Date 04 Sep 2013 Tags Olympic News

IOC Executive Board meets ahead of historic IOC Session

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee met today ahead of the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires to discuss a range of issues, including updates on the progress being made in future Olympic Games host cities Sochi 2014, Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018.

It was the final EB chaired by IOC President Jacques Rogge, who will retire at the end of the Session after 12 years at the helm of the Olympic Movement. His successor will be chosen on 10 September.

“Each milestone is another step closer to the finish line on 10 September,” said President Rogge. “It goes without saying that I have spent a great deal of time with the Executive Board since I first joined the EB in 1998 and I would like to thank each and every EB member who fought in the best interests of the athletes and the Olympic Movement over the years. It pleases me very much to know that whoever is chosen to succeed me will be supported and encouraged by this talented and passionate group of individuals.”





NOC matters

The EB also heard updates on the situations of the National Olympic Committees of India and of Pakistan.

Since the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in December 2012, the IOC has been working towards finding a solution to improve good governance within the NOC. The IOC provided the IOA with a roadmap and sent observers to the IOA’s General Assembly (GA) that took place on 25 August. The EB heard a report that the GA had approved most of the amendments to the IOA’s constitution requested by the IOC, but one specific clause had not been adopted. This clause, which deals specifically with the eligibility of members, is key to the good governance of the NOC and needs to be fully accepted before the suspended IOA can proceed with the elections. An official notification of the IOC’s position will be sent to the IOA.

As for the situation regarding the NOC of Pakistan, the IOC has been following the attempts by a “parallel body” to take over the Pakistan Olympic Association. The latest developments - the police and a group of individuals taking over the office of the legitimate NOC - are particularly worrying; and the IOC will carefully review the facts before taking the necessary actions, which include the possibility of a suspension to protect the Olympic Movement in Pakistan.

Olympic Energy

During an afternoon break, the EB members attended the unveiling of the sculpture “Olympic Energy” in Pierre de Coubertin Square in commemoration of Buenos Aires hosting the 125th IOC Session. Speaking at the ceremony, President Rogge thanked the artist, Rogelio Polesello, for his “magnificent piece of art – an extraordinary representation of the Olympic spirit”. The President and EB members were joined by Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri and Argentine Olympic Committee President and IOC member Gerardo Werthein.

Session overview

The 125th IOC Session, which is the assembly of the full IOC membership, will kick off on the evening of 6 September with an official ceremony at Buenos Aires’ famous opera house, the Teatro Colon. Three key decisions will be made during the following days, with the election of the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games on 7 September; the decision on the composition of the 2020 Olympic Programme on 8 September; and the election of the next IOC President on 10 September. Click here for the full schedule.

The 125th Session will be streamed live via olympic.org on www.olympic.org/2020-host-city-election and via YouTube. The YouTube live stream will be available via www.youtube.com/olympics. The programming schedule can be found here.