Sporting legends to support young athletes at Lillehammer 2016

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced the list of 15 Athlete Role Models (ARMs) who will support the young athletes going to the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games from 12 to 21 February 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway.

Selected by the Winter International Federations whose sports will be featured at Lillehammer 2016, the list includes many legendary names from the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions. In Lillehammer, they will play a key role in supporting, mentoring and offering advice to the 1,100 young athletes who will be participating in the Games.

The ARMs will be accessible to the athletes in the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops within the Learn & Share Programme. These activities will focus on areas such as skills development, how to lead healthy lifestyles, environment and social responsibility, and Olympism.

The ARMs will be behind the scenes during competition and will also be available for informal chats in a specially created lounge that will be open to all participants. The athletes can also learn valuable lessons from the ARMs during “Chat with Champions” sessions – a Q&A format to promote discussion with the young athletes. Fans of the YOG, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to put their questions directly to the ARMs during informal chat sessions on the IOC’s social media channels.

The main goal behind the ARM Programme is to allow the ARMs to share their experiences and inspire the athletes to be the best they can be both on and off the field of play.

Angela Ruggiero, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission and Olympic champion in ice hockey, said: “The Athlete Role Models are giving back to sport by supporting the next generation of young athletes, both on and off the field of play. The ARMs have a wealth of knowledge to share with the young athletes garnered from their successful careers as sportsmen and women, and will be a huge support and comfort to the young athletes, many of whom will be experiencing their first multi-sport international competition.”

Also in attendance will be the IOC Athletes’ Commission, which will play a key role in the educational activities and workshops for athletes off the field of play.

For more information on the Youth Olympic Games, please visit: http://www.olympic.org/yog.

IOC President Calls For Sport To Be Included In UN Sustainable Development Goals During Speech At UN Headquarters

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today said the time has come for sport to play a greater role as a force for positive change around the world during a speech at the UN headquarters in New York.

His remarks were met with broad support from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of the UN General Assembly H.E. Sam Kutesa, who also spoke at the event, called “United Action Towards Sustainable Development For All Through Sport.”

“Sport has a unique role in society,” President Bach said. “Sport is the only area of human existence that has achieved its own universal law. The rules of sport are recognised and followed wherever sport is played. They are based on a global ethic of fair play, respect for opponents, tolerance and friendship. In sport all people are equal.”

Thomas Bach

The IOC President continued: “Sport and physical education programmes provide a strong incentive for school attendance and contribute to a broad spectrum of life skills. Sport teaches respect for rules and respect for others, tolerance, non-discrimination, team-building, communication, decision-making and problem-solving. It promotes self-esteem, personal responsibility and self-discipline. Active children are learning more effectively. Sport is not a distraction from education – it is an important part of education.”

The IOC President underscored how Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, is driving change that is sending “a strong message that the Olympic Movement is ready to engage with society in new and more meaningful ways.” This includes a new global sustainable development agenda that will be finalised later this year.

“We are showing in a transparent way that more than 90 per cent of the revenues the IOC generates are distributed to the sporting movement and to athletes worldwide,” President Bach said. “This means that the IOC distributes USD 3.25 million a day, every day of the year, for the development of sport worldwide.”

The United Nations has long recognised the contribution of sport for development and peace, and collaboration between the IOC and the UN has played a central role in spreading the acceptance of sport as a means to promote internationally agreed development goals.

“Let us use sport to leave a transformative and sustainable legacy for our children and grandchildren. It is sport’s motivational appeal that gives hope and helps improve the lives of many,” said the UN Secretary-General. “I sincerely hope that the Member States of the United Nations, while they negotiate to shape the future development agenda [see] the importance of sport, not only in health, but in peace and harmony, reconciliation, mutual understanding and respect for others, and fair games and rule of law and human rights – all these will be duly reflected so that we all can work together to build this world better for all, where all the peoples human dignity and human rights and happiness and prosperity and wellbeing will be respected.”

Ban Ki Moon

Ireland’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador David Donoghue, is one of facilitators in the negotiations for the development of the Sustainable Development Goals. He said: “It is clear that sport is a key contributor to many of the goals and targets of the MDGs. As we move towards agreement on a post-2015 Development Agenda, I hope that it will be possible to acknowledge in some way the role of sport in supporting development and peace.”

Also speaking at the event were the President of the UN General Assembly H.E. Sam Kutesa, President of the International Paralympic Committee Sir Philip Craven and IOC Member Angela Ruggiero.

Following the event, President Bach had a meeting with the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, before he attended a luncheon hosted by the UN Secretary-General.

Calling All Young Designers! IOC Launches Medal Design Competition For Lillehammer 2016

Thomas Bach attends a press conference at the end of the first day of The IOC 127th Session in Monaco.The session is being held at the Grimaldi Forum hosted by IOC Member Prince Albert of Monaco.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday launched a competition offering fans and young designers the opportunity to make Olympic history by designing the medal for the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Submissions will be accepted until 1 June 2015 at http://www.medaldesigncompetition.com

In keeping with the IOC’s mission for the Youth Olympic Games to be produced not only for young people, but also by young people, the winning design will be selected by a judging panel made up of the Young Ambassadors and Young Reporters who have been involved in the YOG since the first edition in Singapore in 2010.

Also joining the panel will be IOC Members Claudia Bokel, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and Olympic silver medallist in fencing, and Angela Ruggiero, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Lillehammer 2016 and Olympic champion in ice hockey.

Claudia Bokel, IOC Executive Board members and Olympian

Angela commented, “As an Olympic champion I know what it means to receive a medal… Something you will cherish for the rest of your life. To be the designer of that medal is incredibly prestigious. The Youth Olympic Games is all about involving young people and it is a great honour for me to be on the judging panel and see what the creative minds from around the world can produce.”

The winning design will be selected in June 2015 and this design will then feature on the face of the gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in Lillehammer from 12 to 21 February 2016.

In addition to the prestige of creating Olympic history, the winning designer will win a trip to Lillehammer 2016, which includes tickets to the Opening Ceremony and sports competition, as well as a full collection of medals featuring their design.

Key dates:

Design submissions will be accepted from 25 March to 1 June 2015.
The judging period will take place between 3 June and 17 June 2015.
The winner will be announced at the end of June 2015.

A Royal Countdown To Lillehammer 2016 – One Year To Go!

Celebrations to mark one year to go to the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lillehammer 2016 were kicked off last night in the heart of the host city by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway as he unveiled the OMEGA countdown clock showing 365 days to go.

This ceremony was the start of several days of festivities in Lillehammer, Hamar and Gjøvik, the three locations that will host the sports and “Learn and share” activities during the Games from 12 to 21 February 2016.

During the unveiling of the clock, the Crown Prince was joined by IOC Vice-President Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC member and Chair of the Coordination Commission Angela Ruggiero, and Norwegian Minister for Culture Thorhild Widvey. Nawal El Moutawakel said: “This is truly a Games by young people for young people and a big thank-you goes to the tremendous efforts of the young and talented local Organising Committee. With its exciting sports and unique spirit, this will certainly be a wonderful and unforgettable YOG.”

Earlier in the day, El Moutawakel and Ruggiero took part in an action-packed programme that included a school sports day and a session on the ice, where Olympic ice hockey champion Ruggiero provided a coaching session to local youngsters.

Festivities will continue in the coming days with cultural spectacles in the region, a YOG-themed ice hockey match, and the “Sjogg Film Festival” in the centre of the city for the public to enjoy. Sjogg, the Norwegian word for snow, is the name of the Lillehammer 2016 mascot.

Lillehammer 2016 CEO Tomas Holmestad said: “Every one of the next 365 days now counts to making Lillehammer 2016 a huge success. We have an amazing team of young, talented staff and I know we will deliver a unique Winter Youth Olympic Games. We have an Olympic Games legacy under our belts, and now we will create the legacy of Lillehammer 2016.”

Siri Hatlen Chair of the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Winter Olympic Games (c)IOC/Juilliart

Lillehammer 2016 is the second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games. The event will feature over 1,000 top athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 from over 70 countries. The athletes will compete in the same seven sports as those on the Olympic programme, with some new additions and different formats included. Monobob, snowboard cross and cross-country cross are new additions to the programme and the popular mixed-gender and mixed-National Olympic Committee competitions will also take place.

The athletes will participate in a Learn and Share Programme featuring fun and engaging activities designed to provide guidance on a wide range of topics, including the Olympic values, the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle, and ultimately how to be true champions on and off the field of play.