On December 12, the Olympic Committee of Russia hosted the annual Olympic Assembly, which was attended by representatives of All-Russia sports federations, regional Olympic councils and Olympic academies, as well as famous athletes and coaches.
Before the start of the event, the first vice-president of ROC, Igor Levitin, presented state awards to coaches and specialists ″For contributions to the successful performance of the Russian team at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 in Pyeongchang (South Korea).″
The Order of Alexander Nevsky was awarded to Harijs Vitolins – ex-coach of the Russian Olympic hockey team.
The Order of Friendship was awarded to Elena Vyalbe – President of the Cross Country Ski Federation of Russia, head coach of the national team.
The Order of Friendship was awarded to Alexander Gorshkov – the head of the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FSFR).
Honorary President of ROC, honorary member of IOC, Vitaly Smirnov was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the President of the Russian Federation.
In his opening speech, ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov summed up the events of 2018.
– Meeting with President of Russia Vladimir Putin after the previous Olympic meeting and his support for plans for the development of ROC and the Olympic movement in Russia makes it possible to look more confidently ahead and make plans for the future.
It is symbolic that the first significant event in our joint work was the Forum of Young Olympians, which was held on Children’s Day on June 1, 2018.
It is pleasant to note that the event received the highest accolades. We will conduct it annually and expand the geography of participants. Projects in the field of education have top priority in the context of raising a strong anti-doping culture, training the young generation of athletes with decent and proper values and moral guidelines.
Practically from the first days after the end of the Olympic Games 2018 in this regard, the joint development of an agreement with the Olympic solidarity of IOC began. Particular attention is paid to the role of ROC as one of the largest NOCs in Eurasia and the world. Moreover, this topic allowed to lay the foundation for renewed relations with international sports organizations.
We must also talk about the positive effect of holding the FIFA World Cup in Russia. The event not only opened up a large number of foreigners to Russia, but also provided excellent opportunities for holding bilateral meetings and discussing issues relevant for ROC and Russian sport at all levels (educational initiatives, promotion of Russian representatives to positions in ANOC governing bodies, creation of the Olympic program and the recognition of Sambo as an Olympic sport.
The development of the updated Agreement between ROC and the Ministry of Sports, which will allow the adoption of uniform and transparent conditions for the interaction of all the main actors in the field of Russian sports, has been completed.
Another confirmation that we are entering a new level of cooperation was the visit of the head of IOC Thomas Bach to ROC where he was presented with the vision of the new leadership and a number of top priority ROC projects.
Mr. Bach gave a high assessment to the work started by the staff of ROC which has continued after Pyeongchang. He also expressed active support for ROC initiatives in such areas as:
– education (Olympic education, anti-doping education);
– international activities (in the broadest sense – from enhancing the interaction of the All-Russia sports federations with International sports federations to the integration of their joint projects into the agenda of larger International Sports Organizations);
– expansion of the Russian representation in the working and governing bodies of International sports federations and the largest International Sports Organizations).
The President of IOC was impressed by ROC’s regional coverage – a network of regional Olympic Councils that allow us to literally “reach out” to almost every corner of our country. In particular, he assessed their potential in promoting Olympic values and in working with ROC marketing partners – as part of the implementation of the projects of the “Olympic Country” program.
A new format that ROC tried out in the field of international cooperation was participation in the 4th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
As part of the panel session with participation from representatives of IOC, ROC, the Ministry of Sports of Russia, leading Asian NOCs, representatives of the leadership of Russia and Mongolia, and the Organizing Committee of the 2022 Winter Olympics, there was an exchange of views on various issues of international sports and the Olympic agenda. And with the head of China’s NOC we signed a Cooperation Agreement in the presence of the leaders of Russia and China.
Next year ROC, in conjunction with the Roskongress Foundation, plans to organize a thematic panel session in Vladivostok devoted to Olympic legacy – along with the participation of the heads of relevant ministries, NOCs of leading countries, Organizing Committees of the Games in Tokyo and Beijing, prominent representatives in the sports industry, International Sports Organizations and the Olympic movement. With Japan’s National Olympic Committee, we are negotiating the terms of the Cooperation Agreement,″ the head of ROC said.
The Olympic Assembly approved the Program to assist Candidates to become Members of the Russian Olympic Team and to ensure the participation of the Russian Olympic delegation at the XXIV Olympic Winter Games 2022 in Beijing (China).
“I think that I will express the general opinion of colleagues from winter sports federations if I say that such programs should be started the next day after the completion of the previous Olympic Games,” said Elena Vyalbe, President of the Cross Country Ski Federation of Russia. Thanks to the powerful support that ROC and the Ministry of Sports have provided each year, we are showing good results.
The head of the Russian Freestyle Federation, Alexei Kurashov, supported his colleague, noting that assistance from ROC and the Ministry of Sports is invaluable, especially as part of the Steinshlift project jointly coordinated with PJSC Gazprom.
“I would like to propose to the Olympic Assembly in the future to consider the issue of paying not only foreign, but also Russian specialists, many of whom are growing and reaching a very professional level,” Alexey Kurashov noted.
“I endorse my colleagues’ words,” said Varvara Barysheva, executive director of the Russian Speed Skating Union. “We welcome the approval of the Beijing-2022 Program.” Such documents help to consolidate the efforts of all parties interested in the successful performance of our athletes.
Next, the Olympic Assembly reviewed and approved amendments to the ROC Charter regarding the composition of the Executive Committee, which was expanded.
The Olympic Committee delegates agreed to admit the regional public organization “Olympic Council of the Tambov Region” as a member of ROC. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, on behalf of the Olympic Assembly, congratulated the organization on joining the large Olympic family and wished success in their future work.
