Dec
31
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Without GE there wouldn’t be much of an Olympic Games. That is of course unless the athletes have been practising in the dark! The company has been working around the clock to make sure all 37 official Beijing Olympic venues have a variety of essentials, power and lighting being key among them.
“Build our brand”
But this isn’t the company’s first time around the block. Director of PR for GE, Deirdre Latour, says the reason GE has once again teamed up with the Olympic Games is because “it’s a great opportunity for us to build our brand around the world in key cities like Beijing, Vancouver and London. And the values of the Games align with the values of GE.”
Leading by example
One of GE’s strategies is to provide environmentally advanced technologies to the Games from cleaner energy generation and water purification to efficient lighting technology. And they are doing that by providing water recycling technologies to the National Stadium as well as supplying more than 100 wind turbines to wind farms north of Beijing, which will supply energy to the Olympic central area.
A hands-on approach
On-site GE is showcasing its innovative technology via its Imagination Center. The 1,500 square-metre pavilion allows visitors to see first-hand the pioneering solutions GE created in order to help Beijing host the largest, most technologically advanced Olympic Games to date. Latour adds, “The Imagination Center brings to life GE’s sponsorship of the Beijing Games. It showcases our innovative technologies like wind, water and lighting that have contributed to building the infrastructure of all 37 venues and 168 commercial buildings around Beijing.”
Waterfall and interactive tour
The two-storey building features an outdoor waterfall and interactive tour and is located in the Sponsor Village on the Olympic Green. It is open daily to the public from 4 to 24 August between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. After the Games, the Center will be moved and installed in the lobby of the new GE-China headquarters in Shanghai.
Dec
31
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When Chinese President Hu Jintao declared the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing open, these simple words - long-awaited by 20 per cent of the world’s population and some 10,500 athletes from the five continents – also appeared in French on the giant screens inside the Olympic Stadium.
Initiative of the International French-speaking Organisation
This presence of the language of Olympic Games reviver Pierre de Coubertin at the first Games organised in the People’s Republic of China marked the kick-off of a Francophone event which took place in the Chinese capital the day after the Games Opening Ceremony. At the initiative of the Secretary General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Abdou Diouf, this meeting brought together several heads of state and of government, sports ministers, Olympic family members – both French-speaking and international – around a message to promote the French language and the values that the French-speaking family and the sports movement share.
French on the same level as Chinese and English
French, an official language of the Olympic Movement, along with English, is of fundamental importance for the Olympic Games. That is why the OIF signed a convention with the Beijing Games Organising Committee (BOCOG) proposing a series of measures to accompany BOCOG’s efforts to encourage the use of French. These include translating the Games web site and the official information platform, INFO2008; signage in French at the Olympic venues; translating the main publications by BOCOG, including the Spectator Guide; recruiting 40 translators and French-speaking journalists for the period of the Games for written and oral announcements and the ceremonies; not forgetting providing French training for several hundreds of Chinese; and finally, organising French-speaking cultural events.
Beijing under the magnifying glass of the Grand Témoin
Like in Athens in 2004 and Turin in 2006, a Grand Témoin [Great Witness] – in this instance former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin – will visit the sports venues, Olympic enclosures and other public places and attend the competitions and official events in Beijing. To date, like its predecessors, Beijing in 2008 is taking the same approach to being loyal to the French culture and language and taking it beyond the promotion and development of cultural diversity, values shared by Olympism and the OIF. Expect to go further and stronger in Vancouver in 2010, London in 2012 and Sochi in 2014….
Dec
31
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The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met today in Beijing to reach a decision in the case of Ms Ekaterini Thanou’s participation in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Upon receiving the recommendations of the IOC’s Disciplinary Commission, the EB declared Ms Thanou ineligible to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games under Rule 23.2.1 of the Olympic Charter. In addition, the EB further decided to apply Rule 45.2.2.
Rule 23.2.1 provides for temporary ineligibility as a disciplinary measure or sanction. Rule 45.2.2 allows the IOC to refuse entry to any person at its own discretion. In the case of Ms Thanou its application is intended to firmly signal the IOC’s moral consideration that this case is serious, and that Ms Thanou’s actions in 2004 and subsequently have brought the Olympic Movement into disrepute.
Full text:
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Notes:
- Olympic Charter – Rule 23.2.1. “with regard to individual competitors and teams: temporaray or permanent ineligibility or exclusion from the Olympic Games, disqualification or exclusion, the medals and diplomas obtained in relation to the relvant infringement of the Olympic Charter shall be returned to the IOC. In addition, at the discretion of the IOC Executive Board, a competitor or a team may lose the benefit of any ranking obtained in relation to other events at the Olympic Games at which he or it was disqualified or excluded in such case the medals and diplomas won by him or it shall be returned to the IOC (Executive Board).
- Olympic Charter – Rule 45.2.2. “Only NOCs recognised by the IOC may enter competitors in the Olympic Games. Any entry is subject to acceptance by the IOC, which may at its discretion, at any time, refuse any entry, without indication of grounds. Nobody is entitled to any right of any kind to participate in the Olympic Games.”
For further information, please contact in Beijing:
IOC media relations office: +8610 666 27 298
Mobile numbers:
Emmanuelle Moreau - Media Relations Manager - +86 158 1155 1830
Sandrine Tonge - Media Relations Coordinator - +86 135 5217 5720
Dec
31
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is deeply saddened to learn of a tragic incident which occurred earlier today involving two relatives of a coach for the United States Olympic Men’s Indoor Volleyball Team.
The United States Olympic Committee has confirmed that while visiting the Drum Tower tourist site in Beijing, near the Forbidden City, two family members were subjected to a violent attack. One person was killed and the other seriously injured. It is understood at this time that a lone assailant was responsible, who shortly afterwards committed suicide.
The IOC would like to extend sincere condolences to the family and teammates of those involved, and to all members of the US delegation.
The IOC will provide whatever assistance is required, and is in close contact with the US Olympic Committee. The IOC is also working closely with the Chinese authorities to obtain information on this incident as soon as possible.
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IOC contacts in Beijing:
Emmanuelle Moreau - Media Relations Manager - +86 158 1155 1830
Sandrine Tonge - Media Relations Coordinator - +86 135 5217 5720
Dec
31
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Today, Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic won the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympic Games in the10 m air rifle shooting event. IOC President Jacques Rogge handed over the medal, with the silver being awarded to Lioubov Galkina of Russia and the bronze medal to Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia . Shooting has enriched Olympic history with many extraordinary athletes and stories.
The older, the better
Shooting is one of the original sports of the modern Olympic Games. In the early days, the rapid-fire pistol event was contested with duelling pistols, the target was the silhouette of a human dummy dressed in a frock-coat and the bull’s eye was the middle of the thorax. In 1908, Ireland’s Colonel Joshua “Jerry” Millner won the free rifle event at the age of 61, and he is still the oldest winner of an individual Olympic event in any sport. Twelve years later in Antwerp, in the Running Deer double shot team event, 72-year-old Oscar Swahn of Sweden became not only the oldest ever Olympic competitor but also, with a silver, the oldest medallist.
Takács’ unbelievable story
Moving on to 1948 in London. and the remarkable story of Károly Takács. Takács was a member of the Hungarian world champion pistol shooting team in 1938 when, while serving as a sergeant in the army, a grenade exploded in his right hand – his pistol hand – and shattered it completely. Undaunted, Takács taught himself to shoot with his left hand, and ten years later he not only qualified for the rapid-fire pistol event, he won it and beat the world record by ten points.
The “barefoot doctor”
Four years later in the small-bore rifle, prone, Iosif Sârbu became Romania’s first Olympic champion. In 1968, Eulalia Roliñska of Poland and Gladys de Seminario of Peru were the first women to compete in Olympic shooting, and, 16 years later in the free pistol event, Xu Haifeng, a former “barefoot doctor” and chemical fertilizer salesman, became not only the first winner at the 1984 Olympic Games, but also the first representative of China to win an Olympic medal. In 1992, his compatriot Zhang Shan, a 24-year-old from Nanchong in Sichuan province, became the first female shooter to win a mixed competition at the Games.
Dec
31
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The Beijing Olympic will be the most photographed Games ever. Thousands of photographers, from all over the world, will focus on the athletes, the venues and many colorful Beijing sites.
Elite team of two dozen
The International Olympic Committee is employing an elite team of two dozen photographers who will take 70,000 pictures. Among them are world renowned characters, including British photographer Ian Jones. The 42-year-old from Windsor, England, who has served as the official photographer to the British and Jordanian families, is working his first Games.
“I’ve always dreamed of covering an Olympic Games, “ said Jones. “If I can’t take part as an athlete, the next best thing is to take pictures.”
Challenging work
IOC photographers consider the Games are challenging to work, even for the most experienced professional.
“We’re shooting spontaneously, trying to catch the athlete in action,” American John Huet, says. “An entire event can last only a few seconds. There’s no time to pose the athletes or to adjust the lighting. You better be prepared or you could miss the shot of the day, maybe the photograph of the Games.”
Jones, who began taking pictures with his parent’s camera at age six, said there is friendly competition among his colleagues to take the day’s best picture.
“There’s a deep pride in producing, what I believe, will be a memorable record of one of the most historic Games ever.”
Creating a record
All of the IOC photographers and technicians work under the direction of Philippe Blanchard. The IOC’s Director of Information Management is responsible for creating the official photographic record of the Games.
“Our team is passionate about this work,” said Blanchard. “We have as much energy as the flash of a camera.”
By year’s end the IOC team will edit down to the best 25,000 photographs and create a permanent record for the Olympic data base.”
Dec
31
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Jacques Rogge, President, International Olympic Committee
“That was spectacular. Tonight, the world was able to join in a magnificent tribute to the athletes and the Olympic spirit. It was an unforgettable and moving ceremony that celebrated the imagination, originality and energy of the Beijing Games.”
“We saw 204 national delegations march into the beautiful new National Stadium in the age-old tradition of the Games. Millions of people around the world were able to experience the thrill of seeing their heroes in a sea of team colours and national flags.”
“We witnessed athletes from these 204 countries and territories united in peace in one place. And for the next 16 days, they will be a part of one of the most thrilling competitions in history. As an Olympian, I can tell you that they will carry this memory with them forever. ”
“This iconic stadium is one of the world’s new wonders. It was a fitting setting for an amazing Opening Ceremony, I look forward to an equally exciting and unforgettable 16 days.”
Hein Verbruggen, IOC Member and Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
“Opening ceremonies have always been a way for host cities to welcome the world and for the world to gather and share the Olympic spirit. This ceremony to open the Beijing Olympic Games was a breathtaking culmination of seven years of planning and preparation. The world will remember this for a long time.”
“Tonight wasn’t the end of a journey, but the fantastic beginning of 16 days of outstanding sport competition. This was a night to remember — for the Chinese people, and for the world.”
“As I watched the rehearsals for this ceremony, I knew this night would be absolutely astonishing. However, the actual event exceeded all my expectations. This was an unprecedented and grand success.”
Dec
31
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IOC President Jacques Rogge gave the following speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, this evening, in the National Stadium in Beijing:
Mr President of the People’s Republic of China,
Mr Liu Qi,
Members of the Organising Committee,
Dear Chinese Friends,
Dear Athletes,
For a long time, China has dreamed of opening its doors and inviting the world’s athletes to Beijing for the Olympic Games.
Tonight that dream comes true. Congratulations, Beijing!
You have chosen as the theme of these Games One World, One Dream. That is what we are tonight.
As one world, we grieved with you over the tragic earthquake in Sichuan Province. We were moved by the great courage and solidarity of the Chinese people.
As one dream, may these Olympic Games bring you joy, hope and pride.
Athletes, the Games were created for you by our founder, Pierre de Coubertin. These Games belong to you. Let them be the athletes’ Games.
Remember that they are about much more than performance alone.
They are about the peaceful gathering of 204 National Olympic Committees—regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religions or political system.
Please compete in the spirit of Olympic values: excellence, friendship and respect.
Dear athletes, remember that you are role models for the Youth of the World. Reject doping and cheating.
Make us proud of your achievements and your conduct.
As we bring the Olympic dream to life, our warm thanks go to the Beijing Organising Committee for their tireless work. Our special thanks also go to the thousands of gracious volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible.
Beijing, you are a host to the present and a gateway to the future. Thank you!
I now have the honour of asking the President of the People’s Republic of China to open the Games of the XXIX Olympiad of the modern era.
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IOC contacts in Beijing:
Emmanuelle Moreau - Media Relations Manager - +86 135 5217 6165
Sandrine Tonge - Media Relations Coordinator - +86 135 5217 5720
Dec
31
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is pleased to announce the list of the flagbearers for the 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participating in the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
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IOC contacts in Beijing:
Emmanuelle Moreau - Media Relations Manager - + 86 158 1155 1830
Sandrine Tonge - Media Relations Coordinator - + 86 135 5217 5720
Dec
31
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Today, the excitement in China’s capital city is palpable and visible. Chinese flags, Olympic banners and the five Fuwa mascots of the Beijing Games can be seen everywhere. New trees, fresh flowers and plants add bright dots of colour to the freshly paved roads, evoking a feeling of the grand historical festivals that have been a part of China’s culture for thousands of years.
Old meets new
Around the city’s famous landmarks, from the Summer Palace to the Forbidden City, foreign and Chinese tourists alike are celebrating the meeting of centuries-old sites with the new enthusiasm that the Games have brought to the city. In Tiananmen Square, thousands of people have gathered to take pictures with the Olympic displays in the centre. Such displays, sculptures and other Olympic works of art can be found throughout the city, from tourist attractions to malls and parks.
Excitement in the air
And from dawn until dusk, you can find crowds of people milling about the city in all of its open spaces, together soaking up the excitement that can almost be felt in the air. Visitors can take their pick of the traditional — bustling night markets offering culinary delights — or the modern — Beijing offers a lively nightlife scene. The Olympic spirit is bringing together citizens from all parts of the world in the second largest city in the most populous nation on earth to celebrate friendship, excellence and respect.
A spotlight on China
What does all of this mean? While no one can definitively say, perhaps President Rogge put it best, “I believe the spotlight on China will help the world to understand China, and it will also help China to understand the world.” Let the Games begin!
Dec
31
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In todays Olympic Village Newspaper, IOC President Jacques Rogge has welcomed the athletes of the world to Beijing. Rogge underlined in his article that everything possible has been undertaken to provide them with the very best conditions to compete.
Fight well
Rogge reminded the athletes of Pierre de Coubertins words of wisdom: At the Olympic Games, the important thing is not winning, but taking part. What counts in life is not the victory, but the struggle, the essential thing is not to conquer but to fight well.
Role models
The IOC President appealed to the athletes to play their part as role models. You represent the three values of the Olympic Movement, excellence, friendship and respect. Show the kids of the world who will follow you on TV, that winning is great, but that it is the taking part that counts. Excellence means sharing your passion with them freely and showing them how men and women of honour and courage behave.
Long Olympic experience
Rogge, based on his long experience as an Olympian (1968,1972 and 1976), Chef de Mission for the Belgian NOC as well as IOC member and IOC President, reminded the athletes that the Games are a golden opportunity to meet athletes from other sports and disciplines. I particularly encourage you also to discover China, this fascinating country, and its warm and hospitable people, who have been looking forward to these Games for years, he wrote.
Respect, respect, respect
To sum up, the President emphasised that the Olympic Games depend on respect. Respect for the rules. Respect for your competitors. Respect for referees. Respect means you dont cheat through doping. Doping is a curse that taints the achievements of clean athletes and robs them of the respect they deserve.
Dec
31
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With the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Games only a few days away, Liu Qi, the President of the Beijing 2008 Organising Committee (BOCOG), made his final pre-Games presentation to the IOC Session at its meeting in the Chinese capital. Seven years after presiding over the Chinese delegation that won the bid for Beijing, on 13th July 2001 in Moscow, Liu Qi presented to the IOC Members the fruits of BOCOG’s hard work.
We are ready!
The message from President Liu Qi was clear – we are ready! As those in Beijing or watching from afar on TV will have been able to observe, the athletes are arriving, the stadiums are ready to go and the fans are excited – let the Games begin. With several thousand staff and about 70’000 volunteers, trained, motivated and ready to go, the Beijing Games are gearing-up to be a truly spectacular event, where smiling and enthusiastic faces will be a common sight at each Olympic venue.
Achievements
Since Beijing’s election, BOCOG and its local partners have had some truly impressive achievements. The construction of 30 venues and 44 training centres has been completed, public transport in the city has been improved with the addition of new subway lines and express bus routes, polluting factories have been removed from the city, green spaces for the public have increased, and 42 sports events have been successfully held to test the Olympic sites.
Successful Games
The big question that remains though is will all this preparation pay off? Following Liu Qi’s presentation, no one can be left in any doubt that BOCOG and its partners have done everything in their power to prepare for an outstanding 16 days of competition. When the Opening Ceremony starts on the eighth of the eighth 2008 at eight o’clock, it will be the culmination of a dream, not just for Liu Qi and the staff of BOCOG but for an entire nation - a spectacular feast for the eyes and ears.
Dec
31
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Two American men go head to head in a race for Olympic swimming history in Beijing – one from the past and one from the present. Mark Spitz’s seven gold medals at the 1972 Games, one of the most famous of all Olympic achievements, is under threat from Michael Phelps, the 23-year-old who came close to Spitz’s record in Athens four years ago when he won six gold and two bronze medals.
All-time medal record challenged
Phelps will contest the 200 & 400 metres individual medleys, the 100 and 200m butterfly and the 200m freestyle as well as three relays. Spitz’s gold medals in Munich came in the 100 and 200m freestyle, the 100 and 200m butterfly and the three relays, with world record times set in every final. Even if Phelps fails to win the most gold medals at one Olympic Games, he seems set to smash the all-time record for most Olympic golds overall, currently held jointly by Spitz (who won two in Mexico City in 1968), fellow American Carl Lewis and Finland’s Paavo Nurmi with nine apiece.
And what about Katie Hoff?
Amazingly, Phelps may not be the only American attempting to win eight swimming gold medals. Depending on relay selection, Katie Hoff, like Phelps a member of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, will attempt the same feat and she is set to become the first woman since the legendary Australian Shane Gould in 1972 to compete in five individual events. Gould, incidentally, was just 15 years old at the time!
Mother Torres
Another woman in the spotlight will be 41-year-old Dara Torres, participating in her fifth Games, this time as a mother. Torres, who competes in the 50m freestyle, has already won nine Olympic medals, starting with a relay gold in 1984 in Los Angeles and most recently won four medals in at the 2000 Sydney Games… following a seven-year retirement.
Sulliva, Coventry, Manaudou and others
Swimmers from outside the US with the best chances of gold include Australia’s Eamon Sullivan, the current world 50m freestyle record-holder and therefore the fastest swimmer in the world. Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry and France’s Laure Manaudou, who both won gold, silver and bronze in Athens, will race in four and five events respectively while another gold medallist from Athens, Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak, will also figure in the 100 and 200m butterfly.
Dec
31
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“Sport for All – Sport for Life” - this is the motto of the 12th World Sport for All Congress which will be held in Genting Highlands (Malaysia) from 3 to 6 November 2008.
The agenda of the Congress will include plenary and interactive sessions that will address the following issues:
- Physical activity for young people
- Role of Sport for All in the world of information technology
- Sport for All’s responses to the challenges of ageing populations
- Sport for All and social justice
- Focus on the Olympic and Sports Movement’s Sport for All initiatives
Submit now!
Sports administrators, researchers, representatives from governmental and non-governmental organisations, representatives from the Olympic Movement, institutions and groups involved in Sport for All, are now welcome to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations which address one of the five sub-themes. Deadline for submission is 15 June 2008. We recommend that all the future contributors read the Call for Abstracts document (below) carefully. The Congress Programme Committee, chaired by Paavo Komi, a member of the
IOC Sport for All Commission, will then evaluate abstracts of papers and select speakers, in close cooperation with the organising committee.
Promotion of a healthy lifestyle
Organised by the
Olympic Council of Malaysia, the Congress is placed under IOC patronage, in collaboration with the
World Health Organisation (WHO) and the
General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). By gathering together experts from around the world, the 2008 edition will be once again a perfect platform for exchanging expertise and recalling the benefits of sport and exercise for a healthy lifestyle and taking concrete measures to implement Sport for All programmes and initiatives in developed and developing countries alike. The last conference took place in Havana (Cuba) in 2006, and gathered together some 1,000 participants from across the globe.
Dec
31
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Exactly four months before the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, delegations from
205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) learnt today about the IOC’s latest appraisal of the air quality in the Chinese capital. On the occasion of the XVI General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees
(ANOC) currently taking place in Beijing, IOC Medical Director Patrick Schamasch explained the results of an analysis of a set of data which were taken during last summer’s test events.
Satisfying outcomes
The data included temperature, wind, humidity and SO2, NO2, CO, Ozone and PM10 readings, which were taken by the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau from 8 to 29 August 2007. Subsequently, the
IOC Medical Commission evaluated the data on the basis of the WHO 2005 interim target standards. The findings indicate that, at Games time one year out, the health of athletes was largely not impaired. This finding is upheld by the fact that no health issues related to air quality were reported to the IOC by any of the team physicians who looked after athletes competing during the August 2007 test events. Nor were any such problems reported at the IAAF Junior World Championships that were held in August 2006. Moreover, measures are continuously being taken by the Chinese authorities which can be expected to improve the air quality further when compared with 2006 and 2007.
Procedures to protect the athletes
For outdoor endurance events that include minimum one-hour continuous physical efforts at high level – urban road cycling, mountain biking, marathon, marathon swimming, triathlon and road walk - the IOC Medical Commission’s findings indicated that there may be some risk. The IOC will, therefore, be working together with the relevant International Federations in order to put in place procedures which will allow a “plan B” to be activated for such events if necessary. Schamasch explained that the procedure will include daily monitoring of air quality and weather conditions at the venue, a reporting process from the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau to the IOC and relevant sports Federations, and a joint IOC-Sports Federation decision to postpone the event if necessary. He concluded: "Be ensured that the health and safety of the competing athletes is of the utmost importance for us".
Official website of Beijing 2008
Dec
31
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Barely one month after the election of Singapore as the host city of the 1st Summer
Youth Olympic Games in 2010, preparations are already in full swing. On Saturday, IOC President
Jacques Rogge, accompanied by IOC member
Sergey Bubka, toured the city and some of the venues where the competitions will take place. “This matches exactly what the Youth Olympic Games have to be. The venues fit the purpose perfectly and on top of that they are all in a perimeter of a few kilometres”, the President underlined. The visit also included the NUS, the university that will host the brand new Olympic Village.
Sport, Education, Art
President Rogge and Sergey Bubka, Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games, also had the opportunity to meet students from different schools and universities in which the National Olympic Committee had already launched an Olympic educational programme. In their presentation the students were highlighted the Olympic values, which form - according to them - “the backbone of all Olympic action”. Impressed by their study, the IOC President invited them to contribute actively to the “Virtual Olympic Congress”, a lead-up operation in view of the 2009 Congress in Copenhagen. The President also unveiled an artwork at the Singapore Olympic Academy. He then concluded: “Singapore will fulfil its mission to present an attractive and convincing cultural and educational programme. “
Official Host City Contract Signing Ceremony
During his stay in Singapore, the President paid a visit to the headquarters of the Organising Committee, where he encouraged the staff to proceed in the same enthusiastic and dynamic manner as they have done so far. He then attended the signing ceremony of the Host City Contract in the presence of Mr Miang Chian Meng, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and IOC member Ng Ser Miang, who was recently appointed Chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC).
The first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore will bring together approximately 3,200 athletes and 800 officials in 2010. The sports programme will encompass all 26 sports on the programme of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, with a limited number of disciplines and events.
Learn more about the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)
Dec
31
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The
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has begun a full week of meetings in Beijing (5-10 April), which will culminate with
the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOC) of the Olympic Movement participating at the XVI ANOC General Assembly. So that the NOCs can prepare for the Olympic Games in the best possible conditions, every four years, ANOC holds its General Assembly in the host city of the upcoming summer Games, which is why the meeting is taking place in Beijing for the first time this year. In addition to the General Assembly, ANOC will also hold an Executive Council meeting and meetings of the regional associations. A joint meeting between the
IOC Executive Board and the NOCs will also be held at the end of this week.
Confidence
This week’s ANOC meetings, as well as looking at issues affecting the world’s NOCs, will focus on the upcoming Olympic Games, with nearly half the agenda items dealing with this topic. At a press conference following the Executive Council meeting, ANOC President and IOC member
Mario Vázquez Raña said that his organisation did not have any major concerns as far as the upcoming Games were concerned, and that he expected even fewer problems as the Games drew closer. He added to his comments by saying how confident he was that these would be marvellous Olympic Games.
Serve Humanity
Vázquez Raña also pointed out during the press conference that he had seen many improvements in the city of Beijing over the years, and how he was sure that the Games had contributed to that progress. He concluded the media briefing by saying that he hoped that the Beijing Games would serve humanity, allowing for greater understanding between the peoples of the world, and how these Games would also be of great benefit to China. As the ANOC meetings progress this week, it will undoubtedly be a chance for the NOCs of the world to continue that process of understanding with each other.
Dec
31
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games yesterday concluded its tenth and final meeting with the Beijing Organising Committee (BOCOG) confident that BOCOG is on the right track with its preparations for this summer’s Olympic Games, which begin in only 127 days. The Commission, which is the body appointed by the IOC to oversee the operational aspects of the Games, spent three days (1-3 April) in the Chinese capital helping to guide the organisers as they work to put on successful Games this August.
Gold Medal Performance
Commenting at the conclusion of the meetings, Coordination Commission Chairman Hein Verbruggen said, “BOCOG is progressing well with all of its operations and we are confident that our Chinese friends will put on great Games for the athletes of the world. The IOC noted an increased level of support from the government authorities for the Organising Committee, which will undoubtedly help reinforce BOCOG’s excellent work. We were satisfied by the assurances we received across a number of areas – media service levels, including internet access, brand protection, environmental contingency plans for improved air quality, and the live broadcast feed. BOCOG must now fine-tune its operations over the final four months; an ability to act as an integrated team, with straightforward processes to enable timely decision-making, will be extremely important. There is every reason to believe that a gold medal performance is within its grasp and that the world will marvel at superb Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Welcoming The World
Continuing his comments, Verbruggen said, “This being our last Commission meeting – although of course I will return with a smaller team in the coming months – allow me to say it has been a pleasure to work with President Liu Qi and his team. BOCOG has worked relentlessly for nearly seven years now. They, plus the Chinese people, who are so excited about welcoming the world to their country, and of course the world’s athletes, for whom the Olympic Games are staged first and foremost, deserve success and a great event this summer.”
44 Different Functions
In addition to working on some 44 different functions that are tracked as part of the analysis to gain a perspective of Games preparations – from sport, spectator services, venues and technology to finance, marketing and medical services - the Commission members spent time appraising the physical readiness by visiting the Olympic Green and some of the venues located in this area.
Beijing 2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 will take place from 8 to 24 August 2008. The Games in Beijing will play host to the 28 summer sports currently on the Olympic programme. Approximately 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in the Games with around 20,000 accredited media bringing the Games to the world.
Dec
31
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During this week’s final meeting of the
IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Commission members once again took time during a working group on media to look at the services that the media can expect to receive at the Beijing Games,. Led by
Kevan Gosper, Vice-Chairman of the Coordination Commission and Chairman of the IOC’s Press Commission, the IOC heard reports from the
Beijing Organising Committee (BOCOG) on a number of points that will affect the ability of the media to report on the Beijing Games, ranging from catering arrangements to construction progress at the Main Press Centre (MPC).
Improved Media Services
During the meetings, BOCOG reported on how it is working to improve the services that it offers to the media. Its endeavours range from working to ensure that the new media regulations for foreign journalists were fully implemented to improving the “one-stop” shop service for the media at the Beijing Olympic Media Centre. Already in 2007, BOCOG held 100 press conferences, which were attended by 9,628 journalists. The first two months of 2008 saw nearly 10,000 media calls and about 7,500 emails to the media centre, a reflection of the enormous global interest in the upcoming Games.
Games Time in Beijing
BOCOG is working to provide high-level services to the media during the Games in Beijing. The members of the Commission, who have been following this area of preparations since the Games were awarded to Beijing in 2001, have been guiding BOCOG to ensure that when the media come to Beijing this July and August, their experience and ability to work is as positive as possible. In the meetings this week, the Commission looked at the media accreditation process right through to journalists’ ability to access the internet at Games time. The Commission members were confident that BOCOG will live up to its promises concerning the media services at Games-time.
Beijing 2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 will take place from 8 to 24 August 2008. The Games in Beijing will play host to the 28 summer sports currently on the Olympic programme. Approximately 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in the Games with around 20,000 accredited media bringing the Games to the world.
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Harbin (China), Innsbruck (Austria), Kuopio (Finland) and Lillehammer (Norway), the four candidate cities for the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games to be held in 2012 attended an IOC workshop this week in Lausanne.
IOC President Jacques Rogge welcomed them in a video message and expressed his satisfaction about "the enthusiasm with which they responded to the
IOC’s initiative to create the Youth Olympic Games".
Announcement of Host City in December 2008
During the workshop, the four cities were taken through the concept of the Youth Olympic Games and the requirements to host the first Winter edition of those Games in 2012. On the basis of these detailed briefs and a specific questionnaire, they will now prepare the candidature files to be handed in on 19 June 2008. These files will be analysed by a panel of experts representing the Olympic Movement, who will draw up a shortlist of Youth Olympic Games Candidate Cities by August 2008. The shortlisted cities will be further evaluated by an IOC Evaluation Commission. The election by the IOC members and the announcement of the host city will take place in December 2008.
Learn more about the Youth Olympic Games
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