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The Olympic Studies Centre at the UAB opens the celebration of its 20th anniversary with a conference on the Olympic Movement given by Pere Miró
The Director of Relations with the National Olympic Committees and Olympic Solidarity at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Pere Miró, opens the programme of activities for the 20th anniversary of the Olympic Studies Centre at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. The event was chaired by the Honorary President of the IOC, Joan Antoni Samaranch, the Vicerector of strategic projects–Research Park at the UAB, Jordi Marquet, and the Director and founder of the UAB Olympic Studies Centre, Miquel de Moragas.
The CEO-UAB director, Miquel de Moragas, states that "celebrating of the establishment of the Centre is a moment for memory and for expressing gratitude and acknowledgement to all those institutions that have given their support to the Centre". He refers, firstly, to the support received from president Samaranch and the four institutions that are part of is governing body: Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, Generalitat of Catalonia (regional government), and the Spanish Olympic Committee.
He remarks the fact of having contributed to the consolidation of a network of universities and research centres dedicated, nowadays, to the research and dissemination of Olympism, stating that the contribution of the university is fundamental for preparing and constituting the legacy of the Olympic Games, specially in the case of the Barcelona’92 Olympic Games that have become a historical reference.
Miquel de Moragas and Joan Antoni Samaranch
in the Sala de Cròniques at the Barcelona City Council
Núria Reguero©
The Olympic Movement
During his speech, Pere Miró provided an overview on the development of the IOC from 1980, with the arrival of Joan Antoni Samanch to the IOC presidency, until the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, under the presidency of Jacques Rogge.
"We cannot talk about the current IOC basis without mentioning the role of President Samaranch", stated Pere Miró. "During the 80s, the Olympic Games were in a fragile situation, following to the bad financial results of Montreal and the boycotts in Moscow and Los Angeles. The election of Samaranch as IOC President in 1980 meant a great change in the Olympic Movement: the modernisation of the Games; the recovery of their identity and values; and the consolidation of the Olympic Movement economic basis from resources generated by television broadcasting and sponsors. The results could be seen with the success of Seoul, Barcelona and Sydney".
Olympic values have been brought into practice through initiatives such as the creation of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne with the aim of promoting education and preserving the legacy of Olympic values. Women have gained presence in international federations and international positions. And the action of Olympic Solidarity –created in 1961 and responsible for cooperating in the training of athletes in developing countries, among others– was reinforced. The unity of the Olympic Movement has been a success factor and has also generated and redistributed new economic resources.
Pere Miró during his speech
Núria Reguero©
"Nowadays, the IOC continues working in the same lines defined during that period, and in particular those resulting from the IOC reform in 2000, but it has probably improved and gone further", stated Pere Miró. The Games have achieved a higher impact, magnitude and more synergies with other organisations; the origin of resources has been geographically balanced; and a more accurate monitoring of organising committees' activities is undertaken in order to guarantee the quality and preserve the value of the Olympic Games.
Beijing 2008
"After the Games, China has inherited a great tangible and intangible legacy that embraces sporting and transport infrastructure, the impact of Olympic education programmes – reaching 400,000 schools and 100,000 volunteers– in the education on values of Chinese population, social benefits and improvements in health systems, among others". Pere Miró highlighted the presence of 84 Heads of State during the opening ceremony of the Games, in comparison with the 46 for Athens 2004. In Beijing 2008, the IOC Olympic Broadcasting Services started its activities, producing more than 5,000 hours of broadcasts.
One of the successes of the IOC Olympic Solidarity programme has been shown during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, with the granting of 1,000 scholarships to athletes, mainly from developing countries, to assist them to classify for the Olympic Games. 600 athletes classified and 82 won an Olympic medal (amongst them, the first medal in the history of Afganistan). Pere Miró illustrated the promotion of coexistence in the Games: "Russian and Georgian cyclists hugged each other on the podium the day after the invasion of Georgia despite of instructions received. This is a clear example of the Olympic values".
"Sport is a means to promote sociability, peace and coexistence", emphasised the Director of the Olympic Studies Centre (CEO-UAB) at the UAB, Miquel de Moragas, during to opening of the event. The Honorary President of the IOC, Joan Antoni Samaranch, introduced the conference of the IOC Director of NOCs Relations and Olympic Solidarity, Pere Miró, and the Vice-rector of Strategic Projects-Research Park UAB, Jordi Marquet, closed the event by recognising the work undertaken by CEO-UAB in producing and transferring knowledge during the last 20 years.
The event, that took place on Monday 19th January 2009 at 7 pm. At the Saló de Cròniques of the Barcelona City Council, was attended by more than 100 people, including personalities of the world of sport and Olympism in Spain and former CEO-UAB collaborators.
Report produced in collaboration with Finestra Barcelona. Espai acadèmic de comunicació i cultura (InCom-UAB). |
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