Sochi 2014 Coordination Commission announced
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced the names of the members of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Composed of Olympic gold medallists to look after the athletes’ interests, representatives of the major Olympic Movement stakeholders – National Olympic Committees (NOC) and International Federations (IF) - and other experts in different areas of Games operations, the Commission will be assisting and monitoring the work of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee during the coming six-and-a-half years of preparations and building on the positive start that has been made since Sochi’s election in Guatemala this July. This positive start was underlined during the Sochi Orientation Seminar that was held last week in Moscow, which saw Coordination Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy brief the Russian Prime Minister and attend two days of meetings with the representatives of all the main organisations involved in the Sochi Games preparations.
Under the leadership of Chairman Killy, who was appointed as head of the Commission in September this year, the group notably includes Rebecca Scott, Olympic gold medallist and member of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission; Ottavio Cinquanta, Rene Fasel and Gian-Franco Kasper, Presidents of the international skating, ice hockey and skiing federations respectively – Fasel is also Chairman of the Vancouver Coordination Commission; Gunilla Lindberg, Secretary General of the Association of National Olympic Committees; Cesare Vaciago, former CEO of the successful Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games; and Rémy Charmetant, former Sports Director at the Albertville Games. In addition, the expertise brought by the remaining members in their work with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, all of them having served on Coordination Commissions or as experts before, will undoubtedly help Sochi to raise the bar, as they continue to work towards 2014.
Commenting on the Commission, IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “It is a pleasure for me that so many experienced and skilled people have agreed to participate in the work of the Sochi Coordination Commission. There is a lot of talent in this line-up and I am sure that the 2014 Games will benefit greatly from their knowledge and understanding of how to organise top-level sports competitions, and, in particular, Olympic Winter Games. Jean-Claude and his team will now be able to get to the heart of the matter and continue building on Sochi’s positive start to their Games preparations.”
Killy commented, “One of the biggest challenges that Games organisers face is trying to understand what it takes to put on a Games and what the different clients are looking for from their ’Olympic’ experience. Thanks to the knowledge and experience of the people on this Commission, we will be able to give Sochi 2014 massive support, as they attempt to organise great Olympic Winter Games in 2014.” He continued, “From Olympic gold medallist Beckie Scott, to former Torino 2006 CEO Cesare Vaciago, this Commission can call upon an unmatched level of experience in sports events. Be it from the point of view of the athlete to the preparation of the different fields of play to the Organising Committee’s operations, this team has the know-how, and I for one am sure that, together, we will be able to capitalise on that knowledge as we assist Sochi over the coming years.
The members of the Coordination Commission for Sochi 2014 are:
Chairman
Jean-Claude Killy (FRA)
Members (in alphabetical order)
Rémy Charmetant (FRA)
Ottavio Cinquanta (ITA)
Philippe Drevon (FRA)
René Fasel (SUI)
Gian-Franco Kasper (SUI)
Gunilla Lindberg (SWE)
HRH The Prince of Orange (NED)
Miguel Sagarra (ESP) (IPC representative)
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (ESP)
Rebecca Scott (CAN)
Tsunekazu Takeda (JPN)
Cesare Vaciago (ITA)
Executive Director for the Commission
Gilbert FELLI (SUI) IOC Olympic Games Executive Director