Virtual Olympic Congress reaches first target

The virtual Olympic Congress has reached its first target on time: at the end of May, some 500 registrations and contributions had been recorded – 10 per cent of the overall target. The full objective has been set at 5,000 contributions by the end of the year. “We are pleased with these figures”, said IOC President Jacques Rogge, “even more so, as not only the quantity, but also the quality of the contributions are very good.” He encouraged the public and all members of the Olympic family to come forward with their thoughts and ideas. For registration and contributions please click here. Deadline for submissions: 31 December 2008.




“The Olympic Movement in society”
Contributors are inspired by the overall theme of the 2009 Olympic Congress: “The Olympic Movement in Society”. Concrete proposals were submitted on how sport can play an even more important role in a changing world. The attractiveness of the Olympic Games and the role the athletes have to play were other topics of high importance. Furthermore, the contributors showed a genuine interest in the themes related to young people and the digital revolution.




From men and women from all continents, and of all age groups
The virtual Congress statistics show that contributions have been sent in from all continents. The range of contributions covers IOC members, members of National Olympic Committees, International Sport Federations, athletes and the general public. Furthermore, it is particularly encouraging to state that many contributions have been sent in from young people. “The overall mix is excellent”, commented Urs Lacotte, IOC Director General, who is in charge of the Olympic Congress.




Basis of discussion
The information gathered through the virtual Congress will form the basis of discussions at the 13th Olympic Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in October 2009.