IOC Congress #11

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

• There was no place in the Olympic games for “professional” or “open” competition. The principles of Rule 26 (the amateur rule) must be retained and the bye-laws made suitable for each Olympic sport, but compliance with this rule should not create inequalities between competitors. Despite the opening sentence, the final one effectively served as the end of the amateur concept at the Olympic Games.
• The Olympic Games should continue to be held anywhere in the world. This was a statement in response to the Greek proposal of the late 1970s to hold the Olympic Games permanently in Greece, to help prevent the boycotts which were becoming so common.

Theme 2: International Cooperation

• The Olympic Games, the most important manifestation of international cooperation, must be supported by everyone.
• The following suggestions made by the athletes met with general approval: 1) The existing penalties for drug abuse should be more strictly enforced; 2) Testing for doping abuse should not be limited to Olympic or world competitions but by co-operation with the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees and should be carried out world-wide throughout the whole year; and 3) Assistance should be given in the establishment of reliable and neutral laboratories throughout the world.
• All participants in the Congress should continue to strive towards the elimination of discrimination in sport.

Theme 3: The Future of the Olympic Movement

• The Tripartite Commission should be enlarged to include more representatives of the three parts, together with representatives of other organizations where thought necessary.
• Women should be given a greater role in sports administration.
• Every effort should be made to revive fair play and sportsmanship.

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.