December 8, 2014
Leading Olympians and representatives of the global sporting movement have added their voices in support of Olympic Agenda 2020. Top athletes from five continents, many of whom were involved in the process of creating the 40 recommendations, have strongly backed the plans. Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, will be discussed and voted on by the full IOC membership at the 127th IOC Session in Monaco this week.
The recommendations focus on the three themes of sustainability, credibility and youth, and are designed to safeguard the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and strengthen the role of sport in society.
Support from all continents and throughout the sports world has been given to the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations, which will be voted on one by one at the Monaco Session on 8 and 9 December.
Three-time Olympian and Sydney 2000 400m athletics gold medallist, Cathy Freeman said: “These reforms will be relevant to the future of many young Australians who dream of representing their country at the highest level in global sport, the Olympic Games; and I am proud that the Australian Olympic Movement has been involved in helping with this roadmap of reform.
Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi, a four-time Olympian and Athens 2004 gold medallist, and Sports Director for the Tokyo 2020 Games Organising Committee, also supported the recommendations: “Tokyo 2020 will be the first Summer Olympiad staged under the auspices of these reforms, which will pave the way for important changes to the Olympic Games, such as the inclusion of extra sports - sports that are relevant to the sporting passions and aspirations of future Olympic host cities and their communities.
In addition to the many athletes who have come out in support of Olympic Agenda 2020, other Olympic Movement stakeholders have also voiced their approval.
Full support has also been given by the General Assemblies of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), as well as by the Executive Board of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
The ANOC Executive Council declared its unanimous support for the recommendations during its meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, last month.
The ASOIF Council discussed the 20+20 proposals in detail at its meeting in November before concluding that Olympic Agenda 2020 “maps out a future for the Olympic Movement that strengthens the role of sport in society”. The Council then called on the IOC Session to support the recommendations to “help maintain the relevance and strength of Olympic sport as it continues to progress and grow.”
Discussions on Olympic Agenda 2020 were conducted by 14 Working Groups, which were made up of key stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, including IOC members, athletes and representatives of the International Federations and National Olympic Committees. As part of the open and inclusive process, a number of experts were included from civil society, including representatives of leading international organisations, NGOs and business organisations. Some of the organisations represented were the United Nations, Google, The Clinton Foundation, Transparency International, the World Bank and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
These ideas were then further developed by the IOC Commissions, an Olympic Summit and the IOC Executive Board.
The 127th IOC Session will be broadcast live on www.olympic.org.
The Opening Ceremony will be broadcast on Sunday, 7 December, at 7 p.m. (CET). The Session starts this Monday, 8 December, at 9 a.m. (CET).
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