BOA & USOC Reach Landmark Bilateral Agreement
The British Olympic Association (BOA) and United States Olympic
Committee (USOC) have announced the establishment of a bilateral
agreement designed to benefit aspiring Olympic athletes and Olympic
sport not only in their two countries, but worldwide.
The landmark agreement was finalised in San Francisco following the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games by British Olympic Association
Chairman Lord Colin Moynihan and United States Olympic Committee
Chairman Larry Probst.
Through the bilateral agreement, the BOA and USOC will take steps
to:
* Jointly establish a Congress
to take place in 2011 in London to develop and share information on
best practices in National Governing Body leadership.
* Work to bring together
National Olympic Committees and private sector expertise to assist
the process of taking forward the 2009 Olympic Congress resolutions
on new digital technologies.
* Establish a joint forum to
share best practices in the development of Youth and Education
Programmes in sport and recreation.
* Explore areas of cooperation
in winter sports in preparation for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter
Games, particularly in sports governed by the Federation
Internationale de Ski (FIS). Specific opportunities will
include coaching and technical exchanges, winter-sport training
camps and other high performance programs.
* Explore partnership
opportunities between British Ski & Snowboarding and the United
States Ski & Snowboard Association to assist in the establishment of
British Ski & Snowboarding as a model National Governing Body.
* Coordinate issues of mutual
interest in planning for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Colin Moynihan said: "This is a groundbreaking Agreement between two
National Olympic Committees with a shared commitment to support the
growth of the Olympic Movement not only in our own countries, but
worldwide.
"For the BOA, this Agreement also represents an invaluable
opportunity to provide an additional pathway of critical support for
our winter sport athletes and, in particular, those athletes
affected by the recent collapse of the former National Governing
Body for ski and snowboard sport in the UK."
USOC Chairman Larry Probst said: "The special relationship
between Great Britain and the United States has been bolstered by
this Agreement. Lord Moynihan is to be commended for his commitment
to partnership and advancing the important ideals of the Olympic
Movement.
"Our goal coming into the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games was to
continue our efforts to engage the global Olympic Movement, learn
from other National Olympic Committees and where possible, share our
own expertise.
"With this Agreement, and others we've signed during these Games, I
believe we have made progress against that objective. I look
forward to working closely and collaboratively in the coming years
with Lord Moynihan, Andy Hunt and the entire BOA."