Enjoy Olympic Day!
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is today celebrating Olympic Day, giving its President, Thomas Bach, the chance to share a relaxing moment with his guests from Lausanne, at the headquarters of the institution.
An evening with the theme of the centenary, as this year the IOC is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its presence in Lausanne. Since the anniversary date of 10 April, the city of Lausanne has been feting Olympism with a number of exhibitions and activities organised in its streets and alongside its symbolic monuments.
In his speech, President Bach said: “Every year, Olympic Day allows the whole world to unite behind the Olympic dream. The people of Lausanne also share this dream. It is no coincidence that this city became the Olympic Capital, with all the love it has for sport. The IOC has now had its home port in Lausanne for a whole century.”
He continued by inviting those from Lausanne, in particular, to take part in Friday’s fun run: “Today, throughout the world, men, women and children will take part in Olympic Day. They will play sport and share the pleasures and values of sport. And how about us? We will not be satisfied with this evening alone! On the occasion of our “100 years together”, I invite you take part in the centenary walk and run this Friday.”
Indeed, the traditional Olympic Day Run has been renamed the “Centenary Run” this year, and it will take place in Lausanne on Friday 26 June, reaching its climax in the evening with a festive event at the Pierre-de-Coubertin Stadium. This will kick off a weekend of various free entries, events and sports introductions aimed at the people of Lausanne. Click here for the full programme of the weekend.
During the evening, the IOC President took time to visit the various sports workshops organised in the IOC gardens – something that was very much appreciated by the young athletes practising fencing, artistic gymnastics, slackline and golf.
The love affair between Lausanne and the IOC does not stop with the centennial celebrations, however. The IOC is in the process of establishing new headquarters: “the illustration of our roots in Lausanne,” according to the IOC President. “This new headquarters is a bridge between the roots of the IOC in Lausanne and our vision for the future with Olympic Agenda 2020”, he underlined.
Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.
This year once again, millions of people across the world have got active today to celebrate Olympic Day. The IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International and National Sports Federations and the Organising Committees for the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games – to name but a few – are offering various programmes to get people moving, regardless of their age, sex or physical condition.
The IOC is offering a chance to win a trip for two to Rio de Janeiro in December for a sneak peek of the Olympic Park ahead of next summer’s Olympic Games. To enter, individuals simply need to get active; capture the moment with a photo or video; and then share it using #olympicday on social media.