INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY THIRTIETH SESSION 20th June - 5th July 1990 Basic theme: OLYMPISM Special theme: WOMEN IN THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT Published by the International Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the International Olympic Academy. INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY REPORT OF THE THIRTIETH SESSION 20th JUNE - 5th JULY 1990 ANCIENT OLYMPIA IOC COMMISSION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY President Mr Nikos FILARETOS IOC Member in Greece Members Mr Fernando Ferreira Lima BELLO IOC Member in Portugal Mr Ivan DIBOS IOC Member in Peru Mrs Flor ISAVA-FONSECA IOC Member in Venezuela Major general Francis NYANGWESO IOC Member in Uganda Mr Wlodzimierz RECZEK IOC Member in Poland Mr German RIECKEHOFF IOC Member in Porto Rico Mr Ching-Kuo WU IOC Member in Taiwan H.E. Mr Mohamed ZERGUINI IOC Member in Algeria Mr Anselmo LOPEZ Director of Olympic Solidarity M. Heinz KEMPA Representative of the I.F. Secretary general of the International Judo Federation M. Abdul Muttaleb AHMAD Representative of the NOC's M. Peter MONTGOMERY Representative of the athlete Commission M. Conrado DURANTEZ Individual Member Mrs Nadia LEKARSKA Individual Member Professeur Norbert MUELLER Individual Member 7 EPHORIA (BOARD OF TRUSTEES) OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY President Mr Nikos FILARETOS IOC Member in Greece First Vice-President Mr Zacharias ALEXANDROU 1st Vice-President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Second Vice-President Mr Nikolaos PANTAZIS Member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee 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 Mr Elie SPORIDIS Mr Nikos Hon. Vice-President YALOURIS 8 PARTICIPATING IOC MEMBERS Mr Fernando Lima BELLO (FOR) c/o Comité Olimpico Portugues Rua Braamcamp 12, R.C. esq. 1200 Lisboa, Portugal Mr Vladimir CERNUSAK (TCH) Godrova 3 81106 Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Mrs Anita DEFRANTZ (USA) 2141 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90018 USA Mr Ivan DIBOS (PER) Casilla 5424 Avenida de la Marina 3333 Lima 32, Peru Mr Mohamed MZALI (TUN) PO Box 434-16 75769 Paris cedex, France Major General c/o Uganda Olympic Committee Francis NYANGWESO (UGA) PO Box 2610 Kampala, Uganda Mr David SIBANDZE (SWZ) PO Box 281 Mbabane, Swaziland Mr Nikos FILARETOS (GRE) International Olympic Academy 4, Kapsali Str., 10674 Athens, Greece Mr Lambis NIKOLAOU (GRE) Hellenic Olympic Committee 4, Kapsali Str., 10674 Athens, Greece 9 10 TRIBUTE TO OTTO SZYMICZEK When, in my youth, I had the good fortune to have Otto as my gymnastics teacher, I never dreamed that, many years later, we would be colleagues in the Hellenic Olympic Committee and that he would again be my teacher, this time in Olympism. Otto Szymiczek was known to the Greek and international public and will be remembered as a great specialist in sports in general and track and field in particular. Technical Adviser to the Hellenic Olympic Committee for many years, specializing in Olympic preparation, he was coach of our national team and, for several years, Chairman of the International Athletics Coaches Association. Nevertheless, his personal passion and his life's work was the propaga- tion of Olympic education and initiation of young people into the principles of Olympism, its history and its philosophy. Jean Ketseas and Karl Diem may have been behind the founding of the International Olympic Academy as the educational and spiritual centre of the Olympic Movement, but it was Otto Szymiczek who was its tower of strength and its most indefatigable worker. For thirty years, that is since the Academy's very foundation, he devoted himself untiringly and whole- heartedly to its success. He devoted himself to the running of its operations, preparation of the Session programmes, the choice of themes for lectures and the dissemina- tion of its ideals throughout the world. In winter, he would prepare his work, and from the moment summer made its appearance, he would come to Olympia for months on end, during which he attended meticulously to the proceedings of Sessions, taking care of every detail. His passion for accuracy and his respect for rules, protocol and order were well known. Whilst he tried to appear solemn if not severe, he was capable of being open and sympa- thetic, and won his pupils' esteem thanks to a sense of humour which made him more popular every year. Since the tragic death of my unforgettable friend and colleague Nikos Nissiotis, I have borne the full burden of the Presidency of the International Olympic Academy, and Otto guided my first steps. We had, of course, our little differences of opinion, but Otto always found a solution to satisfy everyone, without ever compromising his convictions. Dear Otto, I wish you well on your journey. May your family be proud of the educational and spiritual work you accomplished and your contribution to the Olympic Movement, for which the International Committee awarded you the highest distinction. All of us, your friends and colleagues, promise to pursue your work will all our strength, on the road you traced out before us. May the earth lie over you lightly. Nikos Filaretos IOC Member in Greece 11 Dr. Otto Szymiczek was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1909, married to Dora Favreti and had two sons. Died 23rd August 1990. Studies : Physical Education, Royal Highest School of Physical Educa- tion in Budapest, Hungary. Citizenship: Greek. Foreign languages : Hungarian, Greek, English, German, French. Career: Coach of the Hellenic Track and Field National Team 1930- 1961. Technical advisor of the Hellenic Olympic Committee 1961-1976. Dean of the International Olympic Academy since 1962. Member of the Hellenic National Mission to all Olympic Games con- tinuously form 1932 to 1984. President of the International Track and Field Coaches Association from 1959 to the present time. Vice-President of SEGAS (Hellenic Amateur Athletic Federation) in 1969. Member of the American Association for Health and Physical Educa- tion, of the International Federation for Welfare and of many other Greek and foreign Federations. General manager of the European Track and Field Championships in 1969, organized in Athens. Representative of Greece in many International Congresses and in the Special Committee for the Development of Sport of the Council of Europe. In charge of the publications of the International Olympic Academy. Regular Lecturer at the Sessions of the International Olympic Academy. Guest Lecturer in many Congresses in Greece and abroad on the subjects of Olympism and Sports (National Olympic Academies in foreign countries, Rotary Meetings, Congresses of the International Track and Field Coaches Associations, etc.), contributor to many Greek and Foreign publications, books and magazines, etc. on the subject of Olympism and Sports. Distinctions and awards: Gold Medals of the SEGAS (Hellenic Amateur Athletic Federation) and of the Hellenic Olympic Committee for 50 years of activities in the Greek Athletics. Title of "Doctor Honoris Causa" of the Sciences of Physical Education awarded by the Faculty of Physical Education of the University of Budapest, Hungary: 1981. Olympic Order of the International Olympic Committee: Bronze Medal in 1981 Silver Medal in 1986. Gold Medal awarded by the Hellenic Olympic Committee for 25 years successful service as Dean of the International Olympic Academy. Veteran's medal of the International Amateur Track and Field Federa- tion. Elected Member of the American Academy of Physical Education. Honorary Member of the Olympic Committee of Portugal. Elected Member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA, Athens, 1982 1982 Games General Manager of the European Outdoor Track and Field Championships of Athens. 12 1985 Medals: Commander of the Order of King, George I. Commander of the Order of Phoenix. Olympic Medal of the Austrian Olympic Committee Olympic Medal of the Olympic Committee of the Republic of China (Taipei). 13 KLEANTHIS PALEOLOGOS HAS LEFT US Kleanthis Paleologos, one of the founders of the International Olympic Academy, left us on 25th August 1990. The participants in the AIO's annual Sessions will no longer have the opportunity to question him on his vast store of historical memories, which he used to relate with such enthusiasm. Kleanthis PALAEOLOGOS was born in Athens in 1902. He lived in Mytiline, where he completed high school. He served in the cavalry and studied theology at Athens University and physical education at the Teach- ers' College of Physical Education. In 1926, he was appointed to teach Gymnastics at the Teachers' College and the Lyceum of Mytiline. For two years (1929-1931) he studied physical education at the Royal Academy of Physical Education in Budapest and for six months at the Highest School of Physical Education in Berlin. From 1932 to 1949, he taught at the Greek Academy of Physical Edu- cation, of which he was also Director from 1950 to 1962. He was a coach in track and field and swimming with many great clubs and was the founder of sport on the island of Lesbos. He was a member of the Hellenic Amateur Athletic Federation (SEGAS) Executive Council for 15 years. He contributed to the proceedings leading up to the creation of the IOA, at which he became an almost permanent lecturer, and of which he became Honorary Vice-President in 1985. He wrote many books on sport, swimming, gymnastics and mountai- neering, and in 1971, he was commended by the Athens Academy for his novel "Daï Panyotis". In 1974, he was awarded the gold medal of the International Academy of Lutece for his book "From the legends of Olym- pia". In 1981, he published the novel "The Little Lion" and in 1989 his short stories under the title "A Seagull". His lectures at the IOA were published in all the special Olympic maga- zines in Europe and his book "From the legends of Olympia" was published in Spain, France, England, Egypt, Romania and Japan.