IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT

On 23 January, IOC President Jacques Rogge attended a meeting with three executives from the NOC of Panama: new President Camilo Amado, Secretary General Ricardo Sasso and Treasurer Allan Baitel. Also present were IOC member in Panama Melitón Sánchez Rivas and Pandeportes Director Javier Tejeira. Read more at www.olympic.org (News section).

On 25 January, President Rogge signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment, Rinat Gizatulin, concerning the 10th World Conference on Sport and the Environment, which will be held in Sochi from 30 October to 1 November 2013. Read more at www.olympic.org (News section).

This week in Vidy, President Rogge has met:
- Liu Peng and Luzeng Song, Chinese NOC President and Secretary General respectively;
- Dominican Republic NOC President Luis Mejia;
- members of the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), meeting in Lausanne; and
- IOC members Ching-Kuo Wu and José Perurena.

MEMBERS

On 26 January in Rapallo (Italy), Lambis V. Nikolaou will represent the IOC at the inauguration of the new headquarters of Panathlon International, an IOC-recognised organisation.

COMMISSIONS

In the framework of the 15th IOC World Conference on Sport for All, the deadline to submit poster presentations has been extended to 10 February. The Conference will be held in Lima (Peru) from 24 to 27 April 2013. The Conference will be organised jointly by the IOC, through its Sport for All Commission, and the Peruvian NOC, in cooperation with SportAccord. More info at www.olympic.org.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has just published online an interactive e-book which celebrates last year’s IAAF Centenary Historic Exhibition. This photographic celebration offers an 88-page snapshot of the athletics memorabilia collected for this exhibition, which ran for six weeks at the Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic and Sports Museum in Barcelona (Spain). More info at www.iaaf.org.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has just unveiled its new logo (pictured left) for its 100th anniversary in 2013, which will be commemorated through 18 events and activities, such as the Centennial Congress on 29 November in Paris (France) followed by a gala dinner the next day. Nine tournaments will also be organised in the FIE’s nine founding countries (Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Norway). The commemoration will also include a travelling exhibition and a hall of fame. Info at www.fie.ch.

WINTER IFS

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has awarded the men’s 2014 World Championships to the Chinese capital, Beijing. The competition will take place from 29 March to 6 April in a venue to be announced in due course. Detailed info at www.worldcurling.org.

The Figure Skating Media Guide 2012/2013 can now be downloaded from the International Skating Union (ISU)’s web site (www.isu.org) and will be updated regularly.

NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES

On 20 January, the Canadian NOC announced the death of legendary sports journalist Richard Garneau, aged 82. In 1957 he joined Radio-Canada, where he spent 33 years. Garneau held the world record for the number of Olympic Games covered by a journalist – 23 – both summer and winter. He just missed the Atlanta Games in 1996. He followed the Commonwealth Games from 1962 to 1986, the Pan-American Games, and the Canadian and Quebec Games. Inducted into the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, Garneau was named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2000 and received the Order of Canada in 2006.

During the latest plenary session of the Chinese NOC, President Liu Peng awarded the 2012 IOC “Sport and Sustainable Development” trophy to the city of Haiyang, which will host the 3rd Asian Beach Games. Deputy Mayor of Haiyang Gao Jingtao received the trophy. The NOC President also presented the London Games medallist lapel pins.

The Colombian NOC has informed us that the National Handball Federation is this week organising an international course for level 1 coaches in the city of Fusagasugá. Organised with teh assistance of Olympic Solidarity, this course brings together representatives of various leagues. In addition, from 22 to 26 May, the Island of San Andrés will host the first Olympic national beach sports festival, in which 600 athletes from the whole of Colombia will compete. Info at www.coc.org.co.

London Games medallist lapel pins were recently awarded to Danish athletes at the annual Sports Gala in Herning, in front of nearly 1,800 people. Nearly all the medallists were present and received their pins from IOC member Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, with Danish NOC President Niels Nygaard. Two Paralympic medallists were also honoured on this occasion, receiving a bouquet of flowers. Info atwww.dif.dk.

Winning two medals at the London Games was of great importance for the Dominican Republic. 400m hurdles gold medallist Félix Sánchez and 400m silver medallist Luguelin Santos were thus honoured at a ceremony organised at the Dominican NOC headquarters. London Games medallist lapel pins were awarded in the presence of Sports Minister David Fernández Mirabal. Info at www.colimdo.org.

The 2012 IOC “Support and Sustainable Development” trophy was recently awarded to A. de O. Sales, Honorary Life President of the NOC of Hong Kong, China, and Chairman of the National Olympic Academy. This trophy was awarded in recognition of six decades devoted to developing local and international sport. Info at www.hkolympic.org.

Young swimmer Rūta Meilutytė has been named Lithuanian Athlete of the Year. Olympic champion in London (100m breaststroke), world champion (25m pool) and European record holder, she received the “Archer” sculpture, the Lithuanian NOC’s traditional prize, at a ceremony organised in Vilnius. She beat gold medallist pentathlete Laura Asadauskaite and silver medallist canoeist Jevgenij Shuklin. Info at www.ltok.lt.

At the annual “Burtu Chono” Olympic gala, organised in Ulaanbaatar, judoka N. Tuvshinbayar was named Athlete of the Year. The ceremony was held in the presence of Head of State Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj, Mongolian NOC President Demchigjav Zagdsuren, Deputy Sports Minister M. Tumenjargal and IOC honorary member Shagdarjav Magvan.  The full list of winners can be found atwww.olympic.mn.

In addition, the NOC has informed us of the death of two Olympians. The first is Mendbayar Jantsankhorloo, 71, who competed in four editions of the Games in (rifle) shooting and was a world record holder, former head coach of the national team, international referee, Secretary General of the shooting federation, and member of the NOC. Soli Magsar, 69, was a world renowned wrestling coach in the 1960s and 70s. Under his leadership, the national freestyle wrestling team won its very first gold, silver and bronze medals at the World Championships and Olympic Games. A former international referee, he was also Secretary General of the NOC (1990-93).

At a gala event, the Polish NOC thanked its Olympic medallists from the London Games, their coaches and all those involved in their Olympic preparations. The event was attended by the NOC’s Executive Committee members, including IOC member Irena Szewinska, representatives of sports federations, sponsors of the Polish Olympic Movement, a representative of the President of the Republic and the Minister for Sport and Tourism. Info at www.olimpijski.pl.

Qatari NOC President and IOC member Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani presented London Games medallist lapel pins to Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (skeet shooting) and Mutaz Eissa Barshim (high jump), both bronze medallists, in the presence of Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, NOC Secretary General. The ceremony was held just before the NOC’s General Assembly. Info at www.qatarolympics.org.

We have just learned that the three Thai athletes who won medals in London - Kaeo Pongprayoon (boxing), Pimsiri Sirikaew (women’s weightlifting) and Chanatip Sonkham (women’s taekwondo) have received their Games lapel pins. A ceremony was held in the presence of the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary General and members of the Executive Board of the Thai NOC as well as presidents of national sports federations, Olympians and media representatives. Info atwww.olympicthai.or.th.

ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
SOCHI 2014

With fewer than nine months until the start of the Torch Relay for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Presenting Partner Coca-Cola has launched its campaign to select 2014 torchbearers. An independent jury made up of renowned Russian athletes, actors and musicians, such as Yelena Isinbayeva, Olympic pole vault champion and Youth Olympic Games Ambassador, and Alexander Ovechkin, Olympic ice hockey champion and Sochi 2014 ambassador, will choose the torchbearers. Russians aged 14 and over have until 17 March to apply on the Coca-Cola web site www.coca-cola.ru. Read more at www.sochi2014.com and www.olympic.org (News section).

RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS

Doha (Qatar) will host the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)’s Athletics World Championships in 2015. This competition will be the last major gathering before the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016. Some 1,300 athletes representing 90 countries are expected to compete in March 2015. More info at www.paralympic.org.

The International Sport Movies & TV Federation (FICTS) has reminded us that the 31st edition of the International Sport Movies & TV Festival will be held from 4 to 8 December 2013 in Milan (Italy). Info at www.sportmoviestv.com.