Copenhagen (pps) Jacques Rogge will be the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for another four-year term. In an 88-1 vote, the 67 year-old Belgian was re-elected by the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen for another term in office until 2013. Three IOC members abstained from voting.
According to the IOC Charter, Rogge, who succeeded Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001, is not allowed to run for IOC Presidency again in four years. The three-time Olympian in sailing (1968, 1972 and 1976), who quit his job as a surgeon and moved to Lausanne when he was first elected, is the eighth IOC President since 1894.
Jacques Rogge enjoys great respect by the IOC members. Under his leadership, the IOC’s reserves increased to 455 million dollars or 305 million Euros (reporting date August 31, 2009). This means that the IOC’s reserves have more than quadrupled since 2001 (105 million dollars/71 million Euros). In the past 21 months alone, they increased by more than 100 million dollars (68 million Euros) in spite of the global economic and financial crisis. „We have been able to increase our income constantly”, said Rogge.
The TOP sponsorship program for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver (CAN) and the 2012 Summer Games in London (GBR) will be profitable again. Revenues of 883 million dollars (600 million Euros) are currently secured. The current record is 866 million dollars (588 million Euros) generated by the 2005-08 TOP program. For the 2013-16 period, contracts amounting to 563 million dollars (376 million Euros) have already been finalized.
Income from television rights is increasing most significantly. For Vancouver and London, 3.8 billion dollars (2.5 billion Euros) have already been received. The Games in Turin and Beijing brought the comparably modest sum of 2.6 billion dollars (1.7 billion Euros). 920 million dollars (625 million Euros) have already been negotiated for 2014/16.
