INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY TWENTY-NINTH SESSION 28th JUNE - 13th JULY 1989 Published by the International Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Dr. Otto Szymiczek, Dean of the International Olympic Academy. INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY REPORT OF THE TWENTY-NINTH SESSION 28th JUNE - 13th JULY 1989 ANCIENT OLYMPIA IOC COMMISSION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY President Mr. Nikos FILARETOS IOC Member in Greece Members Mr. Ivan DIBOS IOC Member in Peru Mrs. Flor ISAVA-FONSECA IOC Member in Venezuela Mr. Fidel MENDOZA CARRASQUILLA IOC Member in Colombia Mr. Wlodzimierz RECZEK IOC Member in Poland Mr. Giorgio de STEFAN! IOC Member in Italy Mr. Ching-Kuo WU IOC Member in Chinese Taipei H.E. Mr. Mohamed ZERGUINI IOC Member in Algeria Mr. Anselmo LOPEZ (esq.) Director of Olympic Solidarity Mr. Francesco GNECCHI-RUSCONE Representative of the IP's President of the International Archery Federation Mr. Abdul-Muttaleb AHMAD Representative of the NOC's Mr. Ken READ Representative of the Athletes Commission Mr. Conrado DURANTEZ Individual Member Mrs. Nadia LEKARSKA Individual Member Professor Norbert MÙLLER Individual Member 7 EPHORIA (BOARD OF TRUSTEES) OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY President Mr. Nikos FILARETOS IOC Member in Greece First Vice-President Mr. Sotiris YAGAS Mr. Second Vice-President Nikolaos PADAZIS Dean Dr. Otto SZYMICZEK President of the International Track and Field Coaches Association Silver Medal of the Olympic Order Members Mr. Lambis NIKOLAOU IOC Member in Greece President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Mr. Dimitris DIATHESSOPOULOS Secretary general of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Mr. George DOLIANITIS Mr. Stavros LAGAS Member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Mr. Elie SPORIDIS 8 PARTICIPATING IOC MEMBERS Mr. and Mrs. P.O. Box 80 Roy Anthony BRIDGE (JAM) 53, Hanover Street Kingston Mr. Vladimir CERNUSAK (TCH) Godrova 3 81106 Bratislava Mrs. Anita DEFRANTZ (USA) 2141 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90018 Mr. Ivan DIBOS (PER) Casilla 5424 Avenida de la Marina 3333 Lima 32 Mr. and Mrs. MCC P.O. Box 300 Francisco J. ELIZALDE (PHI) Makati, Metro Manila Mr. Manuel GONZALEZ c/o Comité Olimpico Cubano GUERRA (CUB) Calle 13, No 601, Zona Postal 4 La Habana Mr. Guenther HEINZE (GDR) c/o Nationales Olympisches Komitee der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik Behrenstrasse 40/41 1080 Berlin Mrs. Flor ISAVA-FONSECA (VEN) Quinta Shangri-La Avenida Principal Country Club Caracas 1060 Mr. Anani MATTHIA (TOG) B.P. 1071 4, avenue de la Libération Lomé Mr. and Mrs. Fidel MENDOZA c/o Comité Olïmpico Colombiano CARRASQUILLA (COL) Carrera 16 No 37-20 Apartado Aereo 5093 20 Bogota Mr. Wlodzimierz RECZEK (POL) Al. Roz 6/7 00-556 Warsaw Mr. and Mrs. Rampaul RUHEE 1, Sivananda Street (MRI) Port-Louis Mr. Ching-Kuo WU (TPE) 10F, 102 Kuang-Fu South Road Taipei, Taiwan H.E. Mr. Mohamed ZERGUINI 8, rue Mustapha Khalef (ALG) El Biar, Alger 9 FOREWORD The work which took place during the summer of 1989 in the magnifi- cent surroundings of the International Olympic Academy (IOA), can only be called remarkable and the 29th Session may be described as the one offering the widest variety of activities and productive results to date. So much so, in fact, that we can say the IOA has now been established as a unique world centre of Olympism. From May to the beginning of October 1989 the idyllic IOA centre was literally humming with life and energy, for many represen- tatives, both men and women, from a wide variety of countries and repre- senting the entire Olympic family, participated in the sessions, seminars, meetings, visits, and other activities that had been organized. There were also all those who had lived and worked together in the true Olympic spirit which still prevails over the magic site of the International Olympic Academy. This year we took great pleasure in welcoming several members of the International Olympic Committee, who had attended and taken part in many IOA activities, as well as several Olympic medallists and athletes who had participated in the Olympic Games. There were also delegates from the National Olympic Committees and International Sports Federations and well-known sports reporters. And finally, a competent team of scientists, experts in history, philosophy, athletics and sports, who held a special seminar to study and deal with questions concerning athletics and Olympism. The range of IOA activities was supplemented by special seminars and meetings organized by the International Sports Federations (wrestling, soc- cer, basketball, volleyball), several days of seminars given by the National Olympic Academies, which were very successful, and finally by cultural visits for various groups which had come from Greece and other coun- tries. On the whole, during the summer season of 1989 almost one thousand seven hundred persons participated, attended workshops and conferences, discussed, learned, had fun, lived and were inspired in the truly traditional and impressive Olympic environment of the IOA, situated near the sacred site of Ancient Olympia whose immortal spirit is a source of inspiration. I am convinced that during the training period in 1989 the work and activity of the IOA essentially met the demands of the programme, which is carefully and attentively arranged every year by the Secretariat of the Dean of the IOA. Thus I can assure everyone that all the goals we had set for ourselves for this year have been attained. As far as the progress of the IOA's work is concerned, there is now a recognized and proven method, simple yet condensed, similar to the one 11 which has been used at all sessions and seminars. I can emphasize that after so many years of testing, application and experience, our work within the IOA now progresses very smoothly. Obviously our main concern is for our guests, their proper and comfort- able settling in, adjustment to the surroundings and operation of the facil- ities, the organization of accommodation, offices, the restaurant, work rooms, the library and activities. Since all the, participants—men and women—come from countries with different customs and cultures, we try essentially to get to know them and to offer them opportunities to get to know each other, to make friends and to eliminate any possible national, racial or religious differences which might single them out. Then work groups are formed according to the language spoken. Nevertheless, care is taken to put some foreigners, men and women, in each group, which are English, French and Greek, in order to create the right atmosphere and give everyone a chance to meet each other. Thanks to this support, they are able to gain a better understanding of the issues, discuss them, and, naturally, work together. Besides the main topic of Olympism, each session deals with a special topic developed by the participants, who have been divided into the lin- guistic groups already mentioned. Each topic is chosen according to their interests. Distinguished speakers from around the world expand on the subjects, take part in group discussions and offer their invaluable experience and knowledge to the young men and women who have come to the IOA to be inspired by the pure spirit of Olympia. This year the special topic for discussion in the groups, which then presented their conclusions, was "the Olympic Movement after the Calgary and Seoul Games". Needless to say, the IOA expends much effort every year, involving considerable expense, to ensure simultaneous interpretation of all short speeches, talks, and discussions in the IOA's three official languages of English, French and Greek. This year an additional, successful effort was made to add Spanish interpretation. Besides simultaneous translation, all the texts of the talks, speeches and conclusions of the discussion groups were distributed in English, French and Greek, which made it possible for every participant to take home the documentation used in the session in order to study the questions in more detail. Every year since its creation in 1961 the IOA has published a collection of the work of the main session, the talks, speeches, conclusions, discussions, lists of official guests, speakers, participants, and so forth. The dean is in charge of editing this collection of the IOA's work, which is published by the IOC in Lausanne in three languages—English, French and Greek—and sent to the National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federa- tions, Universities, National Olympic Academies, etc. In addition to the usual work of the session and numerous other inter- esting activities taking place in the IOA's facilities, the general instruction programme also includes visits to archeological sites and museums, excur- sions along the Péloponnèse Coast, movie nights, where films from the IOA's extensive film library are shown, and entertainment nights were par- ticipants—men and women—are given the chance to show of their talents. 12 As well the participants themselves organize soccer, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and chess tournaments, with the teams made up of dorm mem- bers. All the winners receive objects such as small archaic amphoras and terracotta objects as souvenirs. This year the IOA library was open all summer and during the sessions, there was also a new section that had magazines from all over the world. We had installed a computer which contributed significantly to the library's efficiency. That may be why so many people spent such long hours reading in the IOA library this year, especially during the programme's free time after lunch and in the evenings. All participants in the IOA sessions always had some time to themselves in which they could rest, study in the library or have fun, play some sport at one of the many facilities, or go to the pool, an charming area at their disposal all day long. This year as well, besides the impeccable, considerate and exemplary operation of the IOA restaurant, the participants eagerly devoured the meals and expressed their pleasure at the choice quality and abundance of the food, and the service and attention provided by the experienced staff.