the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and further support the excellent progress it has already made. The Tokyo 2020 team, under the leadership of President Mori, has already embraced the philosophy of Olympic Agenda 2020 and the importance of sustainability. The excellent collaboration between the IOC and Tokyo 2020 has already resulted in savings of USD 1 billion from the revised construction budget, following the IOC’s approval of three venue changes to the master plan for the Games.
Tsunekazu Takeda, the IOC’s Marketing Commission Chairman, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee and Vice-President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, said: “This agreement is a powerful indication of the strength of the Olympic brand globally and the appeal of an association with the Olympic Movement. Long-term partnerships are the backbone of our commercial programmes and they enable the financial security of the entire Olympic Movement. Toyota will become our 12th TOP Partner and the third company to have already committed through to 2024.”
Toyota will join the TOP Programme in 2017 (TOP IX), but will have marketing rights in Japan with immediate effect. The agreement covers all relevant Toyota brands within the category, including Toyota, Lexus and Scion.
As a TOP Partner, Toyota will support the organisers of future Olympic Games, the IOC and National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams around the world.
In Tokyo, the IOC President Thomas Bach and the Chairman of the IOC Marketing Commission Tsunekazu Takeda visited the Toyota City Mega Web exhibition which showcases the latest cutting-edge products that will form part of Toyota’s sustainable mobility solutions. They had the opportunity to test drive some of the vehicles, including the Mirai, Toyota’s new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle; the three wheeled, electric powered i-ROAD; and the Winglet, Toyota’s personal transport assistance robot.



The President also met Japanese racing driver Takayuki Kinoshita and took the opportunity to drive with him in a Lexus LFA supercar.

Olympic Agenda 2020 - Changes to the IOC Administration

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11/03/2015

As part of the on-going implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 there will be a number of changes to the IOC Administration.

Pere Miro will become Deputy Director General for Relations with the Olympic Movement.  His new duties will include assisting the President and the Director General in strengthening relations with the Olympic Movement and providing strategic counsel to the President and Director General. He will also take on a coordinating role and overall view of all subsidies given from the IOC to the Olympic Movement.  Pere Miro will continue in his duties as Director for both for Olympic Solidarity and the NOCs Relations Department.
The Director of Communications, Mark Adams, presented a new plan for strategic communications with the aim of linking the power of the Olympic Rings and the Olympic Games to the International Olympic Committee.  The strategy would also aim to amplify the IOC’s central purpose of putting sport at the service of humanity.  In this context, Mr Adams’ role will evolve to giving closer support to the President in the day to day execution of his duties and as Presidential spokesman.  As a consequence the structure of the Communications department will be looked at with the plan to strengthen strategic and brand communication.
Work on the organisational structure of the Olympic Channel is well advanced. The management structure of the company was agreed. Hiring of key management positions on the channel will now go ahead both for the Madrid operations and in Lausanne for IOC TMS
The International Cooperation and Development Department will also undergo some changes in function and will be renamed the Department for Social Development through Sport and Public Affairs.  A Department for Corporate Development, Brand and Sustainability will be set up under Marie Sallois Dembreville who will become a director.
In the area of ethics and compliance a new position of Ethics and compliance officer will be assigned to Pâquerette Girard Zappelli.

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Olympic Movement mourns French athletes who died in tragic accident

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10/03/2015

"We are shocked by this sad news. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of these great athletes who have left us.
With them, the world of sport and the Olympic family have lost three of their key members. They were all not only champions in their sport but also contributed greatly as role models.
The Olympic Movement mourns with their families and friends, their fellow athletes, the French National Olympic Committee and with France.
The Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast for three days at the IOC Headquarters to honour these great champions."
IOC President Thomas Bach

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