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Olympians to play key role at 6th IWG World Conference on Women and Sport

11 | 6 | 2014

IOC President, Thomas Bach, will lead a contingent of Olympians speaking at the 6th IWG World Conference on Women and Sport starting tomorrow in Helsinki, Finland. The event, which marks the 20th anniversary of the inaugural conference held in the UK in 1994, will bring together opinion leaders and decision makers from around the globe to discuss the theory, policy and practice of women and sport.

President Bach, himself an Olympic Fencing Gold Medallist in the team foil at Montreal 1976, will be joined by a number of other distinguished guests and fellow Olympians over the course of the four day event. Speaking on the conference website ahead of the event, Bach said:

“Women’s participation in sport and sports administration is a key priority for the IOC. A great deal has been achieved on and off the field of play in recent years. The IOC is pleased to support the 6th IWG World Conference on Women and Sport, which will see the participation of key stakeholders, and to play its part in leading ‘the change’.”

Anita DeFrantz, a member of the IOC Executive Committee, Honorary Member of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, member of the WOA Constitution Committee and Olympic Rowing Bronze Medallist at Montreal 1976 will also speak alongside Bach at the conference.

Also speaking will be Olympic yachtsman, IOC member and IOC representative on the WOA Board, Peter Tallberg, who represented Finland at five Olympic Games from 1960-1980; Claudia Bokel, the IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair and Olympic Fencing Silver Medallist at Athens 2004; Beckie Scott, Chair of the Athlete Committee for World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and an Olympic Gold Medallist in cross country skiing at Salt Lake City 2002 and Benita Fitzgerald Mosley who is Head of High Performance for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and won Olympic Gold in the 100m hurdles at Los Angeles 1984.

Organisers are expecting up to 700 participants at the conference, which has grown steadily in size and stature since its inception in 1994.