Jacques Rogge
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Count Jacques Rogge (born May 2, 1942) is by profession an orthopedic surgeon. He is the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Born in Ghent, Belgium, Rogge competed in yachting in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics, and played on the Belgian national rugby team. Rogge served as president of the Belgian Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1992, and as president of the European Olympic Committees from 1989 to 2001. He became a member of the IOC in 1991 and joined the Executive Board in 1998. He was knighted and given the title of count by King Albert II of Belgium.
Rogge was elected as president of the IOC on July 16, 2001 at the IOC session in Moscow as the successor to Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had led the IOC since 1980.
Under his leadership, the IOC has created more possibilities for developing countries to bid on and host the Olympic Games. Rogge believes that this vision can be achieved in the not too distant future through government backing and new IOC policies that constrain the size, complexity and cost of hosting the Olympic Games. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Rogge became the first IOC President to stay in the Athlete's village, instead of the lavish five-star hotels that many IOC members prefer. Rogge also acted decisively in handling recent issues regarding judging and doping. As a result, the first Olympic games under Rogge's presidency were hailed by many critics as a new era in the Olympic Movement, as it sent a message that the IOC would not tolerate corruption. All three Olympic Games that Rogge has presided over have begun with athletes taking an oath against doping.
Under his term, baseball and softball have been removed from the Olympic Programme. The decision was approved at the IOC Session in July 2005 in Singapore and will be in force for the London 2012 Summer Olympics. However, Rogge stated at the time of the decision that both sports would be eligible to win back their place in future Olympic Games.
In 2008, Rogge will guide the Olympic Movement for the first time to China. As the most populated country in the world, China will be in the spotlight as never before when the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games begin. As China becomes more open to international scrutiny, Rogge has also needed to address challenges for the Olympic Movement. In 2005, Rogge drew attention when he called "exaggerated" allegations that young gymnasts at a Beijing sports hall were being routinely beaten. He condemned any physical abuse and added that "regrettable isolated cases" would have to be "tackled", noting that one had to "judge China in the true perspective" of their historical accomplishment. [link]
External Links: [mailto:jaquesrogge@gmail.com]
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| Presidents of the IOC |
| Demetrius Vikelas (1894–1896) | Pierre de Coubertin (1896–1925) | Henri de Baillet-Latour (1925–1942) | Sigfrid Edström (1942–1952) | Avery Brundage (1952–1972) | Lord Killanin (1972–1980) | Juan Antonio Samaranch (1980–2001) | Jacques Rogge (2001–current) | |
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