The Olympic Movement

Transcription

1 Olympism A philosophy of life. The Olympic Family Implementation of a structure, the Olympic Movement, governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Spreading Olympism and its values Missions. 2 3 The IOC in time and space Creation of the IOC in 1894 in Paris (France), on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin The Presidents The IOC headquarters, in Lausanne (Switzerland) since The Olympic Museum Window on the IOC and the Olympic Movement Legacy of the Olympic Games A place for interacting with the public. 8

2 2 Olympism Olympism is a philosophy of life founded on the education of the body and mind through sport. Olympism advocates a certain number of values which are developed during the practice of sport, both by competitive sportspeople of all levels and recreational athletes. At an individual level, this implies : knowledge : discovering one s abilities and limits competitive spirit : pitting oneself against others excellence : giving the best of oneself fair play : respecting one s opponents and at a more global level, is based on : access to the practice of sport for all, without distinction of race or religion building a better and more peaceful world The Olympic spirit is all this and more! These values are powerfully conveyed at the moment of the Olympic Games. However, between editions of the Games, the Olympic spirit continues to be spread through the continuing work of the members of the Olympic Family.

3 3 The Olympic Family Olympism is spread thanks to the Olympic Movement. At its head is the IOC, which has a governing role. Next come the organisations which conform to the principles of Olympism : International Federations (IFs) National Olympic Committees (NOCs) Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) national associations sports clubs And, of course, there are the athletes! THE IOC IN ACTION Its members The IOC currently has over one hundred active members. They can come from Olympic Family organisations, be administrators in the sports world, Olympic athletes or independent personalities. The members elect the President of the IOC. He has a mandate of eight years, renewable once only for a further four years. INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE = Comité International Olympique The IOC s official languages are French and English. Its structure The IOC is an international non-governmental organisation which receives no public money. Its revenues come mainly from the sale of television rights for the Olympic Games and marketing programmes. At least once a year, the members meet at the general assembly called the Session. It is on the occasion of the Sessions that important IOC decisions are taken. In 2002, two Sessions took place : the 113th, in Salt Lake City (USA) and the 114th in Mexico City (Mexico). All the rules that the Olympic Family members must follow are brought together in a document called the Olympic Charter. The IOC sets up various commissions responsible for different areas. These commissions put into practice the values of the Olympic Movement. Here are some of them : EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES The Olympic Solidarity Commission ensures that all athletes have the same chance of participating in the Games. With this in mind, Olympic Solidarity creates programmes to improve the sports infrastructure in various countries and offers financial assistance by awarding scholarships to athletes in preparation for the Games. The scholarship-holders can use the granted funds to access high-level sports facilities, benefit from a specialised coach or undergo an adapted medical test. They can also ask for financial support for participation in Olympic qualifying competitions.

4 4 The Olympic Family ATHLETES HEALTH The Medical Commission supports research into sports sciences by studying new ways of helping athletes, such as sports medicine, biomechanics, sporting physiology or nutrition. Its main priority is the fight against doping, thanks to the implementation of anti-doping controls in the framework of the Games. The Commission is also behind the Anti-Doping Code to which the whole of the Olympic Movement must conform. WOMEN S PLACE The Women and Sport Working Group is concerned with making access to sports for female athletes easier. In addition, it works towards increasing the number of women in sports management. SPORT, ART AND CULTURE Interaction between sport and culture is encouraged by the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education. In collaboration with the NOCs, the Commission organises different activities which aim to promote exchanges between the sports world and different areas of artistic activity such as literature, painting, sculpture and theatre. The festival of the arts, or cultural programme, offered during the Olympic Games is examined and approved by the Commission. The Commission seeks both to celebrate the cultural diversity of the Olympic movement and to set up youth educational programmes. It also contributes to humanitarian causes and carries out actions in favour of peace. THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE GAMES Ecology is the principal concern of the Sport and Environment Commission. During the construction of Olympic venues for the Games, the Commission ensures the respect for nature and the environment (choice of materials, recycling, energy saving, etc.). THE IFS, THE EXPERTS IN OLYMPIC SPORTS The International Federations govern their sport at a global level. They ensure the promotion and development of sport and the development of the athletes who practise it, at all levels. During the Olympic Games, the IFs are responsible for the practical organisation of the sports events on the programme. All the technical aspects of a sport are their responsibility : the rules, equipment, venues, judging, etc. Here are some examples of Olympic federations : Summer sports International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) International Swimming Federation (FINA) International Cycling Union (UCI) Winter sports International Ski Federation (FIS) International Skating Union (ISU) International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)

5 5 The Olympic Family THE NOCS, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OLYMPISM There are currently 199 National Olympic Committees, whose role is to spread Olympic values at a national level. There are NOCs throughout the world : From Morocco to South Africa : 53 NOCs in Africa From Chile to Canada : 42 NOCs in America From Syria to Japan : 42 NOCs in Asia From Iceland to Russia : 48 NOCs in Europe From Australia to the Cook Islands : 14 NOCs in Oceania The NOCs carry out many different functions in their respective countries, from the development of sport at all levels, to the creation of educational programmes, to the continued training of sports administrators. They are also responsible for sending a delegation of athletes to the Olympic Games. The NOCs ensure that all the programmes carried out at a national level conform with the principles of the Olympic Charter. THE OCOGS, THE ORGANISERS OF THE GAMES People often think that the IOC is responsible for organising the Olympic Games. In fact, it has more of a supervisor s role. It is the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, based in the city where the Games are going to take place, which manages the practical aspects of their preparation. At present, the OCOGs for the future Games are : Athens 2004, Turin 2006 and Beijing The OCOG s task is enormous. From the moment when the city is selected to host the Games, there are only seven years left to put in place all the necessary arrangements. The Committee must choose where and how to create the sites of the competitions venues, the stadiums, training halls, the Olympic Village, in short, all the infrastructure necessary for the smooth running of the Games. To do this, the OCOGs work with the IFs.

6 6 The Olympic Family The problem of transport is one of the parameters that the organisers have to take into consideration : a good road network is needed to allow the athletes and spectators to access the venues without creating traffic jams. Medical services must be set up on site in order to look after everyone s health. Another of the OCOG s missions is the establishment of a cultural programme. Concerts, plays, ballets and exhibitions make the Olympic Games different from all other sports events. The OCOG has to inform the public of all the preparations and respond to questions posed by the press. The OCOG benefits greatly from the assistance of thousands of volunteers who contribute to the success of the Games. The OCOG recruits, then trains, people from the host country and also from abroad. The volunteers activities vary widely from transporting athletes to hospitality to administration, for example. The talents and experience of each individual are taken into account when allocating jobs. After the Games, the final task of the OCOG is to compile the official report of the Games. THE OCOG CHALLENGE! At the 2000 Games in Sydney (Australia) the SOCOG was faced with : athletes officials accredited journalists around spectators on average every day

7 7 The IOC in time and space AN HISTORIC DATE The IOC was founded in Paris on 23 June 1894, by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. To commemorate this date, the 23 June is known as Olympic Day, a sort of birthday of the Olympic Movement. In many of the world s countries these days, the celebration often takes the form of fun runs. EIGHT PRESIDENTS IN 100 YEARS OF OLYMPISM Contrary to popular belief, Pierre de Coubertin was not the first IOC President! In 1896, the Olympic Games took place in Athens, and it was a Greek who was elected to the presidency. To date, the IOC has had eight presidents. The current president is Jacques Rogge. NAMES OF THE PRESIDENTS Demetrius Vikelas (Greece) Pierre de Coubertin (France) Henri de Baillet-Latour (Belgium) J. Sigfrid Edström (Sweden) (président par intérim de 1942 à 1946) Avery Brundage (USA) Lord Killanin (Ireland) Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain) Jacques Rogge (Belgium) 2001 THE IOC IN THESE WALLS Since 1915, the IOC headquarters have been in Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva. It was Coubertin who chose this city, in the midst of the First World War [see sheets Pierre de Coubertin and the revival of the Games ]. After having occupied various buildings in Lausanne, the IOC headquarters finally found its definitive home at the Château de Vidy in This is where the President s office can be found. THE BUILDINGS IN LAUSANNE which have served as IOC headquarters are : The Montbenon Casino The Mon-Repos Villa Up to 1980, the IOC had only a few employees. Its development over the last 20 years has led to a growth in its administration and expansion in it premises : Olympic House was built next to the Château (1986), and the west wing was extended some years later (1998). In recognition of the long history that unites the IOC and Lausanne, the city received the title of Olympic Capital in 1993.

8 8 The Olympic Museum THE LINK BETWEEN THE IOC AND THE PUBLIC Few people know many of the IOC s undertakings outside the Olympic Games. The role of the Olympic Museum is to act as a window on the institution and to encourage external contacts, at a regional and international level. While the IOC strives to strengthen the Olympic Movement through specific programmes, the Museum offers its contribution by promoting knowledge of the Olympic Movement amongst the general public. GUIDED VISIT Located in Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Olympic Museum lies a few kilometres away from the IOC headquarters. The external walls are covered with white marble and eight columns are placed along the forecourt, in reference to Greece, the birthplace of the Games. The park adds to this sensation with its plants which give a Mediterranean feel. Water features and fountains link the gardens to the nearby lake. Inside the Museum, the visitor s eyes are drawn to the ramp in the centre of the building. From this vantage point, a view can be had on all of the Museum s activities. THE ARCHITECTS Pedro Ramirez Vazquez (Mexico): creator of many large constructions, such as the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City in Jean-Pierre Cahen (Switzerland): creator of several school sites and large constructions in and around Lausanne. ACCESS TO THE MEMORY OF THE GAMES A place of memories, the Museum holds the IOC s and the Games historical archives. Written documents, photos and films are preciously guarded here. Accounts of the Games of Antiquity, sports equipment used from 1896 to the present day, medals, posters, mascots, and many other souvenirs of the Games make up its collections. Through the exhibitions, visitors can discover a great number of these treasures. Bringing together the public and the legacy of the Olympic Games makes the Museum a lively and dynamic place.

9 9 The Olympic Museum THE EXPRESSION OF OLYMPIC VALUES - Multicultural exchange : like the athletes from every country who attend the Games, the Museum s visitors come from five continents. They demonstrate the attraction of the Games throughout the world and underline the international appeal of the Museum. - Bringing together art and sport : the sculptures in the park and the works of art in the exhibitions complement the original memorabilia from the Games. - Respect for the environment : nestled in a leafy park, the Museum is in harmony with its setting. The building strives to be discreet, adapting itself to the natural surroundings. During its construction, the plans were changed in order to preserve a centenary oak tree, which now shelters the statue of Pierre de Coubertin. HISTORY The idea of an Olympic Museum goes back to Pierre de Coubertin himself! At the beginning of the 20 th century, the founder of the modern Olympic Games hoped to create a museum responsible for gathering together and preserving the legacy of the Games. Some years after the IOC headquarters had been set up in Lausanne, Pierre de Coubertin established an early Olympic Museum (Villa Mon-Repos). It closed its doors in In the 1980 s, President Samaranch picked up on Coubertin s idea. A provisional museum opened in another part of Lausanne (avenue Ruchonnet). The current Olympic Museum project began to get underway, with construction work starting in The inauguration took place in 1993, on the 23 June, a symbolic date in the history of the Olympic Movement!

10 10 Explore a little further Feel the Olympic spirit! Put together a file made up of examples of fair play in the world of sport, as well as in your everyday life. Next think of your own sports experiences are there times where you find you would have liked to act differently? Imagine that a city/town of your country is bidding to host the Olympic Games. Why would it be the ideal place for the Olympic competitions? List the existing sports facilities. What would need to be constructed? How, as an Olympic host, could the city/town contribute to the Olympic Movement? Create a mini candidature file including the strong points of your region. Do a press study on the IOC. Read the newspapers for one month and collect all the articles mentioning a member of the Olympic Family (the IOC, an IF, an NOC, an OCOG, etc.). Write a review, commenting on the news. SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY Young readers : How well do you know the Olympic Games? Lausanne : Museum and Olympic Studies Centre, 2002 Teachers : Olympic Charter Lausanne : IOC, 2001 L Œil Olympic Museum, Lausanne Art Sport et Culture Special edition, June Years of the International Olympic Committee, the idea, the presidents, the work Three volumes, produced under the management of Raymond Gafner Lausanne : IOC, 1994 On the web :