Countdown To The Olympics

What have young rowers in the United Kingdom, a tennis player in Russia, weightlifters in China and football players in Argentina got in common? They all want to achieve their dreams and become champions. Their combined ongoing efforts to reach their goals are linked to one of the key questions that will be discussed in October 2009 at the XIII Olympic Congress in Copenhagen: Is competitive sport still appealing?

 

The views of the different youngsters vary. “For me, it is already a great satisfaction and success when I manage to carry out a new technical element properly”, says the young rower in Hensley. The young Russian tennis player is categorical: “I want to become number one in the world”. The Argentinean boys all dream about playing in the first division. In China, weightlifting has benefitted from the success and all the medals Chinese athletes have won. “We can see a real passion for this sport and many young boys and girls have decided to take it up … and for some, strive to become Olympic champions,” says a coach in a Beijing gym.

 

The discussions and debates in Copenhagen will certainly dig deeper into the issue, and analyse it from different perspectives. Other leisure activities and so-called fun sports will be examined, and their impact on young people and Olympic sports analysed. For youngsters who are already champions in their chosen sports, the appeal is obvious.

 

 

Today in Bern (Switzerland), IOC President Jacques Rogge met with the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently staying in Switzerland. Naturally, their discussions focused on the preparations for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and Russia’s sporting policy in view of their success. Mr Medvedev wished President Rogge every success for the Olympic Congress that will take place in about 10 days’ time in Copenhagen (Denmark). President Rogge invited President Medvedev to Lausanne during one of his future trips to Switzerland.

 

The IOC delegation also comprised Jean-Claude Killy, Chairman of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Sochi Games, and IOC member Vitaly Smirnov. For his part, the Russian President was accompanied by Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister for the Olympic Games and Regional Development; Vitaly Mutko, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Youth; Leonid Tyagachev, President of the Russian NOC; and Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014.

 

 

“Protecting the health of the athletes is a top priority for the Medical commission of the IOC”, says Professor Arne Ljungqvist Chairman of the Commission. The commission has worked over the years on several studies which are summarised in a series of valuable papers, spanning nutritional supplements, healthy lifestyle, female athlete triad, sex changes. “However we have to do more”, says the Chairman of the Commission, a point of view that is also shared by the athletes. Jessica Lindell Vikarby, who crashed during training for the downhill race at the Ski World Championships last February in Val d’Isère, stresses,that research to prevent injuries is essential for the well-being of athletes, enabling specialised medical centres to act appropriately. The IOC’s Medical Commission is in charge of providing this knowledge, evaluating and disseminating it. The athletes are true professionals and they need this professional support”, concludes Arne Ljungqvist.

 

“Health protection in training and competition” is one of the 15 sub-themes that will be debated at the XIII Olympic Congress that takes place in Copenhagen between 3 – 5 October.

 

 

 

Usain Bolt, triple Olympic gold medallist, wants to know what you think the future of the Olympics will be! In conjunction with the Olympic Congress, which will be held between 3 and 5 October 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is offering two free trips to Copenhagen, Denmark for the best YouTube video reply to this question. The lucky winners will attend the entire Congress.

 

An Olympic Congress is a platform where discussions are held by the IOC President, IOC members and the Olympic family on how to improve the Olympic Games.

Between 3 and 5 October, discussions will be had on the following themes:

-          The Athletes

-          The Olympic Games

-          The Structure of the Olympic Movement

-          Olympism and Youth

-          The Digital Revolution

 Find out more on the Olympic Congress

Following the submission of the Candidature Files of the three Candidate Cities of Guadalajara (Mexico), Nanjing (China), and Poznan (Poland) last week, the IOC President has appointed an Evaluation Commission to analyse the projects put forward for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2014.

The IOC Evaluation Commission will be chaired by Mr Frank FREDERICKS, IOC member and Chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, and is composed of the following persons:

- Timothy Tsun Ting FOK, IOC Member, Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong President

- Sergey BUBKA, IOC Member, National Olympic Committee of Ukraine President; IOC Coordination Commission for the First Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010 Chairman

- Patrick BAUMANN, IOC Member, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Secretary General

- Claudia BOKEL, IOC Member, IOC Athletes’ Commission representative

- Neven Ivan ILIC ALVAREZ, Chilean National Olympic Committee President; NOC representative

- Guido DE BONDT, Belgium National Olympic Committee Secretary General

- Andrew RYAN, Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Director

- Gilbert FELLI, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director
- Christophe DUBI, IOC Sports Director
- Essar GABRIEL, IOC Head of the Youth Olympic Games

The Evaluation Commission will submit a report to the IOC Executive Board and to all IOC members, who will vote and elect the YOG 2014 Host City at the IOC Session in Vancouver in February 2010.

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For further 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 Paralympic Committee (IPC) has celebrated its 20-year anniversary in Bonn, Germany, which has been the home of the IPC headquarters for a decade.

A special ceremony at the World Conference Centre in Bonn featured sports personalities as well as personalities from the world of economics and politics.

 

Official welcome speeches were delivered by IPC President Philip Craven, who is also an IOC member; IOC Vice-President Thomas Bach; his IOC colleague, Prince Albert II of Monaco; and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke; as well as other international dignitaries.

 

Speaking on behalf of IOC President Jacques Rogge, Thomas Bach recalled that  “since 2001, an agreement has been in place aimed at securing and protecting the organisation of the Paralympic Games. From 2008 onwards, the Paralympic Games will always take place shortly after the Olympic Games, using the same sports venues and facilities. The IPC has a representative on the IOC Athletes’ Commission and also on the Evaluation and Coordination commissions for the Games.”

 

“Today, the Paralympic Games clearly emphasise the participants’ athletic achievements, not their disability, and the Beijing Paralympic Games were a perfect illustration of this, with great performances by inspiring athletes. We all now look forward to the same great moments for the next editions in Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014,” Thomas Bach added.

 

Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee Lord Sebastian Coe led the second round of discussion with the topic entitled “The London 2012 Paralympic Games Approach”. President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko contributed in the panel discussions on themes such as “The Paralympic Movement – A History of Change” and “The Paralympic Games – From Challenger to Frontrunner”. IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, IPC President  Philip Craven, British Paralympian Danielle Brown and others also took part in the discussion in which the future of the Paralympic Movement was discussed with an emphasis on its challenges and opportunities.

 

 

 IPC Celebrates 20 Years Today

During the summer, with the support of Lausanne, Olympic capital, and in cooperation with three other museums in Europe, Asia and Latin America which are members or observers of the Olympic Museums Network, The Olympic Museum has organised the Olympic Short Film Contest. The aim was to give young film-makers the chance to express their vision of Olympism using a medium they enjoy.

The contest has been held in three phases. The first was a pre-selection phase, for which 45 candidates entered. Each had to demonstrate his or her audiovisual experience and submit a film of around five minutes to one of the four museums. A first round was then held in June, with eight directors taking part.

For the final, there are now four films in contention (one for each country), for which internet users can vote to award the Audience Prize from today until 21 September. An international jury will also meet to award the Grand Prize to the best film in the contest, and the Jury Prize to the second-best film. The jury members include Fernando Meirelles (Brazil), director of City of God and The Constant Gardener, and Ursula Meier (Switzerland), director of Home last year.

The names of the winning films will be made known by the end of the month.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it has received the Candidature Files of the three Candidate Cities bidding to host the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Guadalajara (Mexico), Nanjing (China) and Poznan (Poland) [1] all delivered their files before the deadline of 5 p.m. today.

 

The Candidature Files have been prepared in response to an IOC questionnaire. They will be analysed by an IOC Evaluation Commission, which will prepare a report that will be published and submitted to the IOC Executive Board and the IOC members before the election of the host city in February 2010 at the 122nd IOC Session in Vancouver.

Please note that the IOC will not release the Candidature Files, but has informed the Candidate Cities that they may make their files public should they so wish.

The first Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place in Singapore in 2010 (www.singapore2010.sg) and the first Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Innsbruck in 2012 (www.innsbruck2012.com).

[1] Cities are listed in alphabetical order

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced an agreement with Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) for the broadcast rights within Spain for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016.

RTVE, Spain’s public service broadcaster, has acquired the broadcast and exhibition rights across all broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, radio, the internet and mobile phone.

RTVE will be responsible for ensuring that the broadest possible audience is able to access the Olympic Games across all these platforms, including a guaranteed continuation of free-to-air television coverage.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with RTVE, who have done a fantastic job for many years promoting the magic of the Olympic Games across Spain and helping to promote Olympic sports.”

IOC Vice-President Thomas Bach, who led the negotiations, commented: “This agreement

is an important announcement for the IOC. It is the first time we have negotiated broadcast rights directly in Spain. We are looking forward to working directly with RTVE, who will continue to be an excellent partner for the IOC, and the Olympic Movement, in 2014 and 2016.”

Luis Fernández, President of Corporation RTVE, stated: “RTVE believes in the value of all and each one of the sports, and in the right of all citizens to enjoy the Olympic Games through their radio, television and interactive public service media. We will do our best. The Beijing Olympic Games have been very successful; those of 2014 and 2016 will be also.”

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Through its membership of the European Broadcasting Union, RTVE will also broadcast the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

The host city of the 2016 Olympic Games will be announced at the 121st IOC Session, to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2009.

For further information on the broadcast and exhibition rights for other territories within Europe for the XXII Olympic Winter Games (2014) in Sochi, Russia, and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad (2016) please see the following press releases:

 

 

 

 

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

To contact RTVE: Tel: +34 91 581 76 72, email: prensa@rtve.es