Olympic Summit held at IOC Headquarters

                            ©IOC/Richard Juilliart (2)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   03/11/2013

Responding to an invitation from IOC President Thomas Bach, the senior representatives of the Olympic Movement’s key stakeholders met today at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne for the 2nd Olympic Movement Coordination Meeting.

The meeting formed part of the on-going open dialogue and consultations that the IOC is looking to increase with its main stakeholders on the main topics of interest and concern to the Olympic Movement.

On this occasion, the subjects addressed included the fight against doping, the fight against match-fixing and illegal betting, the sports calendar and autonomy and good governance in the Olympic Movement.

Regarding the fight against doping, the participants endorsed the IOC Executive Board’s guidance paper on World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which was previously accepted by the Olympic Movement candidate for the WADA presidency, Craig Reedie. The participants reaffirmed their support for the candidate and the submission by the IOC, on behalf of the Olympic Movement, for the revision of the World Anti-Doping Code, which reinforces the Olympic Movement’s zero-tolerance policy.

The participants also asked the next WADA President to address a number of issues at the next Olympic Movement Coordination Meeting in 2014, and called on WADA to strengthen its role in research and as a service organisation. They also called for closer cooperation between International Sports Federations (IFs) and National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) and between NADOs and national governments.

With regard to the fight against match-fixing and illegal betting, participants agreed to increase their coordinated efforts, under the IOC’s leadership, in order to preserve the basic principles of the Olympic Movement and the integrity of sport.

It was agreed that the IOC will set up a special unit within the IOC to coordinate efforts in this regard. This unit will work on risk prevention and the dissemination of information, and will support the harmonisation of rules of the Olympic and Sports Movement. These rules will be based on examples from some of the IFs already working on this issue, such as FIFA, which has already applied severe sanctions.

The participants re-affirmed the IOC’s leadership role. With respect to the sports calendar, the participants agreed that any new initiative has to respect the uniqueness of the Olympic Games. It means that neither the Olympic Programme nor Games revenues should be adversely affected in any way.

In order to ensure the respect of these principles, the participants agreed to the creation of a consultative working group under the leadership of the IOC, composed of the main stakeholders of the Olympic and Sporting Movement, which will compile a comprehensive sporting calendar of current events. This working group will also discuss the priority of current and future sports events within the global calendar.

The meeting also reaffirmed that autonomy is a prerequisite for the successful functioning of the international sports movement. Only autonomy allows the worldwide application of sporting rules. But at the same time, autonomy does not mean independence from the laws of a country. Sports development requires good cooperation with governments and public authorities. 

The participants decided to create an experts’ network of Olympic Movement stakeholders under the leadership and coordination of the IOC.

This network will deal with two main issues: the preservation of autonomy and strengthening good governance and the integrity of sports organizations. It will improve the exchange of information and sharing of best practices on autonomy and governance-related matters. In this regard it was agreed to renew efforts to achieve full implementation among Olympic and sports organizations of the “Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance” approved at the last Olympic Congress. In the event of conflict the network will appoint a specific taskforce to mediate and to help resolve issues.

Finally, the IOC President presented subjects that form part of his mandate’s priorities, such as the sustainability of the Olympic Games through reconsidering the bidding procedure, reviewing the Olympic programme, and leaving a positive legacy; protecting the athletes’ health and integrity and caring about their lives after their sporting careers; and developing a strategy for bringing young people into sport. He invited the participants to share their ideas on these subjects and to be part of the permanent dialogue and on-going reflection that the IOC wishes to increase with its main stakeholders. This dialogue will have continuity through the IOC’s own bodies.

All the participants indicated their appreciation for the opportunity to be part of this open dialogue and have already accepted an invitation from the IOC President to attend the third Olympic Movement Coordination Meeting, which will be held in the first half of 2014.

*LIST OF PARTICIPANTS:

Thomas BACH, IOC President
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad AL-SABAH, ANOC President
Joseph S. BLATTER, FIFA President
Claudia BOKEL, Chairperson of the IOC Athletes’ Commission
John D. COATES, AC, IOC Vice-President
Lamine DIACK, IAAF President
Nawal EL MOUTAWAKEL, IOC Vice-President
René FASEL, AIOWF President
Patrick HICKEY, IOC EB Member
Peng LIU, Chinese Olympic Committee President
Julio César MAGLIONE, FINA President
Lawrence PROBST III, United States Olympic Committee President
Craig REEDIE, IOC Vice-President
Francesco RICCI BITTI, ASOIF President (via video link)
Marius VIZER, SportAccord President
Ching-Kuo WU, IOC EB Member
Alexander ZHUKOV, Russian Olympic Committee President

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IOC Athlete Career Programme hits the road with outreach sessions

         INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
         Friday, 1 November 2013
         www.olympic.org

A delegation representing the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athlete Career Programme (ACP) is set to embark on a seven-day visit to six National Olympic Committees in southern Africa to hold workshops with local athletes and provide them with a range of job skills that can be applied during and after their sport careers.

The outreach sessions will take place from 2 to 9 November in countries that currently do not have an ACP in place. They will be led by members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, members of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Athletes’ Commission, and country mangers from the Adecco Group, one of the world’s leading providers of human resources solutions and co-partner of the ACP.

The delegation will travel to seven cities in six countries: Mazenod, Lesotho; Windhoek, Namibia; Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Manzini, Swaziland; Gabarone, Botswana; and Lusaka, Zambia. The workshop in Lusaka will take place at the Olympic Youth Development Centre, which opened in 2010.

IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Claudia Bokel, former Commission Chairman Frank Fredericks and management staff from Adecco will lead the sessions, with fellow Athletes’ Commission members Kirsty Coventry and Amadou Dia Ba and former Olympians Sandrine Thiebauld and Kadidiatou Kanouté participating in their capacity as trainees, with the aim of learning how to conduct their own workshops in the future. This new ‘train the trainers’ method will allow the IOC ACP Outreach Programme to expand in frequency and geographic coverage.

“We have an excellent team in charge of the ACP, and their work helping athletes worldwide prepare for and move into their post-competition careers has been impressive so far,” said Bokel, a silver medallist in fencing at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. “But there are still countries without ACP programmes, and as Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, I feel we need to do more to reach as many athletes as possible. The upcoming outreach sessions in Africa are meant to address this issue and are the first step toward athletes in these countries receiving first-rate assistance as they look ahead to life after competition.”

The Outreach Programme will consist of one-day workshops in each city with a focus on providing athletes with: 
• help identifying their passions
• tips on how to pursue them after their sports careers
• assistance recognising the many transferrable skills they gain during their sports careers
• advice on how to build support networks
• instruction on a range of skills, including CV creation and job-interview techniques.

Adecco worked with the IOC to establish the ACP in 2005 and since then the programme has provided career development and job placement services to more than 10,000 Olympic athletes from over 100 countries. The programme is based on providing athletes with three key tools: education, life skills and employment.
If you are interested in learning more about these programmes or wish to get involved, please contact us at: athletes@olympic.org

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today paid a visit to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ueli Maurer, in Bern.

                                         INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
                                                      Friday,1  November, 2013
                                                           www.olympic.org

In the presence of the Director of Switzerland's Federal Office for Sport, Matthias Remund, and personal adviser Jean-Blaise Defago, Mr Maurer welcomed President Bach to the Federal Palace for a one-hour courtesy meeting. President Bach was accompanied by IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper.

During the meeting, President Bach took the opportunity to praise the long ties between the Olympic Movement and Switzerland and the excellent relationship between the IOC, the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Vaud and the City of Lausanne. The newly elected IOC President stressed his commitment to nurturing relations with the local authorities in the future. He added that the renovation of The Olympic Museum, which is due to be inaugurated on 10 December in the presence of Mr Maurer, and the planned extension of the IOC Headquarters were a clear indication of the IOC’s commitment to further strengthening its presence in Lausanne.   

President Bach commended the energy and means deployed by the Confederation to promote and develop sport across the country and the capacity of Switzerland to host successful sports events.

With fewer than 100 days to go before the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the two men also touched upon the Swiss team’s presence in Russia next February.

They also discussed topics of common interest and importance to the Olympic Movement, including the fight against doping, the efforts initiated by the sports movement to protect the integrity of sport from such threats as match-fixing, and the autonomy of sports organisations based on good-governance principles.

10th IOC World Conference on Sport and the Environment kicks off in Sochi

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE  Wednesday 30 October 2013 www.olympic.org

10th IOC World Conference on Sport and the Environment kicks off in Sochi The 10th edition of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s World Conference on Sport and the Environment officially got under way today in Sochi, Russia, host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in February 2014. Under the theme “Changing Today for a Better Tomorrow”, leading environmentalists, academics, government figures and sports experts will discuss a range of subjects, including Russian legacies pre- and post-Sochi 2014, the sustainable development landscape following Rio+20, sustainable-development legacies of previous and future Olympic Games, and the role of the UN system. Keynote speakers include the first woman from Saudi Arabia to scale Mount Everest, Raha Moharrak, and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh, who was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world. On the occasion of the opening ceremony of the three-day conference, IOC President Thomas Bach called on delegates to continue working to bring about a paradigm shift for environmental protection and sustainable development. “Sport has long been well aware of this responsibility, and is moving forward with many like-minded partners by setting a good example,” he said. “The Olympic Movement has already shown the international community how sport can make a tangible contribution to reducing environmental impacts. We are helping in the search for sustainable solutions by providing highly practical guidelines and strategies, for implementation globally, but also locally.” The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak, President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko, and IOC Director of International Cooperation and Development Tomas Sithole. The five continental winners of the 3rd IOC Sport and Environment Awards were also announced today and recognised for their outstanding initiatives in the field of environment and sustainable sport: Africa: Kenya Rowing and Canoe Association (Tudor Water Sports Marina), Kenya Americas: Clean Air Champions (CAC), Canada Asia: Sport and Environment Commission, National Olympic Committee of Iran (Tochal Mountain Park), Iran Europe: Sport and Environment Commission, National Olympic Committee of Serbia (Ada Ciganlija Lake), Serbia Oceania: Sustainable Coastlines and Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee Inc (Go Green: Love Your Coast), Papua New Guinea Find out more about the winners and their projects here. The biennial World Conference on Sport and the Environment is one of the IOC’s key advocacy initiatives in the field of the environment, and gathers together representatives from the Olympic family, governments, the UN system, academic institutions and NGOs. This year’s event is being organised in partnership with UNEP, the Russian government, the Russian Olympic Committee and the Organising Committee of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. The 10th edition comes a year after the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), better known as Rio+20, which was a key moment in the global sustainability agenda. Rio+20 saw a renewal of the sporting community’s long-term and political commitment to sustainable development. Learn more about the IOC’s initiatives to promote sustainability through sport here. ###

IOC unveils Michelle Wie as YOG Ambassador ahead of golf’s debut at Nanjing 2014

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE  Monday 21 October 2013 www.olympic.org

With fewer than 300 days to go until golf makes its Youth Olympic Games (YOG) debut at Nanjing 2014, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced Michelle Wie as a YOG Ambassador. The American golfer, who was the youngest ever player to qualify for a USGA (United States Golf Association) tournament, aged just 10 years old, will share her advice and experience with the first generation of YOG golfers, while inspiring young people around the world to get involved in sport and embrace the Olympic values. Michelle, 24, who has achieved two LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) career victories, said about her nomination as a YOG Ambassador: “I feel so honoured to be part of the Youth Olympic Games. I’m hoping to teach young people to have fun with their game, to be competitive, to really want something and to realise the importance of having a dream.” The golfing prodigy added: “I think it’s really important to inspire young people to take up sport; it’s important to be active and be outdoors. I remember my childhood, playing different sports and rarely being indoors.” Golf will feature on the sports programme for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games ahead of its return to the Olympic Games, in Rio in 2016, after more than a century. Michelle was a key member of the delegation that travelled to the IOC Session in Copenhagen in 2009 to successfully bid for the re-inclusion of golf. Speaking about her own aspirations to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Stanford graduate said: “I went to the London Olympic Games last year and that really got me inspired. It got me motivated and I’m going to do everything I can. It’s one of my biggest focuses, making the American team for Rio.” The second edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held from 16 to 28 August 2014 in Nanjing, China. The programme will feature 28 sports, as well as unique disciplines such as 3-on-3 basketball and 5-a-side hockey, in addition to mixed gender and mixed National Olympic Committee (NOC) events.

IOC appoints Head of Executive Office - IOC announces composition of Tokyo 2020 and Buenos Aires 2018 Coordination Commissions

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEEFriday 18 October 2013http://www.olympic.org/

IOC appoints Head of Executive Office  International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has appointed Jochen Färber as Head of his Executive Office. A journalist by training and a communication and marketing expert, Mr Färber has a long and extensive experience in the world of sport both from the media and management sides. Mr Färber is currently Managing Director of the Olympic Training centre for fencing in Germany and head of the centre’s marketing arm. He was involved in the organisation of four Olympic Games, four Paralympic Games and more than 20 Fencing World Championships, and was head of broadcasting at the International Fencing Federation. He also founded and ran his own PR and communications agency for over ten years, and was responsible for the communication of the Munich 2018 bid. A German national, Mr Färber, 46, speaks German, English and French. He takes up his post on 1 December. ###  INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE Wednesday 16 October 2013 www.olympic.org IOC announces composition of Tokyo 2020 and Buenos Aires 2018 Coordination Commissions International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has appointed IOC Vice-President John Coates as Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad ­- Tokyo 2020; and Frank Fredericks as Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games - Buenos Aires 2018. Coates and Fredericks will lead two experienced teams of commission members, also named today, who will be responsible for assisting their respective local Organising Committees as they prepare for their editions of the Games. The members of the Coordination Commissions represent the stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, including the athletes, the National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, and the International Paralympic Committee, and act as a link between them, the Organising Committees and other Olympic Movement stakeholders, thereby ensuring the coordination necessary to help deliver successful editions of the Games. President Bach also decided that Arne Ljungqvist, Gerhard Heiberg and Hein Verbruggen will continue in their roles as chairmen of the Medical Commission, Marketing Commission and OBS, respectively, until after the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games to ensure continuity in the preparations. The terms of all three had been set to expire after the IOC Session in Buenos Aires. Following Richard Carrión’s decision to resign from his different positions within the IOC, the President and he agreed that in order to assist in this transition process, Mr Carrión would continue to lead the TV negotiations already under way outside Europe until the Sochi 2014 Games. President Bach asked IOC member Ser Miang Ng to chair the next meeting of the Finance Commission in December. As the President has already indicated, the composition and structure of all IOC commissions and working groups will be reviewed after the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The members of the Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad - Tokyo 2020 are as follows: Chairman John COATESVice-ChairAlex GILADY Members (in alphabetical order) Sebastian COE (ANOC) Mikaela COJUANGCO-JAWORSKI Kirsty COVENTRY (Athletes’ Commission) Anita DEFRANTZ Guy DRUT Habu GUMEL Nicole HOEVERTSZ Robin MITCHELL Lydia NSEKERA Andrew PARSONS (IPC) Irena SZEWINSKA Marius VIZER (ASOIF) Zaiqing YU Director in chargeOlympic Games Executive Director The members of the Coordination Commission for the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games - Buenos Aires 2018 are as follows:ChairmanFrank FREDERICKS Members (in alphabetical order) Danka BARTEKOVA (Athletes’ Commission) Lingwei LI Barry MAISTER Henry NÚÑEZ (ANOC) Adham SHARARA (ASOIF) Director in charge Olympic Games Executive Director ###

Lighting of Olympic flame sparks start of Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATAThe true appellation of Apu.