Tag Archives: IOC

IOC Confirms Equestrian Sport in 2024 Olympic Programme and Approval of Tokyo 2020 Formats

Lausanne (SUI), 9 June 2017 – The FEI President has welcomed the confirmation by the IOC that equestrian sport will be in the Olympic programme for the 2024 Games and approval of the Olympic formats submitted by the FEI for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The quota for equestrian at the 2020 Games remains unchanged.

“The IOC’s confirmation of equestrian on the Olympic programme for the 2024 Games and approval of the new formats for Tokyo 2020 is a direct acknowledgment of our willingness to adapt and modernise our sport, so all the work to drive change and increase universality has been worthwhile,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“Approval of the formats for Tokyo means that we can now increase the number of flags in equestrian sport in line with the Agenda 2020 recommendations. With more than 30,000 athletes registered to compete in our three Olympic disciplines – and the numbers are growing every year – our new formats mean that athletes from more countries than ever before will now have the opportunity of one day realising their dream of representing their country at the Olympic Games.”

The new formats include teams of three and no drop score across the Olympic disciplines (Eventing, Dressage and Jumping) and the use of reserve athletes (horses and riders) for medical reasons. The format changes were approved by the FEI’s member National Federations at last year’s FEI General Assembly in Tokyo (JPN) following almost two years of consultation.

“It wasn’t easy for our community to make such drastic changes to our Olympic formats, but the National Federations knew the importance of this decision and ultimately supported the proposed changes. Their willingness to embrace this change is without any doubt the reason we have got this fantastic news from the IOC today.”

Ingmar De Vos also welcomed the confirmation of the IOC Executive Board’s unanimous approval of a working group recommendation that both the 2024 and 2028 Games be awarded later this year. The recommendation will be voted on at an IOC Extraordinary Session in Lausanne (SUI) next month and, if passed, the two Games will then be allocated at the IOC Session in Lima (PER) in mid-September, with Paris (FRA) and Los Angeles (USA) as the two candidate cities.

“We have visited the equestrian venues at Paris and Los Angeles and we’re really excited to know that they will be hosting the next two editions of the Games after Tokyo 2020, as they both offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase our sport. We will have an iconic venue in Paris, as equestrian will be staged in the grounds of Versailles, with the chateau as a truly spectacular backdrop not only for the stadium, but also for the cross country. And for Los Angeles we will be in the beautiful Sepulveda Basin, just 15 minutes from the Athletes Village, on the site of an existing golf course.

“Both venues provide us with a great opportunity to deliver the Games in a cost-effective way and, as France and the United States have a long and successful equestrian tradition, there will be huge public support for our sport.”

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

FEI Honorary Vice President Tsunekazu Takeda (JPN) Elected to International Olympic Committee

Newly elected IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda (pictured right) with IOC President Jacques Rogge at the 124th IOC Session in London. © IOC/Richard Juilliart

London (GBR), 29 July 2012 – Tsunekazu Takeda, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and FEI Honorary Vice President, was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the 124th IOC Session held in London prior to the Olympic Games.

Takeda, who served as an FEI Bureau member from 1992 to 2002, competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Jumping events. Following his retirement from competition, he continued to pursue his passion for sport as a coach and administrator, leading the Japanese equestrian teams at the Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. He served as a sports director to the Organising Committee for the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games and was elected as President of the Japanese Olympic Committee in 2001. He was chef de mission for the Japanese delegations at the Salt Lake City 2002 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Tsunekazu Takeda is the 13th IOC member from Japan. Mr Takeda’s father, Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda, who competed in the Olympic equestrian events in Berlin 1936, was an IOC member from 1967 to 1981 and served on the organisation’s executive board for five years.

Continue reading FEI Honorary Vice President Tsunekazu Takeda (JPN) Elected to International Olympic Committee

FEI Solidarity Launched with Unanimous Support of National Federations

The creation of FEI Solidarity was unanimously approved by the National Federations gathered in Lausanne (SUI). (c) Hugues Siegenthaler/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 6 May 2011 – FEI Solidarity, modelled on the hugely successful Olympic Solidarity programme, has been enshrined in the FEI constitution with the unanimous approval of National Federations attending today’s FEI Extraordinary General Assembly in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (SUI). FEI Solidarity, which aims to organise assistance to the National Federations, in particular those which have the greatest need, has now been drafted into the FEI Statutes. Assistance from the FEI Solidarity programme will take the form of programmes created jointly by the FEI and the National Federations.

“Today is a very special day for the FEI,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said. “Thanks to our member federations, the FEI’s development efforts have now been given the prominent place in our Statutes that they so richly deserve. FEI Solidarity is a mirror of Olympic Solidarity and I am incredibly grateful to the IOC for guiding us through the creation of this new structure. For years we in the FEI have been struggling to find the best mechanism to deliver development to our sport and today our National Federations have given us a concrete solution.”

“I would like to congratulate the FEI on this exceptional initiative,” IOC President Jacques Rogge commented. “FEI Solidarity, following the example of Olympic Solidarity, will be providing assistance to the national equestrian federations, particularly to those with the greatest needs, so that they can develop their own potential and expand the sport in their country. This shows how committed the FEI is to the global future of equestrian sport and I am confident that the newly created FEI Solidarity will be very successful.”

Continue reading FEI Solidarity Launched with Unanimous Support of National Federations

FEI ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE RESOLVES ROLLKUR CONTROVERSY

FEI Round Table Conference Participants on Rollkur/Hyperflexion - 9Feb2010
FEI Round Table Conference Participants on Rollkur/Hyperflexion - 9Feb2010 (click for larger image)

Lausanne (SUI), 9 February 2010 – Following constructive debate at the FEI round-table conference at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne today (9 February), the consensus of the group was that any head and neck position achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable. The group redefined hyperflexion/Rollkur as flexion of the horse’s neck achieved through aggressive force, which is therefore unacceptable. The technique known as Low, Deep and Round (LDR), which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable.

The group unanimously agreed that any form of aggressive riding must be sanctioned. The FEI will establish a working group, headed by Dressage Committee Chair Frank Kemperman, to expand the current guidelines for stewards to facilitate the implementation of this policy. The group agreed that no changes are required to the current FEI Rules.

The FEI Management is currently studying a range of additional measures, including the use of closed circuit television for warm-up arenas at selected shows.

The group also emphasised that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider.

The FEI President HRH Princess Haya accepted a petition of 41,000 signatories against Rollkur presented by Dr Gerd Heuschman.

The participants in the FEI round-table conference were:

HRH Princess Haya, FEI President
Alex McLin, FEI Secretary General
Margit Otto-Crépin, International Dressage Riders Club Representative
Linda Keenan, International Dressage Trainers Club Representative
Sjef Janssen, Dressage Representative
Frank Kemperman, Chairman, FEI Dressage Committee (by conference call)
François Mathy, International Jumping Riders Club Representative
David Broome, Jumping Representative
Jonathan Chapman, Eventing Representative
Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare Representative
Tony Tyler, World Horse Welfare Representative
Ulf Helgstrand, President, Danish Equestrian Federation
John McEwen, Chairman, FEI Veterinary Committee
Dr Sue Dyson, Veterinary Representative
Dr Gerd Heuschman, Veterinary Representative
Prof. René van Weeren, Veterinary Representative
Jacques van Daele, FEI Honorary Steward General Dressage
Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director
Trond Asmyr, FEI Director Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage
John Roche, FEI Director Jumping and Stewarding
Catrin Norinder, FEI Director Eventing
Carsten Couchouron, FEI Executive Director Commercial
Richard Johnson, FEI Communications Director

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations. Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes – horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.

FEI PRESS RELEASE
Media Contact:
Malina Gueorguiev
FEI Press Manager
Malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

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