IOC Announces Olympic Highlights of the Week

(PRWEB) January 23, 2012

IOC ACTIVITIES

PRESIDENT

IOC President Jacques Rogge is still in Innsbruck (Austria), the host city of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the Closing Ceremony of which will take place on 22 January in the Bergisel stadium.

During his stay, President Rogge has met many IOC members present in the Austrian city. He has also met the Athlete Role Models, YOG Ambassadors and the young athletes participating in the YOG, and visited the YOG Village and the various Culture and Education Programme stands.

MEMBERS

Prince Albert II has become the Patron of the World Olympians Association (WOA), at the proposal of WOA President Jo?l Bouzou. He thus succeeds the late Juan Antonio Samaranch, who created the WOA in 1994 and was its Patron until his death in 2010.

IOC member Andr?s Botero Phillipsbourne has been confirmed as Minister of Sport in a ceremony held at the Palacio de Nari?o, the Presidential Palace in Bogot?, and attended by the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calder?n. IOC President Jacques Rogge was represented at the event by IOC Member Richard Carri?n.

PARTNERS

In Innsbruck, the IOC and McDonald?s announced that their partnership would be extended through to 2020. The announcement was made in the presence of President Rogge and McDonald?s President and Chief Operating Officer, Don Thompson. The agreement reached with McDonald?s, who have been an Olympic sponsor since 1976 and already have an agreement as a Worldwide TOP Partner through to London 2012, means the company will continue to support the IOC, the Organising Committees and the National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Rio 2016 Olympic Games, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the 2020 Olympic Games, for which the host city has yet to be elected. The agreement also includes all editions of the Youth Olympic Games within the same period.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS

SUMMER IFS

In its centennial year, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is inviting athletics fans from all over the world to take part in an online competition to design the official poster for World Athletics Day. The competition is open to all, regardless of age or country. Drawings should be sent to wad@iaaf.org by 26 February at the latest, or may be posted directly on the IAAF World Athletics Club Facebook page.

On 16 January, i.e. 200 days before the triathlon competitions start at the Games in London, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) launched its official Olympic website, http://www.triathlon.org/olympics. This website will publish the latest news about the Olympic competition, as well as data on the qualification phase.

NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES

The NOC of Brazil, whose President is IOC member Carlos Arthur Nuzman, has presented two new sculptures from its artistic collection. Called ?Olympic Cow? and ?Fighter of Xian?, these works will be exhibited in the NOC?s future Olympic museum. The first sculpture acquired by the NOC was created by Brazilian plastic artist Leandro Silva. The second one was specially created for the Beijing Games and given to the NOC afterwards.

This week in Madrid, the new President of the Supreme Council of Sports, who is also the Secretary of State for Sport, Miguel Cardenal, officially took up his functions at a ceremony hosted by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Jos? Ignacio Wert. The numerous personalities present included Spanish NOC President Alejandro Blanco.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee has presented awards to the athletes who won medals in world championships in 2011, their coaches and the NOC?s supporters and sponsors. The volunteers who helped at the flame-lighting ceremony were also honoured. A ceremony was held at the NOC headquarters, attended by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Petros Alivizatos; the Secretary for Sport, Panagiotis Bitsaxis; the Attica Regional Governor, Yiannis Sgouros; IOC member Lambis V. Nikolaou; International Olympic Academy President Isidoros Kouvelos; NOC members; and numerous sporting and political figures.

In the 16 January edition of the Gaceta Olimpica, the NOC of Guatemala announced that three young girls, Julieta Fernanda Cruz Chang, Ana Domenica Maselli S?nchez and Mar?a Nicole Casta?eda Ralda, will be taking part in the ?Dream Programme? in PyeongChang (Republic of Korea). The objective of this programme is to promote the practice and development of winter sports for young people living in countries where the weather conditions do not allow them to take part in the disciplines which require snow. The college attended by these three participants is one of the educational institutions in which the Guatemalan NOC has developed sports access and talent-spotting programmes.

Chimeddorj Ganzorig, the President of the Mongolian Boxing Federation, has received the 2011 IOC ?Sport and Social Responsibility? Trophy, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the Olympic Movement and sport, especially boxing, in Mongolia. The Trophy was presented to him by IOC honorary member Shagdarjav Magvan at the annual ?Burto Chono? Olympic gala hosted by the Mongolian NOC, whose President is Demchigjav Zagdsuren.

YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES

INNSBRUCK 2012

Catch up with the latest news on this first edition of the Winter YOG on http://www.innsbruck2012.com.

RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS

The 10th World Games will be held in Wroc?aw (Poland) in 2017. This decision, taken by the Executive Committee of the International World Games Association (IWGA), was announced by IWGA President Ron Froehlich at a ceremony held on 12 January at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The contract with the host city will be signed in Quebec (Canada) on 21 May 2012 in the framework of the IWGA General Meeting. The 9th edition of the World Games will take place next year in Cali (Colombia).

At its Congress last year, the International Sport Movies & TV Federation (FICTS) decided that its theme for 2012 would be ?TV Sport Emotions?. Various initiatives will be launched, such as an travelling continental workshop and an international forum. Furthermore, the ?Sport Movies and TV 2012? international festival will be held in Milan (Italy) from 5 to 9 December. The FICTS celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team.

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