As your 12 year
Presidency comes to an end,
what achievement(s) are you
particularly proud of and
which is your best memory as
IOC
President?
The
best memory for me was after the
Closing Ceremony of the Olympic
Games Paris 2024: these were the
first Olympic Games to be fully
planned and delivered in line
with the reforms mapped out in
Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic
Agenda 2020+5. This was how we
imagined them. They were more
sustainable, more urban,
younger, more joyful Games. For
me, it closed the circle, as
Olympic Agenda came fully to
life, and it was the last
edition of the Olympic Games
under my presidency. It was a
very emotional moment; a mix of
pure joy and relief.
Our
Olympic Agenda reforms were not
just institutional changes. They
were the strategic roadmap that
helped us transform the Olympic
Games and the Olympic Movement
to be more credible, more
inclusive, more sustainable and
more relevant in a rapidly
changing world. They enabled us
to strengthen the role of sport
in society and to keep the
Olympic values at the heart of
everything we do.
I
was President at a time when the
Olympic Movement and the world
faced many challenges — from
doping, the COVID-19 pandemic,
conflicts and wars, to name just
a few. We ensured that a whole
generation of athletes did not
get their Olympic dream
destroyed by the pandemic. The
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 had to
be rescheduled, but we were able
to make them happen, against a
lot of resistance from many.
They were safe for everyone. The
Games became a signal of hope
for the entire world. At the
Olympic Games Paris 2024,
athletes from the territories of
all 206 National Olympic
Committees and the IOC Refugee
Olympic Team competed fiercely
against each other. At the same
time, they lived peacefully
together in the Olympic Village.
Despite many
of their countries being at war,
the athletes respected one
another. The athletes showed us
how our world could be—if we all
lived in the Olympic spirit of
peaceful coexistence. They
created a culture of peace. The
athletes embraced their role as
ambassadors of peace. In Paris,
they came together to issue a
moving call for peace. This call
included athletes from the NOCs
of Ukraine, Russia, Israel,
Palestine, Yemen, and many
others whose countries are
currently divided by war and
conflict. They reminded all of
us that peace is not just an
idealistic dream. Peace can be a
lived reality when people come
together in respect and
solidarity. The Olympic Games
Paris 2024 captured the
hearts and minds around the
globe: around 5 billion people
followed them.
What is more, 78 per
cent of global audiences believe
the Olympic Games are more
important than ever in a divided
world, and 75 per cent believe
the IOC is successful in
“bringing the world together in
peaceful competition” and in
“building a better world through
sport”.
Beyond the Olympic Games, the
IOC’s broader impact and
relevance was exemplified by the
recent Olympism365 Summit, which
showcased how our mission to
build a better world through
sport is brought to life
year-round. The Summit gathered
over 300 global participants and
highlighted the IOC’s commitment
to advancing peace, health,
equality, and inclusion through
sport-driven initiatives
worldwide.
Above all, I am grateful that we
have been able to preserve the
unity of the Olympic Movement.
In a world that is increasingly
divided, sport has an ever more
important role to play in
bringing people together and
building bridges. This unity is
a testament to the enduring
Olympic values and a powerful
reminder of what we can achieve
when we stand together.
What most important
advise are you giving your
successor Kirsty Coventry in
these challenging
times?
She
was elected because she has the
professional and human qualities
to be a very good IOC President
and leader of the Olympic
Movement. She is very much a
values-based and values-oriented
person, which is key. In this
position, you can only maintain
the credibility of your
decisions and of the IOC if you
have a clear compass of the
Olympic values – which she has.
We are now coming to the end of
a very smooth and fruitful
transition period during which
we have already taken all the
necessary decisions together.
For all these reasons, I
have every confidence that the
future of our Olympic Movement
is bright – and that it is in
good hands. The IOC
President-elect Kirsty Coventry,
represents a new generation of
leadership. She embodies
our shared Olympic values. She
reflects the truly global nature
and the youthful,
forward-looking spirit of our
Olympic community.
What message would you
like to share with the
scholars involved in Olympic
Education and Studies around
the world?
Values are at the heart of the
Olympic Movement. The idea that
sport is universal and serves a
higher purpose for all human
beings was central to the
thinking of Pierre de Coubertin.
When he founded the
International Olympic Committee
131 years ago, he saw it as
a way to promote greater
understanding
among all nations and
people of the world. He
wanted to make the world a
better place through sport and
its values. This deeply humanist
philosophy remains the
overarching mission of the IOC
and the entire Olympic Movement
to this day. Especially in
today’s complex world, the role
of sport in society is evolving
rapidly. This is why the work of
Olympic scholars and educators
is more important than ever. You
provide the historical context
and the analytical perspective
that allows the Olympic Movement
to grow while staying true to
its mission. Your research and
teaching make a vital
contribution to promoting the
Olympic values and deepening our
understanding of the role that
sport can play in building a
more inclusive, sustainable and
peaceful world. For this, my
heartfelt thanks and gratitude
go to all the scholars and
institutions of the Olympic
Studies community around the
world. Thank you for your
important contributions in
carrying the visionary ideas of
Pierre de Coubertin into the
future — and for your commitment
to inspiring the young
generation with our timeless
Olympic values.
