MOSCOW -- The new president of the International Olympic
Committee is a mild-mannered orthopedic surgeon and former Olympic
sailor with impeccable credentials.
An IOC member since 1991, Jacques Rogge was the shortest-serving
of the five candidates. Thanks to a strong power base as head of
the European Olympic Committees, however, his climb in the IOC was
rapid.
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Voting totals
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First Round
(54 votes needed to win)
Jacques Rogge 46
Kim Un-yong 21
Dick Pound 20
Pal Schmitt 11
Anita DeFrantz 9 (eliminated)
Second Round
(56 votes needed to win)
Rogge 59
Kim 23
Pound 22
Schmitt 6
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The 59-year-old Belgian has been a member of the powerful
executive board since 1998 and been assigned high-profile positions
as the IOC's point man for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens
Games.
Unscathed by the scandal over lavish gifts, cash and other
favors doled out by Salt Lake bidders in capturing the 2002 Winter
Games that saw 10 members expelled or forced to resign, Rogge has
maintained a squeaky clean image.
Though not particularly charismatic, the tall, lean Rogge
(pronounced ROH-guh) possesses an understated charm. His courteous
manner and diplomatic touch have made an impression in Olympic
circles.
Fluent in five languages, Rogge's native tongue is Dutch. He
also speaks French, English, Spanish and German.
Rogge says his surgical career has taught him about having a
sense of responsibility, and remaining humble, calm and cool. He
has medical offices in Ghent and his hometown, Deinze.
He is expected to give up his medical practice to live and work
in the IOC's home city of Lausanne, Switzerland, where, as
president, he would receive no salary.
Rogge grew up in the medieval Flemish harbor city of Ghent,
where he learned to sail. His parents began taking him sailing at
3, along Belgium's North Sea coast.
He went on to compete in sailing's Finn class in three Olympics
(Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976). He was sailing
world champion and twice runner-up, as well as a 16-time Belgian
champion.
Rogge also played for Belgium's modest national rugby team.
At age 34, Rogge began his career in sports administration when
he was asked to serve as an athlete's representative on Belgium's
Olympic committee.
Leader of the Belgian team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Rogge
resisted pressure to join the U.S.-led boycott prompted by the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Ignoring threats as well as government and public opposition,
the Belgian delegation went to Moscow, competing under the Olympic
flag.
Rogge is now vice president of the Association of National
Olympic Committees. A strong believer that doping is the No. 1
enemy of sport, Rogge is also vice chairman of the IOC medical
commission and a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency council.
He is also chairman of the coordination commission for 2000
Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Games. A skillful troubleshooter,
Rogge has been key in steering Athens back on track after a
disastrous start.
That experience has led Rogge to campaign to downsize the
Olympics and restore their human face, arguing that the games have
become so massive and costly that only the wealthiest cities and
countries are capable of staging them.
He also believes that the reforms adopted following the Salt
Lake City bribery scandal should be reviewed to determine whether
they are working.
Rogge has also said the reinstatement of visits to the bid
cities by IOC members should probably be re-examined.
A high-profile figure in the official sessions at the 112th IOC
general assembly over the last week, Rogge delivered reports on the
hugely successful Sydney Olympics, efforts to turn the Athens Games
around and from the medical commission.
While rival Kim Un-yong of South Korea was busy making repeated
denials about offering IOC members generous expense allowances,
Rogge was quietly meeting with members, shaking hands and looking
increasingly presidential.
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