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 Announce Death Of member Peter Tallberg Of Finland

It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learnt of the death of Peter Tallberg, IOC member in Finland, at the age of 77.

A five-time Olympic sailor, Peter Tallberg was the second-longest serving current IOC member, having been elected in 1976. Only Doyen Vitaly Smirnov, who was elected in 1971, has served longer.

IOC President Thomas Bach immediately reacted to the death of Peter Tallberg: ‘As the founding chairman of the Athletes’ Commission, Peter was my first teacher at the IOC,’ he said. ‘He worked all his life for sport and for protecting the clean athletes. The athletes of the world and all those who love sport owe him a huge debt and he has left a lasting legacy for the Olympic Movement for which we can all be grateful. As a mark of respect and to remember such a great man the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast for three days at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne’ Bach added.

During his 40-plus years working for the Olympic Movement, Mr Tallberg had a strong and far-reaching impact. He chaired the Athletes’ Commission from its inception in 1981 until 2002, when he became an Honorary member of the commission. He was also a member of the following commissions:

Meeting of the athletes commission in the Pierre de Coubertin’s room. Peter TALLBERG, CIO FIN. Peter TALLBERG, CIO FIN. Photo credit IOC

– Eligibility (1979-1980)
– Olympic Programme (summer) (1980-1994)
– Olympic Movement (1981-1999)
– Coordination for the Games of the XXVe Olympiad in 1992 in Barcelona (1989-1992)
– Study for the Preparation of the Olympic Games of 1996 (1989-1990)
– Preparation for the XII Olympic Congress (1989-1994)
– Enquiry for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in 2000 (1993)
– Coordination for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in 2004 in Athens (1998-2004)
– “IOC 2000” (1999), Evaluation for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 (2002-2003)
– Coordination for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 in London (2005-2012)
– Nominations since 2014

Mr Tallberg was the President of the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU, later International Sailing Federation – ISAF) (1986-1994); President of the Finnish Yachting Association (1977-1983), and President of the Scandinavian Yacht Racing Union (1978-1981).

He captained the Finnish Olympic Yachting team (1976), was Vice-President of the Finnish Squash Association (1974-1976), became a Council member and Secretary General of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF, later SportAccord) (1988-1998), and was a member of the Executive Board of the European Sport Conference (1994-1998).

Mr Tallberg worked tirelessly to place the athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and to protect sport from all forms of corruption. He was a Council Member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (1999-2002) and member of the World Olympians Association (WOA) (2007-2014) as liaison for the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Before transitioning into the administrative side of sport, Tallberg was a decorated sailor who competed in five editions of the Olympic Games. His best performance at the Games was a fourth-place finish in Star at Tokyo 1964. He finished 15th in the 5.5m in Rome 1960, 11th in Star at Mexico City 1968, 12th in Soling at Munich 1972, and 11th in Star at Moscow 1980.

Tallberg was Junior European centreboard yachting champion (1953); Finnish champion in Finn (1969), in Soling (1970 and 1972), in H (1974); Nordic Finn champion (1969); Swedish champion (1963 and 1965) and European Star champion (1967).

He also enjoyed practising other sports, including squash, table tennis, skiing and golf. As a skier, Tallberg was Finnish junior slalom champion in 1954. He finished 3rd in the Finnish senior squash championships in 1978.

The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Peter Tallberg’s family.

IOC President Announces Ground-Breaking Educational Service For Elite Athletes

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today announced that the IOC will launch a free, online education service aimed specifically at Olympians, other elite athletes and their coaches.

The new service, called “The IOC Athlete Learning Gateway”, will go live on 28 May during the 7th IOC Athlete Career Programme Forum in Lima, Peru.

For over a year, more than 4,000 athletes and coaches from around the world have been helping the IOC test and develop the pilot version of the experimental “MOOC” (massive open online courses). Leading academics, sports institutes, sports leaders and Olympians have contributed content for the programme, including courses and live online seminars.

IOC President Thomas Bach

President Bach said: “The long-term interests of athletes are a priority for the IOC. Through Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC has a unique opportunity to act as a bridge between busy athletes and the world’s best academics and learning tools. The IOC Athlete Learning Gateway will allow athletes to shape their futures while still pursuing their athletic careers.”

Recommendation 18 of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, calls for support to athletes to be strengthened. This includes the development of athlete career programmes with all the relevant stakeholders and increasing engagement with athletes on important topics related to their careers on and off the field of play.

“This is just one of many important new initiatives being driven by the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which will strengthen and improve support for the athletes,” said IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair and Athens 2004 silver medallist Claudia Bokel. “This inspiring free electronic platform will give athletes, wherever they may be in the world and at whatever stage of their athletic career, access to educational material produced by leading academics and athletes. This is an important step forward for the welfare of athletes.”

Sergey Bubka
photo credit: 林 慕尧 / Chris Lim
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cats-eye-view/2388913483/in/photolist-dQrUsU-dQrUeh-dQrU9h-kG7MDq-4DaVsY-4D6NKv-9sTz3y-bGEWtp-4D6Cdv

IOC Entourage Commission Chair and Seoul 1988 gold medallist Sergey Bubka said: “The life of an athlete is extremely busy: they are constantly on the road; they spend a lot of time training. It is very difficult to find the time to study, to properly prepare for life after sport. But thanks to the many changes brought about by Olympic Agenda 2020, athletes will continue to be given more and more opportunities like the IOC Athlete Learning Gateway. This online tool gives athletes the means to successfully combine sport and education for brighter futures.”

The pilot programme for the IOC Athlete Learning Gateway was evaluated by the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, Entourage Commission and a dedicated independent Academic Advisory Board. The IOC President agreed with their recommendation to establish the full service as part of Olympic Agenda 2020.

To view the pilot service, click here. A new link to The IOC Athlete Learning Gateway will be published on 28 May along with more information about the new service.

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.