Vessela Letcheva participated in consultations with IOC President Kirsty Coventry and the presidents of National Olympic Committees from around the world.
The discussion on the future of the Olympic movement lasted more than an hour.
Coventry informed the heads of Olympic committees about the results of the meetings in Lausanne with members of the IOC commissions on the “Fit for the Future” consultation process.
Letcheva was at the IOC headquarters 10 days ago in her capacity as a member of the Commission for Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It was there that the first round of talks on the future of the IOC took place.
“I congratulate you on your initiative to listen to different voices in the Olympic movement at the beginning of your term. Each of us has experience in sport – both as Olympic athletes and as leaders who can share their insights,” BOC President Letcheva said.
“We must maintain our neutrality—political and economic—in a world of enormous challenges. If we stand together, if we follow the Olympic Charter, we will be able to preserve the enormous authority of the IOC and maintain the reputation of the Olympic movement,” said Letcheva during the online discussion.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Coventry replied to Letcheva’s statement. “As president of the IOC, this is one of my most important tasks – to protect our movement, because independence is its greatest strength.”
In early September, the IOC created four new working groups as part of the “Fit for the Future” initiative initiative, which will focus on the development of the Youth Olympic Games, the Olympic program, the protection of women’s disciplines, as well as commercial partnerships and marketing. These groups, formed under the leadership of IOC President Coventry, also include representatives of international federations who will address key challenges and future strategy. Following the results of the discussions in Lausanne, as well as those with the presidents of all National Olympic Committees held last night, the working groups will summarize all important conclusions to shape the IOC’s policy for the coming years.
