London 2012 Organising Committee Chairman
Seb Coe marked five years until the Opening Ceremony by
welcoming guests at the Inaugural Pierre de Coubertin Lecture at
the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures
and Commerce (RSA) in London last night.
"For more than a century, the modern Olympic Movement has
been a catalyst for change," he said, "If you look back to my
own Olympic Games (Moscow1980), which I like to think were in
the infancy of change, through to Barcelona where there was
extensive regeneration and then to Beijing, we realise that the
Olympic Movement is not just one Games after another, and we are
not just another host city in the chain. In five years the focus
will be on the Olympic park, but the park will also be the
source of widespread social, economic and environmental
regeneration."
Inspired by and named in honour of the French nobleman who
founded the modern Olympic Movement, The Pierre De Coubertin
Lecture is the first in a series aimed at celebrating and
exploring the phenomenon of the modern Olympic Movement.
Organised by the
British Olympic Foundation (BOF), the
London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the RSA, it will take place every
year leading up to the London 2012 and will provide the
opportunity to learn more about the long-term legacy of hosting
the Olympic Games.
"We are very proud to support the inaugural de Coubertin
lecture." said Jan Paterson, Director of the British Olympic
Foundation, “It is an opportunity to acknowledge and
appreciate everything that Pierre de Coubertin did for the
Olympic Movement and celebrate his special relationship with
Britain’s early Olympic leaders."
The keynote address 'The Olympic Games - a catalyst for
change' was given by the newly appointed Director of Sport
for the
International Olympic Committee (IOC),Christophe Dubi
who described how the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games can
transform host cities and what this could mean for London in
2012.
"The Olympic Games represents a unique opportunity to
influence the course of history," he said. "London follows in
the footsteps of Barcelona, Sydney and Athens who took advantage
of the Games to regenerate large areas. London is absolutely
passionate about sport and culture and this is so important to
the Olympic Movement. I believe sustainable redevelopment is
part of the DNA for London."
The lecture took place in the very room where Coubertin spoke
on the Olympic Games 103 years ago.
"Coubertin understood the greater value of sport, that sport
is the drama of life," said Sydney 2000 Olympic triple jump
champion
Jonathan Edwards, who joined a discussion panel at the
lecture.
Paralympian Ade Adetipan admitted: "My life has been
drastically changed by sport. At this moment in London there are
children dreaming of being Olympic or Paralympic champions. That
to me is the power of sport; it is an A-Z for life."
