Rogge's Letter to IOC Members: "More Modern" IOC for 2nd Term

IOC President Jacques Rogge sent a letter to members Friday announcing his intention to seek a second term. (ATR) (ATR) In a letter to IOC members, Jacques Rogge said he was encouraged to run for re-election as president by many colleagues.

Rogge sent the letter to IOC members Friday, informing them of his decision to seek a final four years in office at the 2009 IOC Session in Copenhagen.

Rogge tells members that he believes the past seven years of his presidency has built on the work of predecessor Juan Antonio Samaranch, with the IOC continuing to flourish and grow.

"It is now stronger and more united than ever for the greater good of sports development and the Olympic ideals. Thanks to the help of all of you, the IOC has benefited from the remarkable organization and legacies of Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Athens, Turin and Beijing

"Many prestigious cities are candidates to host both Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games.”

Rogge goes on to say that the IOC has reinforced its zero tolerance policy towards doping and pursued "a good governance policy" in the running of its administration and auditing.

"We have put in place a more structured system for reviewing the Olympic program. In agreement with the international federations, judging and refereeing systems have been greatly improved.

"We have limited the size of the Games to 28 sports and 10,500 athletes and implemented most of the 117 recommendations of the Games study commission.

"The Olympic Movement is in excellent financial health. The Games revenues distributed to the international federations and national Olympic committees have increased significantly. The IOC's own reserves have tripled enabling it to function on a long-term basis.

“We have launched a campaign to promote sport among young people and created the summer and winter Youth Olympic Games,” says the IOC leader in the letter.

Rogge said he was looking forward to successful Games in Vancouver, Rogge took the Olympic flag to the Great Wall in China. (ATR)London and the Youth Olympics (Singapore stages the first summer edition in 2010; the host city of the inaugural winter edition in 2012 is chosen in December.)

“I aspire with all of you to integrate a more modern IOC into tomorrow's society by acting upon the conclusions of the Olympic Congress [next October] and I shall be contacting you again in 2009 to refine my program in close consultancy with you”.

Rogge has been travelling the globe since the end of the Beijing Olympics in August. He returned to Beijing for the Paralympics. This month he attended the Pan American Sports Organization assembly in Acapulco, followed The new IOC president with a symbolic key to the Lausanne headquarters days after his election in 2001. (ATR)by the Commonwealth Youth Games in India and in Bali, the Asian Beach Games and Olympic Council of Asia assembly.

IOC members are welcoming Rogge’s decision.

Vice president Thomas Bach of Germany says Rogge should have no opposition and the full support of the membership at the Copenhagen Session.

Pal Schmitt, IOC member in Hungary says Rogge appears to have the health and stamina to keep up the pace of work – and the right attitude.

"I am very glad because his leadership is in conformity with the image we want to have at the IOC," said Schmitt.

Patrick Hickey of Ireland, the current president of the European Olympic Committees, the continental association headed by Rogge for 10 years, says the IOC president deserves credit for his financial acumen.

"We are fortunate in an uncertain period for the world economy that our financial health is excellent. In fact the national Olympic committees have received increases under his stewardship while the world economy is in a downturn, which is a remarkable development.

"He is definitely the man to lead us during the next few difficult economic years,” says Hickey.

With reporting from Mark Bisson.

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