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Olympic heavyweights to speak at inaugural World Olympians Forum

7 | 10 | 2015

The first ever World Olympians Forum [WOF] continues to attract leading figures from the Olympic Movement with the announcement that a host of high profile Olympians and senior figures from the Olympic Movement will speak at the historic event which will take place in Moscow, Russia on 21 October 2015.

The newly announced speakers to take part in the World Olympians Forum include:

  • Sergey Bubka – Olympic Gold Medallist, IOC Executive Board Member and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Vice President
  • Claudia Bokel – Olympic Silver Medallist, IOC Executive Board Member and Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission
  • Guy Drut – Olympic Gold Medallist and IOC Member
  • Yelena Isinbayeva – Two-time Olympic Gold Medallist, seven-time World Champion and 30 times world record holder in Pole Vault
  • Frank Fredericks – Olympic Silver Medallist and IOC Member
  • Koji Murofushi – Olympic Gold Medallist and Tokyo 2020 Sports Director
  • Scott Blackmun – United States Olympic Committee CEO
  • Dmitry Chernyshenko – President of the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Organising Committee
  • Hicham El Guerrouj – Two-time Olympic Gold Medallist and four-time World Champion
  • Alexei Nemov – Four-time Olympic Gold Medallist and  Five-time World Champion
  • Anastasia Davydova – Five-time Olympic Gold Medallist 

The speakers will join the 121 National Olympians Associations that have registered for the WOF, other Olympians, representatives of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Family, Governments and other key Olympic, sporting and non-governmental stakeholders to share best practices and discuss the topics of greatest concern to Olympians.

Other notable figures already confirmed to take part in the WOF include Olympic Gold Medallist and IOC President, Thomas Bach, and Five-time Olympian, IOC Member and WOA Patron, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Established by the World Olympians Association in partnership with the Russian Olympic Committee, the inaugural WOF will also create an exciting opportunity to celebrate Olympism and the achievements of Olympians worldwide.

Sergey Bubka, Olympic Gold Medallist at Seoul 1988, said:

“I am honoured to join my esteemed colleagues in the Olympic Movement at the very first World Olympians Forum. The Forum will provide a great opportunity to debate the key issues within the Olympic Movement and I’m also looking forward to the insightful discussions about how National Olympians Associations can be empowered to spread the core Olympic values throughout their communities.”

Claudia Bokel, Olympic Silver Medallist, IOC Executive Board Member and Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, said: 

“The athletes are at the centre of the Olympic Movement and it is vital that we support them on and off the field of play. This has been reinforced through a number of Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. The World Olympians Forum will provide an excellent platform to discuss this important subject and it will be a pleasure to discuss new ways in which we can support Olympians throughout their sporting careers and beyond.” 

Yelena Isinbayeva, two-time Olympic Gold Medallist, seven-time World Champion and 30 times record holder in Pole Vault, said: 

“I believe that the World Olympians Forum will prove to be a fantastic platform that will put the welfare of Olympians centre stage – the well-being of the Olympic stars during and after their sporting careers must be taken seriously. As a competing athlete who understands the modern day challenges that all Olympians and elite athletes face, I’m looking forward to taking part.

Joël Bouzou, WOA President, said:

“The WOA is delighted to bring together such high profile figures from the Olympic world to debate the topics that matter most to Olympians. I’d like to thank all of them for agreeing to participate at the inaugural WOF in Moscow and I’m looking forward to joining colleagues from the Olympic Family to discuss how we can work together to further enhance the WOA mission of Service to Olympians and Service to Society.”