Olympic stakeholders praise PyeongChang 2018 Debrief

Following the operational sessions for the PyeongChang 2018 Debrief in Beijing China, Olympic Movement stakeholders offered their insights into what they took away from the week of exchanging knowledge from PyeongChang 2018 to Beijing 2022.

Thomas Bach, President, International Olympic Committee:

"If there is one message that I would like everyone from the future Organising Committees and interested cities to remember, it is that this new approach has partnership and feasibility at its heart. Our goal is to make the Olympic Games best fit the long-term needs and goals of the host cities. With Olympic Agenda 2020, we have turned the page and are writing a new chapter in the way future Olympic Games are organised.”

Sarah Hendrickson, two-time Olympic ski jumper:

“I was very honoured to be invited by the IOC to come to China and talk about my experience as an Olympic athlete.  My favourite part about these events is meeting people that make our dream events come true.  I realise more and more that it takes tens of thousands of people to make the Games run smoothly, and I appreciate their work so much.  Of course, my journey as an athlete started back in 2011 when Women’s Ski Jumping finally got the word that we would be included in the 2014 Games, but the journey for these organising committees takes just as long.  Thank you to everyone who makes my training worth it and supports the world at the Olympic level.  I truly believe the Olympics make the world a better place and am so very thankful to be a part of it!” 

Heike Groesswang, Secretary General, International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF):

“The IOC Debrief PyeongChang 2018 gave a great opportunity for all stakeholders to exchange information. With the strategic sessions explaining what opportunities the New Norm gives to future OCOGs, it was a great experience and learning lesson for us as an International Federation. The operational sessions the following days were quite intense, but also helpful to understand the full workflow an OCOG has to undergo to deliver the Games during a four-year period, and which essential role each stakeholder has. This is an exceptional set-up, and I believe a very valuable transfer of knowledge.“

Leon Xie, Alibaba GM, who attended the debrief on behalf of the TOP Partner group:

“The Debrief was well organised and operated. We were able to sit down with various groups of people from Beijing 2022 to share learnings from the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. More importantly, this Debrief gave us an opportunity to understand more about Beijing 2022’s leadership, people and plan. I think we are off a good start with Beijing2022, and really appreciate all the hard work IOC has put in to organise this Debrief.”

Yiannis Exarchos, Chief Executive Officer, Olympic Broadcast Services Executive:

“We need the Games to be smarter by proving we can stage things that are sustainable and that serve people in the host countries for the future. Future organisers of the Games have opportunities that weren’t there in the past. The IOC has gathered deep knowledge that will help them organise their version of the Games in the most effective way. We have very important stakeholders that can also bring valuable knowledge. Tapping into that is a starting point. This is the expertise you get and that can help host cities make their Games more impactful. Not bigger, but with a bigger impact.”

Andrew Parsons, International Paralympic Committee President:

"The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games were a record-breaking success as Para athletes once again inspired and excited the world with their outstanding performances.

Over the last two days it has been important to celebrate PyeongChang's success while, together with key stakeholders, taking forward key strategic learnings in many areas for future Organising Committees to benefit from. In partnership with the IOC and other members of the Olympic and Paralympic families, we want to make each Games edition better, more efficient and more sustainable.

“The success of PyeongChang 2018 underlined the huge potential the Paralympic Winter Games have, not just in athletic performance, reach and engagement, but in terms of driving social inclusion. Following this Debrief, I hope that Beijing can take on board the learnings from PyeongChang and do for the Paralympic Winter Games what it did for the Summer Games 10 years ago."

Horst Lichtner, International Ice Hockey Federation, General Secretary:

“The debrief between POCOG and BOCOG was absolutely necessary, in order to avoid the same challenges in Beijing which we had faced and managed in PyeongChang.

I was very impressed by the number of representatives from BOCOG. I would have wished that the International Federations were more involved in the debrief process, as we have a mandate to organize the sport in Beijing 2022 together with the IOC and BOCOG.”