The Olympic Movement is celebrating Olympic Day today with a host of events designed to get people "off the couch". The International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International and National Sports Federations and organising committees of Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games are among those organising programmes intended to get people moving, regardless of age, gender or ability.
With so much on offer – Olympic fun runs, sports demonstrations, tournaments, cultural activities and Q&A sessions with Olympians – there will be something for everyone to take part in.
Get active on #OlympicDay and win a trip to Rio de Janeiro
The IOC is offering a chance to win a trip for two to Rio de Janeiro in December for a sneak peek of the Olympic Park ahead of next summer’s Olympic Games. To enter, individuals simply need to get active; capture the moment with a photo or video; and then share it using #olympicday on social media.
Since 1 June, thousands of people, including Olympians, have been sharing their sporting prowess and efforts. The contest will run until 30 June, so there’s no time to waste to get active. For more info, click here: www.olympic.org/olympicdaycontest.
For added inspiration this Olympic Day, the IOC enlisted the help of a number of Olympians, ranging from skiers Lindsey Vonn (USA) and Kjetil Jansrud (NOR) to judoka Flávio Canto (BRA) and figure skater Yuna Kim (KOR), to mention but a few.
The world abuzz with activity
A range of sporting, cultural and educational activities organised by NOCs have already taken place ahead of Olympic Day, with over 20 NOCs kicking off celebrations early. Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal last April, the Nepalese Olympic Committee has been building up to Olympic Day with a 10-day programme. A cycle rally attracted over 1,200 participants, while a multitude of sports competitions and tournaments have brought together thousands of locals to play chess, run, kick, bat or throw a ball. For the NOC of Nepal this is an opportunity to engage with the region’s young people and momentarily help them forget the trauma of last April’s earthquake.
Earlier this month, the Portuguese NOC successfully hosted a series of events in different parts of the country that were attended by hundreds of people of all ages, including several Olympians. The NOCs of Bhutan, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and many more were also among those getting a head start on the celebrations.
On your marks, get set, get active!
The IOC will host its traditional Olympic Day celebrations at its headquarters later today. IOC President Thomas Bach will deliver a speech on the many positive values of sport and the relationship between the IOC and the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, where the IOC has been based for 100 years now.
To mark this centennial year, the IOC is also extending its Olympic Day celebrations. The traditional Olympic Day Run has exceptionally been renamed the Centenary Run, and will take place in Lausanne on Friday 26 June. In addition, a free GET ACTIVE! exhibition is running from 6 July to 29 November at The Olympic Museum. For more information, visit: www.olympic.org/museum.
Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.
Over the last 20 years, Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day Runs all over the world. From 45 participating National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in the first edition in 1987, the numbers have grown to over 150 participating NOCs today.
For more information on Olympic Day, visit: www.olympic.org/olympic-day.
To see how people across the globe are getting active this Olympic Day, check out our world map and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Sina Weibo, Google+, Pinterest or VK.
For more information, contact:
IOC Media Relations Team
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
email: pressoffice@olympic.org
www.olympic.org
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Últimas Noticias
Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore
IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power
North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022
