Jacques Rogge, Count Rogge (born 2 May 1942) ( ) is a Belgian sports functionary. He is the eighth and current president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Biography

Born in Ghent, Rogge is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession. Rogge was educated at the University of Ghent. He competed in yachting in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics, and played on the Belgian national rugby union team. Rogge served as president of the Belgian Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1992, and as president of the European Olympic Committees from 1989 to 2001. He became a member of the IOC in 1991 and joined its Executive Board in 1998. He was knighted, and later elevated to Count, by King Albert II of Belgium. In his free time, Rogge is known to admire modern art and is an avid reader of historical and scientific literature.

Rogge was elected as president of the IOC on 16 July 2001 at the 112th IOC Session in Moscow as the successor to Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had led the IOC since 1980.

Under his leadership, the IOC aims to create more possibilities for developing countries to bid for and host the Olympic Games. Rogge believes that this vision can be achieved in the not too distant future through government backing and new IOC policies that constrain the size, complexity and cost of hosting the Olympic Games.

At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Rogge became the first IOC President to stay in the Olympic village, to enjoy closer contact with the athletes.

He is married to Anne; they have two grown-up children. His son Philippe is the current delegation leader of the Belgian Olympic Committee.

Controversies

For the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Rogge announced in mid-July 2008 that there would be no Internet censorship by the mainland authorities: "for the first time, foreign media will be able to report freely and publish their work freely in China. " However, by 30 July 2008, IOC spokesman Kevan Gosper announced that the Internet would indeed be censored for journalists. Gosper, who said he had not heard about this, suggested that high IOC officials (probably including the Dutch Hein Verbruggen and IOC French director-general Gilbert Felli, and most likely with Rogge's knowledge) had made a secret deal with Chinese officials to allow the censorship, without the knowledge of either the press or most members of the IOC. Rogge later denied that any such meeting had taken place, but did not insist that China adhere to its prior assurances that the Internet would not be censored.

Rogge has been criticized for rebuking Usain Bolt's jubilation after winning multiple track and field events in Beijing. Yahoo Sports columnist, Dan Wetzel, who covered the Games described him as "...a classic stiff-collared bureaucrat," and further contended that "[the IOC] has made billions off athletes such as Bolt for years, yet he has to find someone to pick on." In an interview with Irish Times' reporter Ian O'Riordan, Rogge clarified, "Maybe there was a little bit of a misunderstanding. […] What he does before or after the race I have no problem with. I just thought that his gesticulation during the race was maybe a little disrespectful."

Rogge was also criticized by the Greek society for reportedly telling the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Minos Kyriakou that "Greece won the gold medal in doping" (referring to the disqualification of several Greek athletes due to use of performance enhancing drugs), however authenticity of this alleged quote was denied by Kyriakou.. In October 2009 he is re-elected for a new term as President of the IOC. In 2013 he is not eligible for a new term.

Notes

1. "2007 impressions", Het Laatste Nieuws, 31 December 2007
2. IOC Re-elects President Jacques Rogge
3. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/asiapacific/080730-IOC-Web_Censorship
4. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gKf6TZUVV5O0svemHyOqBT1MvnxQD928TKH8B
5. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24110428-2702,00.html
6. Sports Illustrated, 2008
7. "Beijing Olympics’ winners and losers", Yahoo Sports!, 24 August, 2008