Olympic Order awarded to Jean Todt
Honorary President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and decorated motorsport personality Jean Todt was today presented with the Olympic Order by IOC President Thomas Bach in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“Your passion has always been motor sport. First as a rally driver, later as a manager, driving legendary motor racing teams to ever greater success,” said President Bach in his address, emphasising Jean Todt’s many achievements.
The Olympic Order is the IOC’s highest honour for individuals, and is awarded to people who have upheld the Olympic values by rendering outstanding services to the development of sport or the Olympic Movement.
“During your presidency, you took the FIA to new heights as the definition of success expanded. Whereas on the race track success is measured by speed, agility and technical excellence, at the FIA you focused on strengthening the sustainability of motor sport; on promoting diversity and inclusion; and on making roads safe for everyone,” President Bach explained during the ceremony held at Olympic House, one of the most sustainable buildings in the world. “Making the world a better and safer place for all – this shared mission is at the heart of the cooperation between the IOC and FIA.”
The #3500Lives road safety campaign is the centrepiece of this cooperation. The campaign was showcased at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, and is just one example of how the IOC and FIA join forces to promote road safety messages. President Bach underlined that the #3500 Lives campaign was Todt’s brainchild, and is one of the many enduring legacies of his FIA presidency. Todt continues to use sport as a force for good in society in his role as UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, a position he has held since 2015.
In his acceptance speech, Todt said: “I must confess that in my different achievements over the years, I have enjoyed observing and being inspired by what the IOC is doing. I have always had great respect for the Olympic Movement and we clearly share a lot of values - integrity, humility and the desire to take action without boasting about it.”
He added: “I must thank you for all your trust, especially with your support for the #3500 campaign, which has been rolled out in more than 80 countries to educate people and to address road safety, which is one of the biggest epidemics on earth as 1.3 million people die every year on the roads, and between 30 to 50 million people are disabled due to road accidents per year.”
A former rally driver himself, the Frenchman Todt took part in many World Championship rallies throughout his career.
In 2005, he became a founder member and Vice-President of the Brain Institute (ICM), and has been a Board member of the International Peace Institute (IPI) since 2015. He has also served on the IOC’s Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport.