Status: 08/29/2021 7:01 p.m.
The IOC mourns the loss of its former President Rogge. The Belgian died at the age of 79. During his tenure, Rogge succeeded in polishing up the image of the umbrella organization. He was committed to the fight against doping.
Former IOC President Jacques Rogge is dead. The Belgian, predecessor of current IOC chief Thomas Bach, died at the age of 79, the International Olympic Committee announced. The surgeon led the umbrella organization from 2001 to 2013, before he was replaced in office by the German Bach. In an initial response, Bach praised his predecessor as the “consummate president” who had helped modernize and transform the IOC.
Stricter fight against doping
Rogge, a former rugby player and three-time Olympic participant in sailing, was considered a fighter against doping. After his active career, he first headed the Belgian Olympic Committee and the European umbrella organization before moving to the head of the IOC. “First and foremost, Jacques loved the sport and being with athletes,” said Bach. He conveyed this passion in an infectious way to everyone who knew him.
In the first few years of his presidency in particular, Rogge revamped the image of the top world organization of sport, which had been badly damaged by the corruption scandal. This also included an intensification of the fight against doping, but without being able to shake the foundations of sports fraud. Nevertheless, it gave the IOC more recognition – and observer status at the United Nations.
Father of the Youth Olympic Games
Rogge is also considered the father of the Youth Olympic Games, which premiered in Singapore in 2010 under his presidency. After his time as head of the IOC, he was appointed honorary president. As a sign of respect, the Olympic flag will fly at half-mast at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne for five days, a statement said. The National Olympic Committees are expected to endorse this gesture.