Highlights of the Week
IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
On 18 June, IOC President Jacques Rogge attended the ceremony to inaugurate the new House of Basketball, headquarters of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in Mies (Switzerland), in the presence of Swiss President Ueli Maurer, FIBA President Yvan Mainini and the FIBA Secretary General, IOC member Patrick Baumann (see also the “Summer IFs” section below). This week, the IOC President has also taken part in a meeting of the Museum 2020 Steering Committee, attended also by IOC member Richard L. Carrión; and he has received IOC honorary member King Constantine.
On 20 June, President Rogge was in Mersin (Turkey) for the opening ceremony of the XVIIth Mediterranean Games.
COMMISSIONS
On 18 and 19 June, the Coordination Commission for the 2018 Winter Games paid its second visit to the host city, PyeongChang. After the meetings, the Commission, chaired by IOC Executive Board member Gunilla Lindberg, underlined some of the recent successes of the Organising Committee (POCOG) and looked positively on some of its upcoming milestones and planning.Read the story here.
OTHER NEWS
Kobe Bryant, the US international basketball star and two-time Olympic gold medallist, has teamed up with the IOC to encourage people all over the world to get moving to mark Olympic Day on 23 June. Watch his video on YouTube and other social media platforms.
INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS
On 18 June, to mark its 81st anniversary, FIBA officially inaugurated its new headquarters, the House of Basketball in Mies, near Geneva. More than 400 guests were present, including representatives of FIBA member federations, partners and members of the 2013 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Read the story here.
A few days ahead of the first Miami Grand Prix, the International Judo Federation (IJF) and USA Judo teamed up to hold training clinics in local schools. US judo stars Kayla Harrison, Travis Stevens, Angelica Delgado, Myles Porter, Marti Malloy and Ernest Ojito were on hand to talk about their experiences with a view to inspiring some of the 500 children attending to take up judo. With these kinds of clinics, the IJF is hoping that World Judo Tour events will continue to be used to promote judo at the grassroots level. More details on www.ijf.org.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced the appointment of 56 year-old Nick Mallet to the IRB Rugby Committee as coaches’ representative. Nick Mallet previously served as coach to the national teams of South Africa (the Springboks) and Italy. Details on www.irb.com.
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
The German NOC reports that Olympic Day was celebrated on 14 June at the Kassel Sports Festival, with around 10,000 children getting the chance to try out new sports such as handball, rowing, judo, trampoline and fencing. Throughout the day, former or current members of the German Olympic team, such as Hendrik Stehlik (trampoline bronze medallist in 2004), Henning Fritz (handball silver medallist in 2004), Inga Römer-Krieger (fencing silver and bronze medallist in 2000) and Sebastian Schmidt (rowing competitor in 2008 and 2012) were on hand to advise and help the young participants. There was also an exhibition on the Olympic Games entitled “Faszination Olympia” (Olympic Fascination) and an Olympic quiz organised by the German Olympic Academy. Details on www.dosb.de.
An MoU was signed in Lausanne on 15 June by the Presidents of the Australian and Canadian NOCs, IOC member John Coates, and Marcel Aubut. Under the terms of the MoU, in place until after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the two NOCs will share skills, knowledge and experience in the areas of coaching, sports administration, sports science, education and training. More details on www.olympics.com.au.
The Colombian daily La Nacion has awarded its “Vorágine” Order to the Colombian NOC, represented by its President, Baltazar Medina, in recognition of the NOC’s work last year. The Chairman of the Editorial Board, Jesús Oviedo Pérez, presented the Order. More info on www.coc.org.co
Ahead of the Winter Games in Sochi next year, the Mongolian NOC, in collaboration with the Russian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, has organised a “Sochi 2014” sports drawing contest. NOC President Demchigjav Zagdsuren and the Embassy Cultural Attaché, O. Rakshaeva, presented the six winners with their prizes. In all, some 124 school children took part in the contest.
The headquarters of the Peruvian NOC recently hosted a workshop on the role of the coach in terms of psychology. This workshop is part of a training programme in which national coaches and national sports federation technical coordinators are sharing their experience. More details on www.coperu.org.
The Czech NOC is currently actively supporting the sports clubs affected by the recent flooding in the country. As well as talking to the local authorities about coordinating the assistance needed, the NOC has also decided to release funds from its own budget for urgent aid to the most damaged sports facilities. Martin Doktor, two-time Olympic canoe sprint champion and NOC Sports Director, is responsible for this coordination. Details on www.olympic.cz.
The Ukrainian NOC recently signed a four-year MoU with the Qatari NOC. Under the terms of the MoU, the two NOCs will strengthen sports relations between two nations, and share expertise and research in the field of sports science, medicine and physical education, as well as knowledge and experience in sports event organisation. Details on www.noc-ukr.org.
On 11 June, the Uruguayan NOC held its traditional ceremony to recognise the best sports performances in 2011 and 2012. The ceremony was attended by the country’s top sports authorities. The Best Athlete of the Year award went to Olympic Solidarity scholarship-holder Alejandro Foglia, who placed eighth in the Laser sailing competition at the 2012 Games in London. Details on www.cou.org.ur.
The headquarters of the Venezuelan NOC recently hosted a ceremony at which Sports Minister Alejandra Benítez presented the national flag to javelin thrower Jesús García, who was representing the Venezuelan athletes who will be taking part in the 22nd Summer Games of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (CISS). These are being held in Sofia (Bulgaria) from 26 July to 4 August. The Venezuelan team will consist of 80 athletes competing in nine disciplines.
RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
From 26 to 29 June, around 3,000 people will be attending the 18th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science in Barcelona (Spain). The Congress will be held at the National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), located in the Montjuïc Olympic Park, the main site for the Summer Games in 1992. The topics to be addressed include sports science in the world of science and rehabilitation through exercise. More details on www.ecss.mobi.