I never felt alone, says retiring Rogge

Former IOC president pays tribute to colleagues in parting speech.

BUENOS AIRES: Jacques Rogge gave his farewell address after 12 years as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), saying that while some in power experienced solitude, he never had.

The 71-year-old Belgian – elected in Moscow in 2001 to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch – gave a short but moving address to the 100 IOC members assembled for the Session.

“You my dear colleagues have always supported me,” he said. “You gave me help, guidance and friendship. Power often brings solitude, I never felt that.”

Rogge, a three-time Olympic yachtsman, thanked all the sponsors, the athletes ‘who are the core of our operation’ and most movingly the backroom team who supported him throughout his time in office, reeling off their names one by one.

Rogge’s greatest achievement is generally acknowledged to have been to restore the image of the IOC, after the damage inflicted by the bribes for votes scandal over the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which darkened the final years of Samaranch’s reign.

Rogge, who is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession, also praised his successor German Thomas with whom he worked closely over the 12 years.

“We are blessed in having an extremely capable new president,” said Rogge. “He too has a driving passion for the Movement and I wish him well. I urge all of you to unite round the new leader.”

Match-fixing, energising youth targeted by Bach

When newly-elected IOC president Bach moves into his office in Lausanne next Tuesday he will be looking to build on predecessor Rogge’s considerable legacy and also keen to set his own agenda.

The 59-year-old will have the Sochi Winter Olympics, which open in February, to focus his mind immediately.

However, in his post victory press conference the affable lawyer pinpointed match-fixing and engaging the young to practise more sport as two of the problems he will seek to tackle in his eight year term.

“We have to work very, very closely with governments and other authorities,” he said.

“We will encourage them, to request their help, to do whatever we can from our side and closer co-operation of international police forces.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2013.

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