(ATR) Former Belgian NOC secretary general Guido De Bondt received the Olympic Order in a ceremony at IOC headquarters Tuesday.
IOC president Thomas Bach, his predecessor Jacques Rogge, and the committee’s executive board members were in attendance to see De Bondt accept the IOC's highest distinction for his services to the Olympic Movement over 37 years.
De Bondt, secretary general of the Belgian NOC since 1992, stepped down at the end of March. He was replaced by Philippe Vander Putten.
The 65-year-old is credited with piloting the first European Youth Olympic Festival under the watch of former IOC president Jacques Rogge. He has played a leading role on the European Olympic Committees and remains on the Baku 2015 European Games Coordination Commission.
De Bondt told Around the Rings he was honored to accept the IOC award.
"It means a lot. It’s the recognition of the Olympic Movement for what you have done. You cannot deserve more than that," he said.
He said he isn't leaving the Olympic Movement for good and looks forward to helping the EOC make a success of the inaugural European Games next year.
"There is still a lot of work to do. It’s normal. The first edition is always very difficult," he said.
"It was the same for Pierre de Coubertin when he started in 1896 and when we started with the EYOF in 1991 in Brussels ... it was a disaster," he joked.
In a speech at Tuesday’s ceremony, Rogge said the Olympic Order recognized De Bondt’s "outstanding career," which included important Belgian NOC responsibilities at the Moscow 1980 Olympics onwards. He pointed to De Bondt’s contribution to the success of the 1991 EYOF and the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics, both initiatives the brainchild of Rogge.
The pair struck up a friendship after they met in 1976 soon after Rogge ended his career as an Olympic sailor at the Montreal Games.
Written by Mark Bisson
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