International Olympic Committee : News

IOC ACP Forum resumes successfully in Lake Placid

11/19/2012 9:57:00 AM

Jointly hosted by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), the Forum brought together more than 90 participants from over 35 countries representing National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and Adecco, in addition to the IOC Athlete Career Programme (ACP) Steering Committee. Members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission who are involved in the delivery of the IOC ACP Outreach Programme were also present. The goal was to share best practices, networks and the workload to improve the implementation of the programme across the globe.

Launched in 2005, the IOC ACP aims to help elite athletes to successfully manage training, competition and the challenges and opportunities of day-to-day life. It focuses on three fields: Education, Life Skills and Employment. Since its inception, the IOC ACP has reached more than 10,000 athletes in over 100 countries.

The two-day programme produced a series of recommendations that will guide the work of the IOC ACP Steering Committee and the programme worldwide for the next two years.

Learn more about the ACP

See how Olympic fencer Keeth Smart benefitted from ACP

Results of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Election

8/11/2012 3:45:00 PM

The announcement was made today at London’s Olympic Village by Anita DeFrantz, Chairwoman of the Election Committee and IOC member. The election was held from 16 July to 8 August 2012 in the Olympic Village in London, the Olympic Sailing Village, the Olympic Rowing and Canoe Sprint Village as well as in the five cities hosting the football competitions.

Bartekova was elected with 2,295 votes, followed by Tomkins with 1,802 votes. Coventry received 1,797 votes and Estanguet 1,779.

Biographies of all the candidates can be found here.

The four new members will replace Hicham El Guerrouj, Rania Elwani, Frank Fredericks (former Chairman) and Jan Zelezny, who were elected to the Commission at the Games in Athens in 2004, and have come to the end of their term of office. After approval by the IOC Session on 12 August, Bartekova, Tomkins, Coventry and Estanguet will be officially introduced at the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympic Games later in the day.

The IOC Athletes’ Commission is now chaired by Claudia Bokel, who was elected to this position by the Commission members on 22 July. Bokel is also representing the athletes’ interests on the IOC’s Executive Board. Vice-Chair is Adam Pengilly, a former skeleton athlete who competed at the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Some 6,924 athletes – 64 per cent of all eligible voters – chose from among 21 candidates from the same number of countries. The votes had to be cast for four different athletes from four different sports. In order to be eligible, the candidates had to have participated either in the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 or in London in 2012, and have never been found guilty of a doping offence during their sports career.

Following the announcement, Chairwoman DeFrantz said: "The athletes are at the centre of everything we do, and the Commission ensures that their voice is heard in all important decisions taken by the IOC. The four new members can make a valuable contribution to the work of this Commission."

Background Information
The Commission, which meets once or twice per year, serves as a consultative body and is the link between active athletes and the IOC. It is composed of 12 athletes (8 summer and 4 winter) elected for eight years by the athletes participating in the Olympic Games, and of up to seven athletes appointed by the IOC President, to ensure a balance between regions, genders and sports. In addition, a representative of the World Olympians Association (WOA) and a representative of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are ex-officio members.

What the Athletes’ Commission does:
• Makes recommendations to and participates in the IOC’s main commissions and working groups
• Works in liaison with the athletes’ commissions of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs), Continental Associations, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
• Participates in the Olympic Games candidate city evaluation process
• Raises awareness among athletes of the fight against doping
• Oversees the IOC Athlete Career Programme (education, life skills and employment)
• Encourages women to take leadership positions in sports administration
• Promotes a healthy environment for everyone

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Fredericks and Bokel praise London’s athlete-focused Games

7/30/2012 2:52:00 PM

Fredericks was part of the IOC Evaluation Commission ahead of the decision to award the 2012 Games to London and was also a member of the IOC Coordination Commission, which monitored the progress of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) during preparations for the Games. Throughout that time, he has been impressed by the way in which athletes were always at the centre of LOCOG’s plans, thanks to the input of both the IOC Athletes’ Commission and LOCOG’s own Athletes’ Committee.

“I have seen this baby grow over the last seven years, to see what we have today,” said the four-time Olympic silver medallist. “It has always been athlete-centred, and I am happy. I think this always had the athletes at heart, and I am very happy that when I met with Jonathan Edwards, who was leading the LOCOG Athletes’ Committee, he was always checking up with me from day one in terms of ‘What do you think about this’, ‘Can you guys go back and see within the IOC Athletes’ Commission whether you like this idea or not’.”

Fredericks reserved particular praise for the Athletes’ Village, where competitors are staying during the Games.

“I was very impressed when I saw the village for the first time,” he said. “I think in my experience, which is only lasting from '92, this is the best Village I have seen. I think the athletes are happy, and they will be happy here for the duration of the time that they are here.”

Fredericks also highlighted LOCOG’s Friends and Family Ticketing Programme for athletes, which allowed every athlete competing in the Games to buy up to two tickets, depending on the sport, for friends and family for each session in which they are competing.

“From the athletes' perspective, I am happy that we have the Friends and Family Ticketing Programme here in London,” he said. “It is the first time this has been done. It is nice that now, finally, athletes know that their friends and family can eventually come to the Games and watch them.

“Before London that was not possible and now it is possible, and I can say that we have worked hard to find a great solution to have these friends and family tickets, and I think now all our friends and all our families can be happy to know they can purchase a ticket to come and watch us here in London.”

Fredericks completes his tenure as Chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission at the end of the London 2012 Games, when Bokel, who was elected by her fellow Commission members in London, will succeed him.

Like Fredericks, Bokel has been impressed by how the athletes have been considered throughout the planning of the London 2012 Games.

“I can only thank Frank and everyone from LOCOG for what they have done here to make a wonderful Games,” said the former épée fencer, who won a silver medal at the Athens 2004 Games. “It’s only just started but it started very well.”

During the Games, Bokel will be supporting the elections of the four new members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, who will replace Fredericks, Hicham El Gerrouj, Rania Elwani and Jan Zelezny.

“All the athletes here in the village, apart from competing, can vote for their representatives,” she said. “There are 21 candidates and four of them will be elected and announced on 9 August. We are supporting that, which also gives us a chance to be at the village and also for the athletes to speak to us, as the IOC Athletes' Commission, with all their issues and complaints. No one has come up to us yet, but we are still there just in case something may come up.”

Claudia Bokel to head IOC Athletes’ Commission

7/22/2012 9:00:00 PM

Bokel, a former Olympic fencer, is expected to replace Fredericks on the IOC Executive Board for the duration of her term pending approval by the 124th IOC Session on 26 July 2012.

“I am humbled by the trust my colleagues have put in me and want to continue the successful work of our previous chairpeople,” Bokel said. “I am deeply committed to the topics that are important to us as athletes: the Olympic Games, the fight against doping, the environment, women and sport, creating a level playing field for all athletes, and the Athlete Career Programme. The latter is particularly close to my heart and when I eventually reach the end of my term I would like to look back and see that this programme has grown stronger through greater outreach activities and job placements for athletes.”

Bokel was given the nod ahead of Alexander Popov and Adam Pengilly. Pengilly, a former skeleton athlete who competed at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games, was elected new Vice-Chair, succeeding Bokel in that role.

Fredericks congratulated Bokel, saying: “It was a great honour for me to chair this important Commission and represent the voice of athletes in the IOC Executive Board for the past four years. From my experience, we can really make a big impact in a number of areas and serve our peers. I wish my successor all the best for her new mandate and am sure she will be a great advocate for the athletes in the Olympic Movement.”

About Claudia Bokel
Bokel, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Games, is a former athlete representative of the German Fencing Federation and chair of the German Athletes Commission. She also chaired the European Olympic Committees Athletes Commission. Bokel was voted onto the IOC Athletes’ Commission at Beijing 2008 and became its Vice-Chair in 2010. For more information, click here.

IOC Athletes’ Commission elections in London
The Athletes’ Commission will also welcome four new members at the end of the Games. From 16 July until 8 August, all athletes participating in London 2012 are eligible to vote for four of the 21 candidates running for election to the Athletes’ Commission, with current members Fredericks, Hicham El Guerrouj, Rania Elwani, and Jan Zelezny all finishing their terms of office. Each voter will be asked to select four candidates from four different sports to ensure a varied representation from the Olympic sports programme. The results will be announced on 9 August at 2 p.m. at the Village Media Centre in the London Olympic Village. After approval by the IOC Session on 12 August, the four elected athletes will become IOC members for an eight-year term of office.

Learn more about the IOC Athletes’ Commission elections here.

About the IOC Athletes’ Commission
The Commission, which meets one or two times per year, serves as a consultative body and is the link between active athletes and the IOC. It is composed of 12 athletes (eight summer and four winter) elected for eight years by the athletes participating in the Olympic Games, and of up to seven athletes appointed by the IOC President, to ensure a balance between regions, genders and sports. In addition, a representative of the World Olympians Association (WOA) and a representative of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are ex-officio members.

What the Athletes’ Commission does:
• Makes recommendations to and participates in the IOC’s main commissions and working groups
• Works in liaison with the athletes’ commissions of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs), Continental Associations, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
• Participates in the Olympic Games Candidate City evaluation process
• Raises awareness among athletes of all categories in the fight against doping
• Oversees the IOC Athlete Career Programme (education, life skills and employment)
• Encourages women to take leadership positions in sports administration
• Promotes a healthy environment for everyone

Click here to learn more about the IOC Athletes’ Commission

Athletes at the voting boxes

7/17/2012 2:21:00 PM

Each voter will be asked to select four candidates from four different sports to ensure a varied representation from the Olympic sports programme. The 21 candidates either took part in the Beijing 2008 Games or will be taking part in the London 2012 Games. Voting offices are set up in the Olympic Village, the Olympic Sailing Village and the Olympic Rowing and Canoe Sprint Village as well as in the cities hosting the football competitions.

The results will be announced on 9 August at 2 p.m. at the Village Media Centre in the London Olympic Village. After approval by the IOC Session on 12 August, the four elected athletes will become IOC members for an eight-year term of office.

Athletes have always been at the heart of the Olympic Movement, and in 1981 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission was formed. Led by its Chairman, who sits on the IOC Executive Board, the Commission represents the athletes within the Olympic Movement and upholds their rights and obligations.

Click here to learn more about the election

Click here to read the full election manual and to learn more about the 21 candidates.

Click here to learn more about the IOC Athletes’ Commission

Twenty-one athletes to vie for four spots on IOC Athletes’ Commission

12/8/2011 5:30:00 PM

The candidatures of 21 athletes were announced today for the IOC Athletes’ Commission elections, which will be held during the Olympic Games in London in 2012. Four places on the Commission are up for grabs, with current members Hicham El Guerrouj, Rania Elwani, Frank Fredericks and Jan Zelezny all finishing their terms of office next summer.

More and more athletes today wish to play an active role in the world of sport. They want more than ever to express their opinions and have their voices heard within the Olympic Movement. The list of candidates (see below) features some of the top names in sport, and each is eager to commit to this role representing all Olympic athletes.

Elected by their peers

Only National Olympic Committees (NOCs) with an athletes’ commission were eligible to put forward a candidate. The candidates themselves must have taken part in the Beijing 2008 Games or be taking part in the London 2012 Games.

All athletes participating at London 2012 will be eligible to vote. They will be asked to elect four candidates from four different sports to ensure a varied representation from the Olympic sports programme. Voting offices will be set up in each of the three Olympic Villages in London, Weymouth and Portland (Sailing), and Eton Dorney (Canoeing and Rowing), as well as in the cities hosting the football competitions. After approval by the IOC Session, the four elected athletes will become IOC members for an eight-year term of office.

The voice of athletes

Created in 1981, the IOC Athletes' Commission is the link between Olympic athletes and the IOC and serves as the athletes' voice within the Olympic Movement. Since 1996, the majority of the Commission’s members (12 of 19) have been elected by their peers during an edition of the Olympic Games.

The 21 candidates (in alphabetical order) are:

	Family Name	Given Name	NOC	Sport
Mr	AL-ATTIYA	Nasser Saleh	QAT	Shooting
Mr	ASCHWANDEN	Sergei	SUI	Judo
Mr	BARRUFET	David	ESP	Handball
Ms	BARTEKOVA	Danka	SVK	Shooting
Mr	CAVIC	Milorad	SER	Aquatics
Mr	CHU	Mu-Yen	TPE	Taekwondo
Ms	COVENTRY	Kirsty	ZIM	Aquatics
Ms	DEKKER	Femke	NED	Rowing
Mr	ESTANGUET	Tony	FRA	Canoe-Kayak
Ms	FEITOR	Susana	POR	Athletics
Mr	HOLM	Stefan	SWE	Athletics
Ms	KOVAL	Viktoriya	UKR	Archery
Mr	LARSEN	Eirik Verâs	NOR	Canoe-Kayak
Mr	MUROFUSHI	Koji	JPN	Athletics
Mr	PEREZ	Jefferson	ECU	Athletics
Mr	PRIMORAC	Zoran	CRO	Table tennis
Mr	ROSSI	Antonio	ITA	Canoe-Kayak
Mr	SAEI	Hadi	IRI	Taekwondo
Mr	SAIVE	Jean-Michel	BEL	Table tennis
Ms	SPOTAKOVA	Barbora	CZE	Athletics
Mr	TOMKINS	James	AUS	Rowing

5th International Athletes’ Forum set for lift-off in Colorado Springs

10/6/2011 2:09:00 PM

The 5th International Athletes’ Forum gets under way on 8 October in Colorado Springs, with some 100 athletes from five continents taking part in three days of discussions on topics ranging from the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athlete Career Programme to athletes’ entourage, betting and gambling and anti-doping.

Jointly organised by IOC’s Athletes’ Commission and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the 5th edition of the Athletes’ Forum will feature meetings, plenary sessions and working groups designed to give athletes a platform to exchange ideas of greatest concern to them, both on the field of play and off. For the first time, a day of joint meetings has been organised with the Athletes’ Council of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA’s Athletes Committee, Continental Associations and athletes’ commission representatives from the International Federations. The meeting will be held at the USOC Training Centre, where the athletes will engage in sports activities.

30 years on

The biennial Forum takes on added significance this year, coming as it does on the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Athletes’ Commission, currently chaired by Olympian Frank Fredericks. The Commission was set up by former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch following the recommendations of the influential XI Olympic Congress in Baden-Baden, Germany, in 1981.

Athletes’ first

Athletes have always been the heart of the Olympic Games, but it wasn’t until the formation of the Athletes’ Commission 30 years ago that they were truly given a voice within the Olympic Movement. The Commission serves as a consultative body and is the link between active athletes and the IOC. It organises the Athletes’ Forum every two years for athletes and representatives from International Federations, National Olympic Committees and the Olympic Movement to gather to discuss pressing issues.

The first two editions of the Athletes’ Forum were held in Lausanne (2003, 2005), followed by Dubai (2007) and Marrakech (2009).

Baden-Baden: The birth of the Olympic Movement’s modern era

9/28/2011 3:30:00 PM

Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is marking the 30th anniversary of its influential Baden-Baden Olympic Congress, a gathering in Germany in 1981 that helped change the course of Olympic history with a number of groundbreaking decisions, including the creation of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

A number of high-ranking IOC members, including President Jacques Rogge, and other leaders from the sports world are in Baden-Baden for a ceremony feting the five-day meeting.

The Baden-Baden Congress came at a critical juncture in Olympic history, sandwiched as it was between the two boycotted Games of Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 and with the credibility of the Olympic Movement in jeopardy. The Olympic Movement’s financial situation was weak and athletes had no real voice in sports governance or administrative matters. It was clear that serious changes needed to be made in order to right the ship.

“In many ways, those five days in Baden-Baden ushered in the Olympic Movement’s modern era,” President Rogge said at today’s ceremony. “The 1981 Congress marked the start of a revolution — the Samaranch Revolution. Juan Antonio Samaranch had been elected IOC President at the Moscow Games, so Baden-Baden was his first real opportunity to exert his leadership.”

Read President Rogge’s full speech here.

Athletes first

Of all the decisions that would alter the future direction of the Olympic Movement, none was more important than the establishment of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. IOC Vice-President Thomas Bach and Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee Seb Coe, then both young Olympians, led a group of more than two dozen athletes in championing the idea in Baden-Baden.

The Athletes’ Commission was established one month after the Congress, and put athletes where they rightfully belong: at the heart of the Olympic Movement. A member of the Athletes’ Commission now sits on every other IOC commission and working group, meaning the opinions of the athletes are taken into account in all decisions made, including the bidding process, the organisation and the programme for each Olympic Games.

Forging a brighter future

The Congress also brought an end to amateurism at the Games, which forced athletes to choose between turning pro or following their Olympic dreams. Delegates also identified doping as the leading threat to the integrity of sport and vowed to take a tougher stance, reaffirmed the Olympic Movement’s commitment to equality (which led to the first woman being elected as a member of the IOC), and ended the practice of holding the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in the same year (which increased revenues and gave greater prominence to the Winter Games).

Athletes help optimise a career programme for their peers

10/15/2010 4:56:00 PM

The word needs to be spread more about the three letters “ACP”. This was one of the main conclusions of the 5th IOC Athlete Career Programme (ACP) Forum held last week in Lausanne. The event brought together athletes and representatives of National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Adecco and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for two days in order to improve the implementation of the programme across the globe. Launched in 2005, the ACP aims to support elite athletes to successfully manage training, competition as well as the challenges and opportunities of day-to-day life. It focuses on the three fields: Education, Life Skills and Employment.

27 NOCs and 6,800 athletes on board

Twenty-seven NOCs in all continents have already been actively cooperating with Adecco to implement the ACP in their countries. And with more than 6,800 athletes having benefitted from the service already, the ACP is becoming a success story. However, reaching out to as many athletes and potential employers as possible will remain a true communications exercise for all stakeholders involved.

“Be in a position to support myself”

Geri Buckley, a pistol shooter for Team Great Britain, British record holder and PhD student in her spare time, is one of those athletes who have already succeeded in combining their sporting career with their professional development. At the IOC Forum she gave insights into how she manages to balance training and education both at a high level. Combining her sport, studies, friends, relationships and family is a masterstroke; and a customised scholarship programme proved to be the key for her success in all those fields. She explained: “Even if I make the Olympic Games in 2012 there may still not be the funding and I must be in a position to support myself.”

Meet athletes’ expectations

Sergei Aschwanden, bronze medallist in judo at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 and currently a student of sports sciences and business in Switzerland, gave his view of how the ACP could best meet athletes’ expectations. “Adecco, the sports organisations and the coaches need to work closely together to motivate the athletes early on to get involved in the ACP. It is about making them aware that there is a life beyond their sporting career and that there is the ACP to assist them in shaping their futures. In a positive environment, the athletes will learn how to deal with social pressures, how to manage their time and how to plan ahead. And this is exactly what many of them are expecting from such a tailored programme.”

Create win-win situation for athletes and employers

During an internship at the IOC from July to September this year, Sergei Aschwanden took an active role in fine-tuning the ACP. He analysed the ACP information available on www.olympic.org and helped to better adjust it to the athletes’ needs. His presence at the IOC proved to be a win-win situation for both sides: whilst he underwent a huge learning curve in what it takes to organise sport at an international level and to find compromises among the many stakeholders, the IOC benefitted from his first-hand experience in many athlete-related topics. Sergei Aschwanden also visited the first-ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore to evaluate what improvements could be undertaken in the Youth Olympic Village, the Culture and Education Programme and in the competition formats to better meet the athletes’ needs. Sergei is convinced that it can be attractive for employers to integrate athletes into their structures. ”Of course you can never generalise, but many elite athletes have acquired skills during their sporting career that can bring added value to any future employer,” he said, and explained: “Managing pressure, learning to handle defeats and a ‘never give up attitude’ are characteristics that are helpful not only on the sporting field, but also in any other profession.”

“Let’s go!”

10/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

“Let’s go,” says Daniela Meuli in a mix of Swiss German and English, as she coaches young elite snowboarders during a training camp in Davos, Switzerland. This is one of her jobs. “I also needed some intellectual stuff,” she says. This intellectual stuff is provided at the Research Institute in Davos, where Daniela sorts out lifestyle plans for athletes. Daniela, a snowboard gold medal winner at the Turin 2006 Olympic Winter Games, did quite a lot of soul searching before she knew what she wanted to do after her sporting career.

Like 3,000 other athletes, she was helped in this process by the IOC Athlete Career Programme. For six months she was assisted in defining her goals, objectives and the skills she needed to gain in order to get a real job. “I think all athletes should think much earlier about life after their elite career,” Daniela underlines.

This point of view is also shared by Frank Fredericks, the charismatic former 200-metre runner, Olympian and Chairman of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission. “We have a problem,” he says, “once the athletes stop competing, what then?” Fredericks also stresses that such a programme needs to help cross the bridge between rich and poor countries, as athletes in poorer countries have absolutely no social system to rely on. The XIII Olympic Congress in Copenhagen in October offered the opportunity to seek new initiatives and ideas in this field. The topic was debated under one of the 15 sub-themes: The social and professional life of athletes during and after elite competition.