IOC Congress #11

Venue Baden-Baden (FRG)
Held 23 – 28 September 1981

Description

The 11th Olympic Congress took place in Baden-Baden, Germany from 23-28 September 1981, presided over by the new IOC President, Juan Antonio Samaranch. The Organizing Committee was led by German IOC Member Willi Daume, who had also led the Organizing Committee for the 1972 München Olympics. The secretary-general of the Baden-Baden Congress was IOC Director Monique Berlioux. The theme of the Congress was “The Future of the Olympic Games, International Cooperation, and the Future of the Olympic Movement.”

There were 469 official delegates at this Congress, now representing not only the IOC, NOCs, and IFs, but Olympic athletes, Olympic coaches, and 62 other official observers. As at Varna, the three working days of the Congress were each devoted to one of three topics – 24 September: The Future of the Olympic Games; 25 September: International Cooperation; and 26 September: The Future of the Olympic Movement.

A final statement was issued by the Congress, and was read at the closing by Monique Berlioux. Its important points can be summarized as follows:

Theme 1: The Future of the Olympic Games

Theme 2: International Cooperation

Theme 3: The Future of the Olympic Movement

The IOC acted over the next few years to implement several of the above recommendations. The Tripartite Commission was increased in size from 18 to 28 members and renamed the Commission for the Olympic Movement in 1982. An Athletes Commission was also formed, with six athletes who had given speeches at Baden-Baden elected to it as founding members. Eventually the word amateur was deleted from the Olympic Charter and most Olympic sports were opened to professionals and amateurs. Doping became even more of a problem, however, with the IOC work on this problem ongoing. Finally, the IOC eventually passed recommendations requiring organizations within the Olympic Movement to increase the number of women in administrative positions. The IOC set definite guidelines and a timetable for implementing these guidelines.