Countdown To The Olympics

How can we promote a culture of peace among youngsters? How can we make sport a driving force for developing a community and young people? How can we mobilise youngsters through sport? These are some of the issues that will be addressed at the very first International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development on 7 and 8 May at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Placed under the patronage of the International Olympic Truce Foundation (IOTF) and the IOC International Relations Commission, this Forum will bring together experts from across the world representing the Olympic family, governmental and non-governmental institutions, United Nations agencies, as well as universities and the media. 

This Forum will above all place emphasis on young people, who are, for the global community of today, a challenge and responsibility but also an asset. Sport is, in essence, the only language understood by everyone. Sport is also a remarkable educational tool. It allows youngsters to acquire many useful competences in the pursuit of their objectives, and contributes to forging their identity and personality. It gives them hope, pride and good health. “If young people learn to respect each other thanks to sport, they will then be ready to contribute to building a better society,” (Jacques Rogge, IOC President).

Sport has become one of the greatest phenomena of our society, a unifying element, an ideal platform for conveying a message of peace and learning the fundamental values of respecting each other. The IOC has a social responsibility to develop sport for all to increase access to physical activity worldwide, to disseminate the values of sport in all sectors of society, and to improve social and human well-being in general. This is why the IOC is involved in several development initiatives in cooperation with many organisations, which operate in this area inside and outside the sports family, and which recognise the value of sport as a tool for development and establishing peace across the world.

The objectives of this first Forum are:

- to examine how sport can work in favour of the quest for peace and development,

- to consolidate the promotion of a culture of peace among young people;

- to analyse sport for developing the community and young people and its contribution to the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations;

- to promote education and healthy lifestyles through sport; 

- to evaluate how the Olympic Games can leave a legacy for education, development and peace;

- to study the way to pool all resources and the support received in order to invest these in sport to achieve fruitful development.

A report on this event will be presented during the Olympic Congress in October in Copenhagen.

 Forum preliminary programme with list of speakers
 Find out more about the IOC’s activities in the field of development through sport

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the London Games in 2012 today wrapped up its fourth visit to the British capital. The three days of meetings – from 21 to 23 April – and site visits allowed the Commission to fully assess the developments made on the London 2012 project by the local organisers. The Commission was impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since its last visit, and put this down in no small part to the strong spirit of partnership that is being shown, under the leadership of LOCOG, by all the stakeholders involved in the Games.

Good Progress

Speaking after the meetings, Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said: “We have been greatly impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since our visit last year, particularly in moving from planning to operational delivery. This was evident in all the presentations and discussions we had about LOCOG’s Games-time planning, and of course during our visit to the Olympic Park. Seeing the transformation that has taken place in the Lower Lea Valley is nothing short of astounding, and this area will be a great legacy for the people of London and Great Britain.” He continued: “When I visited the Olympic Stadium last year, the foundations were just being laid. Today the main structure has risen from the ground and the roof is already going on. Other venues, such as the aquatic centre, Olympic Village and velodrome, are also rapidly growing from the ground, and this fast pace of development is no doubt down to the great spirit of cooperation that exists between the different partners involved in the 2012 project. Their ability to work as a team, plan ahead and solve issues together is ensuring that the Games and legacy planning remain on track as we head towards 2012.”

Games Preparations

During its visit, the Commission heard updates from the London 2012 Organising Committee and its partners on a number of important areas of Games preparations including transport, accommodation, field of play, sustainability, legacy planning, technology, ticketing, medical services and press operations. These areas of operations were also examined from the perspective of different groups, such as athletes, spectators and media, which allowed the Commission to get a global perspective on each subject and an overview of how each group will experience the Games. This helps the Commission to guide the Organising Committee, as it enters more and more detailed levels of operational planning. Some of the Commission members also visited the Eton Dorney rowing venue during their stay and were impressed with the quality of the venue, as well as with the sub-village for the rowing athletes at Royal Holloway College. The next visit of the full Coordination Commission to London will be in November 2009.

LONDON 2012
London was elected as the Host City for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. There will be 26 sports on the Olympic Programme in London in 2012 and around 10,500 athletes. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for London 2012 today wrapped-up its fourth visit to the British capital. The three days of meetings – from 21 to 23 April – and site visits allowed the Commission to fully assess the advances made on the London 2012 project by the local organisers. The Commission was impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since its last visit and put this down in no small part to the strong spirit of partnership that is being shown, under the leadership of LOCOG, by all of the stakeholders involved in the Games.

Speaking after the meetings, Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said, “We have been greatly impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since our visit last year, particularly in moving from planning to operational delivery. This was evident in all the presentations and discussions we had about LOCOG’s Games time planning, and of course during our visit to the Olympic Park. Seeing the transformation that has taken place in the Lower Lea Valley is nothing short of astounding and this area will be a great legacy for the people of London and Great Britain.”

He continued, “When I visited the Olympic Stadium last year, the foundations were just being laid. Today the main structure has risen from the ground and the roof is already going-on. Other sites such as the aquatic centre, Olympic Village and velodrome are also rapidly growing from the ground and this fast pace of development is no doubt down to the great spirit of cooperation that exists between the different partners involved in the 2012 project. Their ability to work as a team, plan ahead and solve issues together is ensuring that the Games and legacy planning remain on track as we head towards 2012.”

During its visit, the Commission heard updates from the London 2012 Organising Committee and its partners on a number of important areas of Games preparations including transport, accommodation, field of play, sustainability, legacy planning, technology, ticketing, medical services and press operations. These areas of operations were also examined from the perspective of different groups, such as athletes, spectators and media, which allows the Commission to get a global perspective on each subject and an overview of how each group will experience the Games. This helps the commission to guide the Organising Committee, as it enters more and more detailed levels of operational planning.

Oswald commented, “At this stage in preparations, we have seen in all the client focused working groups that London 2012 is moving in the right direction in order to ensure that individuals attending the Games in a little over three years time will have a first class Olympic and Paralympic Games experience. I think LOCOG and its partners deserve credit for the detail and quality of their work, which is also helping to make sure that the Games deliver as much value for money as possible in these economically challenging times.”

He added, “We also heard from LOCOG that it has had good success on the commercial front and has generated just under GBP 500 million worth of sponsorship revenue. This is an important position to be in with the current global financial difficulties and it once again underlines the strength of the Olympic brand.”

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012 commented, “The IOC are our partners in delivering the Olympic Games. They are experts. So we gain valuable insight and knowledge from them each time they visit. I’m obviously delighted that they are impressed with the progress we are making. This is a vast and complex project, with no room for complacency, but we are on track and on budget, and have a very strong and talented team of people working hard to make sure we deliver an Olympic and Paralympic Games which the whole country can be proud of in 2012.”

Some of the Commission members also visited the Eton Dorney rowing venue during their stay and were impressed with the quality of the venue, as well as the sub-village for the rowing athletes at Royal Holloway College. The next visit of the full Coordination Commission to London will be in November 2009.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
IOC Coordination Commission
The IOC, as the guardian of the Olympic Games, assists and monitors the work of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games through the work of the Coordination Commission. The Commission visits the host city once a year until four years from the Games, when the visits become twice yearly until the Games are held. The Commission’s full meetings are supplemented by the regular visits of smaller IOC teams involving the Commission Chairman, selected members of the Commission and members of the IOC administration.

LONDON 2012
London was elected as the Host City for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. There will be 26 sports on the Olympic Programme in London in 2012 and around 10,500 athletes. 

For more information please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org , or visit our website at www.olympic.org

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for London 2012 today wrapped-up its fourth visit to the British capital. The three days of meetings – from 21 to 23 April – and site visits allowed the Commission to fully assess the advances made on the London 2012 project by the local organisers. The Commission was impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since its last visit and put this down in no small part to the strong spirit of partnership that is being shown, under the leadership of LOCOG, by all of the stakeholders involved in the Games.

Speaking after the meetings, Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said, “We have been greatly impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since our visit last year, particularly in moving from planning to operational delivery. This was evident in all the presentations and discussions we had about LOCOG’s Games time planning, and of course during our visit to the Olympic Park. Seeing the transformation that has taken place in the Lower Lea Valley is nothing short of astounding and this area will be a great legacy for the people of London and Great Britain.”

He continued, “When I visited the Olympic Stadium last year, the foundations were just being laid. Today the main structure has risen from the ground and the roof is already going-on. Other sites such as the aquatic centre, Olympic Village and velodrome are also rapidly growing from the ground and this fast pace of development is no doubt down to the great spirit of cooperation that exists between the different partners involved in the 2012 project. Their ability to work as a team, plan ahead and solve issues together is ensuring that the Games and legacy planning remain on track as we head towards 2012.”

During its visit, the Commission heard updates from the London 2012 Organising Committee and its partners on a number of important areas of Games preparations including transport, accommodation, field of play, sustainability, legacy planning, technology, ticketing, medical services and press operations. These areas of operations were also examined from the perspective of different groups, such as athletes, spectators and media, which allows the Commission to get a global perspective on each subject and an overview of how each group will experience the Games. This helps the commission to guide the Organising Committee, as it enters more and more detailed levels of operational planning.

Oswald commented, “At this stage in preparations, we have seen in all the client focused working groups that London 2012 is moving in the right direction in order to ensure that individuals attending the Games in a little over three years time will have a first class Olympic and Paralympic Games experience. I think LOCOG and its partners deserve credit for the detail and quality of their work, which is also helping to make sure that the Games deliver as much value for money as possible in these economically challenging times.”

He added, “We also heard from LOCOG that it has had good success on the commercial front and has generated just under GBP 500 million worth of sponsorship revenue. This is an important position to be in with the current global financial difficulties and it once again underlines the strength of the Olympic brand.”

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012 commented, “The IOC are our partners in delivering the Olympic Games. They are experts. So we gain valuable insight and knowledge from them each time they visit. I’m obviously delighted that they are impressed with the progress we are making. This is a vast and complex project, with no room for complacency, but we are on track and on budget, and have a very strong and talented team of people working hard to make sure we deliver an Olympic and Paralympic Games which the whole country can be proud of in 2012.”

Some of the Commission members also visited the Eton Dorney rowing venue during their stay and were impressed with the quality of the venue, as well as the sub-village for the rowing athletes at Royal Holloway College. The next visit of the full Coordination Commission to London will be in November 2009.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
IOC Coordination Commission
The IOC, as the guardian of the Olympic Games, assists and monitors the work of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games through the work of the Coordination Commission. The Commission visits the host city once a year until four years from the Games, when the visits become twice yearly until the Games are held. The Commission’s full meetings are supplemented by the regular visits of smaller IOC teams involving the Commission Chairman, selected members of the Commission and members of the IOC administration.

LONDON 2012
London was elected as the Host City for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. There will be 26 sports on the Olympic Programme in London in 2012 and around 10,500 athletes. 

For more information please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org , or visit our website at www.olympic.org

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the London Games in 2012 today wrapped up its fourth visit to the British capital. The three days of meetings – from 21 to 23 April – and site visits allowed the Commission to fully assess the developments made on the London 2012 project by the local organisers. The Commission was impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since its last visit, and put this down in no small part to the strong spirit of partnership that is being shown, under the leadership of LOCOG, by all the stakeholders involved in the Games.

Good Progress

Speaking after the meetings, Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said: “We have been greatly impressed by the good progress that London 2012 has made since our visit last year, particularly in moving from planning to operational delivery. This was evident in all the presentations and discussions we had about LOCOG’s Games-time planning, and of course during our visit to the Olympic Park. Seeing the transformation that has taken place in the Lower Lea Valley is nothing short of astounding, and this area will be a great legacy for the people of London and Great Britain.” He continued: “When I visited the Olympic Stadium last year, the foundations were just being laid. Today the main structure has risen from the ground and the roof is already going on. Other venues, such as the aquatic centre, Olympic Village and velodrome, are also rapidly growing from the ground, and this fast pace of development is no doubt down to the great spirit of cooperation that exists between the different partners involved in the 2012 project. Their ability to work as a team, plan ahead and solve issues together is ensuring that the Games and legacy planning remain on track as we head towards 2012.”

Games Preparations

During its visit, the Commission heard updates from the London 2012 Organising Committee and its partners on a number of important areas of Games preparations including transport, accommodation, field of play, sustainability, legacy planning, technology, ticketing, medical services and press operations. These areas of operations were also examined from the perspective of different groups, such as athletes, spectators and media, which allowed the Commission to get a global perspective on each subject and an overview of how each group will experience the Games. This helps the Commission to guide the Organising Committee, as it enters more and more detailed levels of operational planning. Some of the Commission members also visited the Eton Dorney rowing venue during their stay and were impressed with the quality of the venue, as well as with the sub-village for the rowing athletes at Royal Holloway College. The next visit of the full Coordination Commission to London will be in November 2009.

LONDON 2012
London was elected as the Host City for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. There will be 26 sports on the Olympic Programme in London in 2012 and around 10,500 athletes. 

The resumption of Olympic Congresses following the First World War took place in Lausanne because, during the war, Pierre de Coubertin had moved the IOC headquarters there for the sake of neutrality. The main objective of the Congress was to complete the work, started in Paris in 1914, on streamlining the expanding Olympic Games programme.

Loyalty towards the IOC
This of course was of direct consequence for the International Federation’s and, following a suggestion by the International Cycling Union to create a union of international sports federations. They held a conference of their own immediately prior to the Congress in Lausanne. Against this backdrop it was perhaps not surprising that the Congress failed to bring about a more concise programme of competition, but the fact that the intended amalgamation of the federations into a world sports union did not happen could be seen as a sign of loyalty towards the IOC.

Ist  Olympic Winter Games
The Congress decided not to introduce Olympic Winter Games as an independent part of the Olympics but the host country would be allowed to stage competitions in winter sports under the auspices of the IOC, assuming that the country met adequate landscaping and organizational criteria. France was the first to have the chance of staging an “International Winter Sports Week”. This took place at Chamonix in 1924 and later became officially known as the Ist Olympic Winter Games.