Memorandum submitted by the British Olympic
Association
INTRODUCTION TO
THE BRITISH
OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION
The British Olympic Association (BOA) was formed
at a meeting at the House of Commons on 24 May 1905. It is therefore
celebrating its centenary this year.
The BOA is recognised by the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) as the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and is therefore responsible for
leading and managing the British delegation (known as Team GB)
at the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games. The BOA is bound to observe
the Olympic Charter as published by the IOC. The Olympic Charter
governs the organisation and operation of the Olympic Movement
including the roles and responsibilities of NOCs and sets forth
the conditions for the celebrations of the Olympic Games.
The BOA is now a unique blend of elected officials
and professional staff. The main body of elected officials, one
from each of the British Governing Bodies of the 35 Olympic sports,
make up the NOC which is the BOA's decision and policy-making
body.
Six Governing Body representatives from the
NOC are also elected to the Executive Board. This Board is involved
in more detailed work of the BOA and will also put forward specific
proposals for decision by the NOC. Other members of the Executive
Board include the Chairman (Lord Colin Moynihan), Vice Chairman
(Albert Woods and David Hemery), British IOC Members (HRH The
Princess Royal, Craig Reedie, Phil Craven and Dame Mary Glen Haig)
and a representative of the British Athletics Commission.
The head of the professional staff is Simon
Clegg, the Chief Executive, who also hold the Olympic post of
General Secretary.
The BOA is a not-for-profit organisation. It
receives no funding from Government or the Lottery and therefore
relies almost entirely on commercial sponsorship, licensing and
fundraising for its income. Any excess of income over expenditure
generated by the BOA is reinvested in programme and services provision
to Olympic sports and their athletes.
ROLE OF
THE BRITISH
OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION
The Olympic Charter grants the BOA exclusive
powers for the representation of Team GB at the Olympic Games
including the entry, accreditation, constitution, organisation
and leadership of the total British delegation. These powers include
setting and enforcing the Olympic Qualifying Standard with each
Governing Body and ultimately selecting the team.
In addition to being responsible for the preparation,
support, delivery and management of Team GB to the Olympic Games,
it also leads a delegation to the two European Olympic Youth Festivals
(Summer and Winter) every two years. In accordance with the Olympic
Charter, the BOA also has the responsibility to promote and develop
the Olympic Movement in the UK and inspire young people to embrace
the ideals and values of Olympic sport. The British Olympic Foundation
(BOF) is the charitable arm of the BOA charged with fulfilling
these obligations for the BOA.
To deliver Team GB to the Games and to maximise
their potential, the BOA provides many world class services for
athletes, coaches, performance directors, team managers and administrators
not just at the Olympic Games but over the entire four year period
of the Olympiad. Services include the Athlete Passport Scheme
which gives over 2,000 elite athletes access to a variety of benefits
including free gym membership, discounts from the BOA's sponsors
and free access to the expertise of the Olympic Medical Institute
(a partnership project with the English Institute of Sport). The
BOA's Performance Unit supports the Olympic Governing Bodies in
areas such as performance, qualification standards, coaching conferences,
team leader development and sports development.
Crucial to the team's preparation is the various
recees for team leaders to the host city to assess the venues
and address specific issues face to face with the organisers.
Furthermore, the Preparation Camps run by the BOA, such as the
Barcelona and Cyprus Holding Camps prior to the Athens Games and
in Calgary for our athletes competing in Salt Lake City, provide
the critical final preparation and organisation for the Games
are seen as almost second to none within the Olympic Movement.
The BOA is the independent voice of elite and
Olympic sport in the UK. It is the BOA who sets the team performance
target at each Olympic Games. The BOA has already publicly stated
its mission to achieve fourth place in the London 2012 medals
table. This requires a step change from 10th position which the
British team has occupied in both Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004).
THE BOA AND
LONDON 2012
The Olympic Charter provides that the NOC must
approve and endorse any application by a city to be a Host City
of the Olympic Games.
In 1997 the BOA undertook preparatory work assessing
the requirements, strategic planning and viability of a London
bid. This culminated with a 395 page report being delivered to
DCMS in December 2000. The report was presented to the Secretary
of State, the Mayor of London, the Opposition frontbench spokespersons,
Sport England and UK Sport. In June 2001 a Key Stakeholders Group
comprising the BOA, GLA and Government (through DCMS) was established.
When the London 2012 bid was launched in May 2003 it was on the
platform that the three key stakeholder bodies were working closely
together to deliver what was required, much of which would not
have been possible in the short time available had it not been
for the preceding five years of preparatory work by the BOA.
Now with a successful bid behind us, the BOA
is again one of the three key stakeholder bodies who make up the
London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG). The
Chairman of the BOA sits on the Olympic Board along with the Secretary
of State, the Mayor and the Chairman of LOCOG. Both the Chairman
and the Chief Executive of the BOA sit on the LOCOG Board. The
BOA is dedicated not only to delivering fourth place in the medal
table in London in 2012 but also to delivering a lasting legacy
for elite sport in the UK and a world class facility that will
be the London Olympic Institute.
25 October 2005
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