Death of Peter Tallberg, IOC member in Finland

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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.”

 

Traditional welcome for IOC President in Auckland, New Zealand, at the new National Olympic Committee HQ

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06/05/2015

IOC President Thomas Bach was welcomed to New Zealand with a traditional powhiri (welcome ceremony) at the new NOC headquarters in Auckland on Tuesday.

“Like the Olympic Movement, the welcome ceremony signifies peace, friendship and equality, and it shows how New Zealanders embrace the same values we do of tolerance and understanding through sport”, he said.

IOC Members Barry Maister (hockey) and Barbara Kendall (windsurfing) were on-hand to greet the President on his first visit to New Zealand. President Bach went on to formally open Olympic House, the home of the New Zealand Olympic Committee. Later, at a press conference, the President encouraged New Zealand to think about hosting the Olympic Games: “You cannot restrict the right to host the Olympics to just 20 countries”, he said. “The Olympic Games are universal and we should open doors and windows. If New Zealand is ready to look into it, we are ready.”

He said that the changes brought about by Olympic Agenda 2020 encouraged countries to think about how the Olympic Games could fit into the social, economic, environmental and sporting needs of a country.

As well as meeting athletes and members of the National Olympic Committee and national sports federations, President Bach also met Minister for Sport and Health the Hon. Dr Jonathan Coleman.

President Bach also had an opportunity to gain insight into New Zealand’s strong sporting system. On Wednesday, he visited athletes at the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Centre in Cambridge, and after a visit to the local school he went on to the Avantidrome home of New Zealand Cycling, where he met a number of New Zealand Olympic medallists and hopefuls for next year's Games in Rio de Janeiro.

At the Avantidrome, the President also had an off-the-cuff talk with a group of 20 New Zealand athletes. They discussed the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, changes to the sports programme and the reforms being implemented under Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.