Press Release | IOC wraps up successful session in Guatemala City
7 July 2007 - The 119th IOC Session today concluded its meeting in Guatemala City on a positive note. IOC President Jacques Rogge, who headed the proceedings over the last three days, said: “It has been a very interesting and productive Session. I am particularly pleased with the fruitful exchange of ideas that we had on the Youth Olympic Games and with the decisions that we made. These show the will of our Movement to further promote the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect and to reach out to a younger audience”.
Highlights of the Session
Sochi: host of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games
On 4 July, the IOC elected Sochi as host city of the Olympic Winter Games in 2014. The IOC looks forward to working with the future Organising Committee, and to providing support and guidance based on the experience gained during the last editions of the Olympic Winter Games.
Resounding endorsement for the Youth Olympic Games
The Session enthusiastically embraced the idea of the Youth Olympic Games and granted the IOC administration its support to bring this project to life as of 2010. This was an historic moment for the Olympic Movement. The IOC and the Olympic Movement as a whole have the responsibility to create new paths to lead the young generations to sport. Beyond the sporting aspect, the Youth Olympic Games are a way of reaching out to young people and telling them about the Olympic values, about the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle, about the social values sport can deliver and about the dangers of doping and of training to excess and/or of inactivity.
A record number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs)
During the Session, the IOC welcomed two new NOCs – Montenegro and Tuvalu - bringing the number of NOCs to 205, a record number.
Simplified voting process for the Olympic programme
IOC members decided to simplify the voting process for the Olympic programme. The new rules now require a simple majority for both inclusion and exclusion of sports. It will now be easier to get new sports onto the programme and ensure it remains relevant to young generations.
New members
The Session re-elected Gerhard Heiberg to the Executive Board, elected four new members – two of which were women - and nominated three honorary members.
All Games on track
Reports made by the Organising Committees were very positive, with Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 all on track with their preparations.
Looking ahead: the 2009 Olympic Congress
New means of communications were widely discussed in relation to the 13th Olympic Congress, to be held in Copenhagen in October 2009. This is the first Congress of the millennium, and the first one since the start of the digital revolution. Even if the Olympic Congress is primarily for the Olympic family, it is important that the IOC takes the pulse using the modern methods available to it, and in particular opens up to the public.
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