11 Dec : The IOC’s Executive Board and the 2009 Congress Commission have decided to extend the deadline for submissions to the Virtual Olympic Congress. Olympic Family and public contributors now have until 28 February 2009 to submit their views and ideas on the themes of the Congress.
“The Virtual Olympic Congress has reached its cruising speed and we would like to allow for the participation of as many people as possible” explained IOC President Jacques Rogge.
To date, the Virtual Olympic Congress has received 4,500 registrations and 700 contributions. “We are pleased with the number of high-calibre contributions” said President Rogge, “and we look forward to an interesting debate in Copenhagen.”
The Virtual Olympic Congress is an inclusive process. It provides the Olympic Family with a platform to voice their views on issues of importance to the future of the Olympic Movement.
The public consultation component is unique in the history of Olympic Congresses. The promotion of the Virtual Olympic Congress through social networking sites has given the IOC an opportunity to reach a cross-section of people, from different age groups, in many countries around the world.
The information gathered through the Virtual Olympic Congress will form the basis of discussions at the 13th Olympic Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 3 to 5 October 2009.