BOCOG staff: what a fantastic job!

“What a fantastic job!” Today in Beijing, IOC President Jacques Rogge applauded the hard work the staff of the Organising Committee for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) has been delivering so far. “For six years now, the IOC and BOCOG have achieved many great things together. With one more year to go, we are at the most difficult phase: it’s just like running a long-distance race as a sprint,” he encouraged the numerous staff attending the welcome meeting for the President at the BOCOG headquarters in Beijing.






Eyes of the world on China
The IOC President reminded the staff that the eyes of the world and the planet’s best athletes were watching the preparation of the Olympic Games with very high expectations. “You are not only writing history for China, but also history for the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. China is opening itself up to the world in new ways, thus contributing to better mutual understanding among people and countries,” Rogge underlined.




More than 4,000 staff at Games time
BOCOG was established quickly after Beijing was elected as host city at the IOC Session in Moscow in 2001. It is responsible for organising and executing preparations for all operations of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Currently, BOCOG has 26 functional departments*, all operating effectively to prepare and develop critical plans and programmes required for the Games’ success. BOCOG will gradually expand its departments and staff to meet the time-sensitive demands of Olympic preparations. By 2008, there will be more than 30 departments and 4,000 staff working under the BOCOG umbrella.





A unique lifetime experience
President Rogge reminded the staff present at the ceremony that the unique experience they were going through with the preparation and staging of the Olympic Games, is “a unique lifetime experience that will be valuable throughout your whole career.” Rogge concluded “We have confidence in you and we believe that, together, we will succeed in hosting wonderful Games in 2008.”