Countdown To The Olympics

Led by its Chairman Denis Oswald, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for London 2012 will pay its fourth visit to the next host city of the Games of the Olympiad. The Commission will hold meetings in London from 21 to 23 April and will have the opportunity to meet not only with members of the London 2012 Organising Committee, but also with the numerous stakeholders that are involved in the project.

Venues and Meetings

As usual, the Commission will look at a number of areas of Games preparations including technology; culture, ceremonies and education; transport; and sustainability. The core of the meetings will be taken up with sessions looking at the client experience for a number of different groups, such as the athletes, spectators, media and marketing partners. The Commission will also have the opportunity to see first hand the progress made on some of the 2012 venues notably around the Olympic Park.

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.

Led by its Chairman Denis Oswald, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for London 2012 will pay its fourth visit to the next host city of the Games of the Olympiad. The Commission will hold meetings in London from 21 to 23 April and will have the opportunity to meet not only with members of the London 2012 Organising Committee, but also with the numerous stakeholders that are involved in the project.

Venues and Meetings

As usual, the Commission will look at a number of areas of Games preparations including technology; culture, ceremonies and education; transport; and sustainability. The core of the meetings will be taken up with sessions looking at the client experience for a number of different groups, such as the athletes, spectators, media and marketing partners. The Commission will also have the opportunity to see first hand the progress made on some of the 2012 venues notably around the Olympic Park.

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) is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Abdel Mohamed Halim, IOC Honorary Member in Sudan, at the age of 99.

Elected to the IOC in 1968, he remained a member until 1982. He was a founder member of the African Football Confederation (1956), then its Vice-President (1976-1978) and President (1987-1988). He was a member of the IOC Eligibility Commission (1972-1976) and Olympic Solidarity Commission (1973-1980).      

Abdel Mohamed Halim organised the first African Nations Cup in 1957, as well as the third session of the Arab Olympic Committee in 1958. Halim was a member of the FIFA Executive Committee; Vice-Chairman of the FIFA Medical Committee (1966-1980); a member of the FIFA Technical Committee (1972-1980); and an Honorary Member of FIFA since 1980.

A physician by profession, he was Director of Omdurman Civil Hospital (1950-1953), and then Senior Physician at Khartoum Teaching Hospital (1954-1964). Halim was also a member of the Supreme Council of State of the Republic of Sudan (1964-1965); Chairman of the Council of the University of Khartoum (1956-1963); President of the Sudan Medical Association (1949-1964); Consultant Physician to the Ministry of Health; and Mayor of Khartoum (1953-1960).

In all his activities, he promoted the Olympic values. Abel Mohamed Halim also made significant contributions to publications including Congress newspapers as well as medical articles, and co-authored “Death of a World” (in Arabic).

The IOC expresses its deepest sympathy to Abdel Mohamed Halim’s family. 

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For further information, please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org

In 1914 the Olympic Congress was held in Paris for the third time, returning to the Sorbonne to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Olympic movement. It was an especially festive Congress with sports demonstrations, plays, musical performances and receptions while the motif of the Olympic Rings, designed for the occasion, was unveiled. But Paris 1914 was also a turning point for the Olympic Congress as for the first time NOCs were represented and the IFs were knocking loudly at the door.

Clarification of responsibilities
The reason for the increased interest from the international sporting community was a desire to establish a uniform programme for future Olympic Games, with binding rules and a clarification of responsibilities. Until then conditions for participation had been the preserve of the local Organising Committees, which inevitably resulted in misunderstandings and home advantage. This Congress led to the decision that athletes had to abide by the amateur regulations of their respective IF, and that the NOCs would be responsible for guaranteeing the amateur status of an athlete.

First technical Congress
A programme of obligatory and optional events for future Games was also outlined, while other resolutions included the abolition of an age limit for participation and the rejection of a proposal to admit women to athletics events – women were to be restricted to tennis and swimming. Generally, however, the Congress of 1914, the first genuinely technical Congress, was satisfying. The responsibilities of the NOCs and IFs started to become clearer, while the authority of the IOC remained unchallenged.

Discover photos and documents
Learn more about the 2009 Olympic Congress

The IOC’s Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) has just launched the 2010 edition of the grant programme aimed at young researchers engaged in scholarly research on the Olympic Movement, its history and values, and the impact of the Olympic Games on the various aspects of contemporary society and culture.

Three precise objectives

The objectives of this programme are as follows:

1) Encourage young researchers to undertake research with a humanities or social sciences perspective on the Olympic phenomena. The main fields of research include:

   – The Olympic Movement’s Contribution to Society: Challenges and Opportunities.

   - Young People and their Relationship with Sport and Olympism (Interest, Participation and Engagement).

   – The Various Aspects of the Legacy of the Olympic Games. How can an Olympic City Remain “Olympic”?

   – Career Changes for Elite Athletes: from Taking Stock to Fulfillment.

   – Multimedia and Sport: Future Issues.

2) Promote consultation of the IOC’s written and audiovisual patrimony.

3) Encourage exchanges of information and networking of young researchers from different disciplines and countries.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to all current postgraduate students (doctoral candidates), as well as university professors who have completed their doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in the last five years and currently hold an academic appointment.

The Selection Committee for the programme is composed of experts who are world-renowned for the quality of their research linked to Olympism, and members of the OSC.

Application files must be sent to the OSC by e-mail (research_grants@olympic.org) or by post no later than 30 September 2009.

 Click here for full details of the programme and application forms