New “Invitation Phase” sees IOC welcome German National Olympic Committee delegation to Lausanne

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©IOC/Christophe Moratal

02/03/2015

As part of the on-going implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020, a  German National Olympic Committee (DOSB) delegation, led by DOSB Chief Executive Officer Michael Vesper, was welcomed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s headquarters in Lausanne today. The DOSB was in town to take advantage of the new “Invitation Phase” of the Olympic Games’ bidding process that has come out of the Olympic Agenda’s reforms.

In a meeting led by Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, the DOSB delegation was able to find out more information about the 2024 bid process and the requirements for hosting the Games themselves. The meeting gave the DOSB delegation an opportunity to better understand the impact of the reforms and how their plans for a potential bid can fit into them.
This gathering forms part of the new ‘Invitation Phase’ of the Games’ bid process, which was born out of Olympic Agenda 2020. The 40 recommendations from Olympic Agenda 2020 were unanimously approved by the IOC Session in Monaco in December last year and form a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. The IOC Executive Board agreed the ongoing implementation plan for these recommendations at its meeting in Rio de Janeiro last week.
Speaking afterwards, Dubi said: “It’s encouraging to see that National Olympic Committees are taking advantage of the Invitation Phase. It allows them to come and ask questions about the bid process and how Olympic Agenda 2020 can help them to deliver great Olympic Games for the athletes that fit into their city’s long-term social, sports, ecological and economic objectives. We were delighted to be able to welcome the DOSB to Lausanne today to answer their questions and give them information from the IOC on how best to maximise the legacies that a bid and the Games can deliver.”

Rafael Nadal “plays ball” with Buenos Aires 2018

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©IOC

03/03/2015

Just days before winning his first title of 2015 at the Argentina Open, tennis superstar and Olympic champion Rafael Nadal took time out of his busy training schedule to host a workshop with local youngsters in Buenos Aires, the host city of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Hosted by the Buenos Aires 2018 Organising Committee, Nadal held a special master class with 350 local children from the less privileged neighbourhoods in the southern quarter of the city - the location for the Youth Olympic Village during the Games in just over three years’ time.
In line with the host city’s vision to “bring sport to the people”, Nadal held skills sessions and interacted with the children, inspiring them to continue with the sport of tennis and aim for events such as the Youth Olympic Games.
Nadal himself was inspired by the young talent, several of whom will attend the Youth Olympic Games in 2018. He commented, “I’m really happy to be able to share this moment with the kids – they are our future.”
Joined by the city’s Mayor, Mauricio Macri, the morning session was a mixture of tennis, music and laughter, and just one of the many motivating events that the city will run for its young population in the build-up to the Youth Olympic Games.

First step towards Olympic Unity House

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©IOC

03/03/2015

The IOC is moving ahead with the consolidation of its headquarters, as announced last December.

The public inquiry process for the demolition of the existing administrative buildings is the first step towards this realisation, and will take place throughout March. The IOC initially asked the architects selected through the international architecture competition to retain the existing administrative buildings, together with the Château de Vidy, a historic monument. But their configuration and structure proved to be incompatible with the IOC’s new needs and its historical patrimony obligations.
The demolition permit application is necessary to ensure that the preparatory work can be undertaken in the best possible conditions, particularly with regard to the archaeological excavations. This procedure will be followed in mid-2015 by an application for the permit to build Olympic Unity House. Work on this is expected to start in 2016.
This high-quality project, designed by Danish firm 3XN and developed in close consultation with the local authorities, will offer the region an emblematic building which meets the highest sustainable development standards. The design is intended to ensure that the building fits into its environmental and historic setting, and integrates with the local population.
Olympic Unity House will offer the IOC’s staff a functional, modern and sustainable workplace, in line with the IOC’s strategic road map. It will also provide a place for meetings and exchanges for the whole Olympic Movement.
With this project, the IOC is confirming its attachment to the city of Lausanne, at the time when the institution is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its establishment in Lausanne.

Natalia Vorobieva relives her day of glory

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©Getty Images

04/03/2015

Russian wrestler Natalia Vorobieva looks back on her impressive gold medal win in the women’s 72kg category at London 2012. 

Natalia Vorobieva had two world junior 72kg titles under her belt by the time she made her Olympic debut at London 2012. The 21-year-old from the Siberian region of Irkutsk showed she belonged in the rarefied surroundings of the ExCel Centre, comfortably disposing of her rivals en route to the final, winning by falls against Kazakhstan’s Guzel Manyurova in the quarter-finals and defending champion Wang Jiao of China in the semis.
Vorobieva’s opponent in the gold-medal match was Beijing 2008 silver medallist Stanka  Zlateva of Bulgaria, a five-time world champion and eight years her senior. Recalling the moments leading up to the bout, the Russian says: “When I was walking out, my coaches said to me: ‘You already got silver. You have nothing to lose, so go and fight’! But I realised that my whole career was now at stake. So the fight was not only for every point, but also for every grab. Of course, Stanka Zlateva, came to win too, but I wasn’t there to lose.”

Intent on opening up an early lead, Vorobieva made an aggressive start, but incurred a penalty point when she stepped off the mat, leaving her trailing 1-0 at the end of the first round. “When I approached the coaches, they were in a horrible panic,” she recalls. “One was screaming something, arguing, and the other was fanning me, and wiping me with a towel… Then I turned to them and said: ‘Now everything will be fine’. And I left to return to the mat. Somehow I was sure that in the second round I could win because I wasn’t feeling tired after the first round and I had nothing to lose.”
Undaunted, Vorobieva vowed to stay on the offensive: “I thought somewhere deep inside I would find the moment for a successful attack. I have a fighting style that implies that I compete with clean finishes. That’s how I wanted to finish the final of the Olympic Games. I wanted to make a beautiful move. I wanted to win this Olympic Games in a beautiful way.”
The Russian’s adventurous approach paid off. With 39 seconds on the clock in round two, she had her opponent pinned down on the mat, prompting the referee to signal the end of the bout. “Here is the action that gave me goose bumps,” says Vorobieva, reliving the moment she struck gold. “And after a few years later I still get the goose bumps. I was screaming and the entire world from London to Irkutsk heard me for sure.” 

©Getty Images

Vorobieva was still taking it all in by the time she returned to the scene of her triumph for the medal ceremony, only comprehending the enormity of her achievement when she began to climb the podium. “I realised that here it is: the top of the Olympus, above my head the Russian flag, the anthem of my country is playing. I thought I can tick a point on my list: ‘Mission complete’,” she says, casting her mind back to the high point of her career to date. “I was standing there, listening to the anthem. I was singing in my mind and it seemed that I could feel every single word. Now, each time I hear the national anthem… I always associate it with that particular moment: 9 August 2012.”

Biathlon: a discipline on the cutting edge

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Biathlon is a discipline with roots deep in military and survival techniques, but which has evolved to combine cutting-edge technology with fine feats of athleticism and marksmanship. In this video we chart the development of the equipment used by biathletes.

When biathlon made its debut as an Olympic discipline, at Squaw Valley (USA) in 1960, the skis were wooden, the bindings heavy and cumbersome and rifles were military issue. Nowadays, by contrast, biathletes utilise the latest in technology to achieve marginal gains, from Lycra racing suits, to special glide wax and non-optic sights.

© IOC

Of course, biathlon existed long before it was introduced to the Olympic programme. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the survival skills practised in the snow-covered forests of Scandinavia, where people hunted on skis with rifles on their backs.
The first sporting biathlon events were held in the 18th century, and were organised by Norwegian skiing regiments. Competitors would take part in one of four disciplines, either shooting at a mark while skiing at top speed, racing downhill among trees or big hills, or on flat ground while carrying a rifle and military pack.
Biathlon shifted further away from its military roots when it was first adopted as a demonstration sport at the 1948 Winter Games in St Moritz. This was the first attempt to introduce a multi-disciplinary event to the Winter Games, and by this stage competitors were beginning to swap military equipment for purpose-made rifles. From 1958, competitors started to use high-power centre-fire cartridges for the first time, ammunition that was carried in a belt around the waist.
Today, biathletes use international standard lead or lead alloy .22 cartridges and where competitors would once fire at distances of 100m, 150m, 200m and 250m, this was reduced to just 50m in 1978. Mechanical targets were introduced two years later at Lake Placid, which also coincided with the introduction of a second individual event, the 10km sprint, alongside the existing race and relay. The quest for marginal gains was becoming greater than ever.
 

© IOC / Ian Jones 

The wooden skis that were used in early events were replaced with plastic ones and, more recently, by skis made of fiberglass. They are now often designed to be shorter in length and stiffer than more classical cross-country skis and with a less pronounced curve in the tips. Biathletes now also apply special glide wax to the bottom of each ski to further reduce friction.
The bindings used to attach boot to ski now attach just at the toe rather than toe and heel, which allows for greater movement. In the early days, the binding of feet to skis was heavy and it was difficult for competitors to move their feet. Modern designs enable the foot to flex and move more freely. Boots are continually becoming lighter and more flexible, too, which helps transmit energy from boot to skis and allows for greater lateral movement.
Many of these changes aren’t immediately obvious to the naked eye, but the racing suits used by modern biathletes most definitely are! All competitors now wear skin-tight Lycra racing suits designed to provide maximum movement and reduce wind resistance. In colder conditions (events can take plus in sub-zero temperatures), competitors will also use a base layer for insulation alongside lightweight gloves and hats. Tinted goggles reduce glare from the sun reflecting off the snow.

© IOC / John Huet

The rifles themselves have been revolutionised. Technicians are constantly finding ways to reduce rifle weight, make them easier to use and the ballistics more reliable at low temperatures. In 1978, the .22 calibre rifle became the international standard. Now, biathlon rifles use non-optic sights and a straight-pull-bolt action (no full or semi-automatics) and rifles are made from lightweight stock (a minimum of 7.7 pounds). They are also carried in specially made harnesses that protect the rifle from snow and moisture, while an arm sling provides stability in the act of shooting.
Biathlon as an Olympic event also continues to evolve. In 2002, in Salt Lake City, a 12.5km pursuit event was added for men and 10k for women. In 2006, a new mass-start event that brought together the 30 best athletes from the World Cup was introduced for both men and women.

© IOC / Anna Konovalova

At Sochi 2014 the biathlon programme included five men’s events, five women’s and a mixed relay, and provided some of the Winter Games’ most dramatic moments. No doubt the discipline’s ever growing fan base will continue to marvel at the continued evolution of this exciting Olympic fixture in PyeongChang in 2018.

IOC President fields questions from Rio university students

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©IOC/Ian Jones (3)

25/02/2015

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today took part in a lively question and answer session on the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the Olympic Movement with Brazilian university students at the headquarters of the Rio 2016 local Organising Committee.

Standing at the centre of a packed auditorium in the format of a popular local TV chat show, President Bach interacted with some 100 students from five local universities – PUC-Rio, UERJ, UFRJ, Estácio, FGV, and Ibmec. The discussion centred on four themes: the Olympic Movement, city transformation, the human legacy of the Games, and high-performance sports development.

The objective of the debate was to connect and engage with the youth of Rio, listen to students’ ideas and concerns, and increase understanding about the benefits the Olympic Games can bring a host city, region and country.

For an hour, President Bach fielded questions from the students in a relaxed and open atmosphere. Bach told the students that he was expecting great Games in Rio, “a great festival a la Brazil” and a “great festival of humanity.”

The President told those assembled: “The Olympic Games in Rio will be a unique opportunity for your city as far as the development of sport is concerned of course but also with regards to the legacy that the Games will leave for years to come. There will be a Rio before and a Rio after the Games.”

The IOC President also talked about the inclusiveness of the Games. He said: “We want to make sure that the Games are for all Brazilians. For example, the procurement of goods and services will be done with small local businesses. All the people who have applied to the volunteer programme – over 250 000 applications received so far – will be offered teaching programmes in English and management courses that they can no doubt build on in their future professional careers. Rio will offer more tickets to its public than London did. Out of the 7 million tickets available, 3.8 million will be at a price of 30 dollars or less. And more importantly, millions of Brazilians will have free access to the Games and many spectacular events. People will be given the opportunity to show the world what it means to have the Olympic Games in Brazil and in South America. We all look forward to experience great competitions but also the Brazilian hospitality in a great atmosphere.”
 

Students were eager to know what the IOC is doing to help improve the practice of sport at school, how the IOC is ensuring that the Games leave a sustainable legacy and what can be done against racism in sport.

Excerpts of the IOC President’s answers follow.

On education:“Eight weeks ago, the IOC adopted a reform programme called Olympic Agenda 2020 where it is stressed that the role of sport in education should be increased and improved. Studies have shown that kids doing sport are healthier and can learn better. We are also teaming up with UNESCO to make sure that sport gets the place it deserves in schools’ curricula. This way we can encourage national governments to take action and give a role to sport in schools and universities. In parallel, the 170 training centres that will be used by international athletes all over Brazil during the Games will benefit the youth after the Games.

On legacy:“We are partners with your country. We don’t come here and leave after the day of the closing ceremony of the Games. We work as a team and want to leave Brazil knowing that we have left a positive legacy. I met with your President in Brasilia no later than yesterday. The dialogue was very similar to the one we are having here today. We talked about Games preparations of course but also about legacy. When facing challenging times, every politician is at a crossroads where they have to make decisions. It is then important to define the priorities and decide what has to be done now to best prepare for the future. Many Olympic projects are now under way and this is where the Olympic Games can serve as a catalyst. These projects and investments have to continue. The investment and confidence in future growth are important. Equally important is the fact that the Olympic Games are mainly privately financed and so is the IOC’s contribution (USD1.5 billion to the success of the Olympic Games in Rio).”

On racism:“Sport is one of the few areas of society where we are all equal. The rules of sport are the same for everyone. We want to send this message to the world and this is what will happen in Rio during 16 days next summer.  For the IOC and the Olympic Games, non-discrimination is in our DNA. We have always been clear that there cannot be any form of discrimination at the Olympic Games, be it regarding race, gender or sexual orientation. We are standing for tolerance, understanding. Concretely, if an athlete would show any attitude of racism, he/she would be sent home the same day.”
 

IOC Coordination Commission sees solid progress as Rio 2016 prepares for 21 test events in 2015

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©IOC/Ian Jones (2)

25/02/2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission saw solid progress being made during its eighth visit (23 to 25 February) to the 2016 host city of Rio de Janeiro. Sports venues are taking shape and numerous engagement initiatives like ticketing, volunteering and the Olympic Torch Relay are up and running. These positive developments come at a time when the Rio organisers are entering the operational phase of the project. This stage of preparations will see Rio 2016 and its partners increase their activity significantly, as they reach a new level of detail in their Games planning, while simultaneously delivering 21 test events.

The Commission was also joined for part of its visit by IOC President Thomas Bach, who led a delegation, including Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel, to meet Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who again pledged full support for the Games from “every level and ministry of [her] government as well as from State and City authorities.” Bach also participated in a meeting with Rio State Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, and Brazilian Minister of Sports George Hilton, and joined the Commission on a tour of the Barra Olympic Park.

Speaking at the end of the visit, Commission Chair El Moutawakel said: "We were pleased to be able to show President Bach that good progress has been made on the Rio 2016 Games. The advancements made on both the Barra and Deodoro Olympic Parks were very encouraging, with both areas on track to leave fantastic legacies to the people of Rio and the athletes of Brazil. However, the Rio team is now entering the most intense phase in the preparation for the Games, as they reach a new level of detail while planning numerous test events.”
She continued: “With 21 test events planned for this year and a significant number of the world’s best athletes coming to Rio to try the venues, Rio 2016 will have a lot to deliver while still preparing for the Games. We were pleased to see that Rio and its government partners have put in place structures that will allow them to deal with what will be an intense year ahead, filled with thousands of details that will need to be dealt with before the Games. They will also need to ensure that the venues are delivered in time to host the test events. The golf course, velodrome and equestrian cross-country venues all have very aggressive timelines that will need to be met over the coming months.”

The participation of the government partners’ leaders in the meetings with the Commission underlined the support of Brazil for the Games, and the Commission thanked each of them for their commitment to the project. This unity shown by the government partners with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee pleased the IOC group, which emphasised the importance of having an integrated approach to the delivery of the Games, especially during a period which is as intense as the coming 17 months. This interaction will be facilitated now that all three levels of government will have a member on the Organising Committee's board, leading to greater transparency and cooperation.
During the meetings, the Commission highlighted a number of areas of focus for the local organisers, including accommodation and transport, where a significant amount of work needs to be completed this year to ensure that the Games experience is delivered at the highest level for the athletes, participants and spectators.
The President of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, said: “It was our pleasure to receive the IOC President, Thomas Bach, together with the members of the Coordination Commission. As we move at high speed from the planning to the execution phase of the project, we are dedicated to delivering on our vision for the Games. In a project of this magnitude, some obstacles will always exist, but with the help of our partners at the IOC and the three levels of government, we will overcome them. Our joint commitment to deliver excellent Games with memorable celebrations is stronger now than ever.”
The Commission was pleased to hear from the Rio organisers that support for the Games remains strong across Brazil and that a number of engagement initiatives had been launched since its last visit, such as ticket sign-up, volunteer recruitment, the mascots and the Olympic Torch Relay. This nationwide engagement will now increase over the coming months, with ticket sales expected to begin in late March, the volunteer programme to enter its training phase, torchbearer applications to open later in the year, Rio’s cultural programme to get underway, the Rio education programme to continue to grow across the country, test events to bring sport to the host city, and the one-year-to-go celebrations to give us all a glimpse of the atmosphere that can be expected in 2016. These initiatives will give all Brazilians the opportunity to participate in the Games, just as in 2016 when events like the marathon, triathlon, rowing, road cycling and marathon swimming will give every Brazilian a chance to see the Olympic athletes in action.
During its meetings, the Coordination Commission also received updates from the organisers and their partners in areas such as athlete and National Olympic Committee (NOC) services, sport and International Federation services, media operations, spectators, transport, test events, marketing, technology and the Paralympic Games.
The Commission will return to Rio de Janeiro in August this year.