Olympic Games

Olympic Games: Belgian athletes rewarded

Ever since the creation of the modern Olympic Games at the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1896, Belgium has become one of the hubs of the Olympic Movement. Guided by the ideal of educating young people through sport, Belgium has always sent delegations of high-level athletes to participate in the Olympiads. In 1920, Count Henri de Baillet Latour (1876-1942) played a central role in the organisation of the 7th Olympic Games in Antwerp. Two years later he was elected President of the Belgian Olympic Committee (today's BIOC), and in 1925 he succeeded Pierre de Coubertin as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Today, it is another Belgian - Count Jacques Rogge - who presides over the highest governing body of the Olympic Movement (since 2001). It was on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the BIOC, in 2006, that the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund decided to sponsor Olympic-related activities. Based on the observation that Belgian sports are more than ever in need of encouragement and financial support, the Fund pays homage to Olympic medal winners and rewards athletes for exceptional achievements in their respective Olympic disciplines, individual sports and mixed team sports. It is clear that these rewards will not only encourage athletes to pursue their efforts and avail themselves of the best possible facilities, but also lead to new vocations and new successes at the international level. After the ceremony rewarding the Belgian athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Fund moreover announced its intention to repeat this initiative for the London Olympic Games in 2012. >>links: http://www.olympic.be Facts 30/03/2010 Creation of the Belgian Olympic Forum at the initiative of the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund. A first symposium was organised on June 3, 2010, at the Sportimonium on the subject "From Olympic values to Olympic attitudes. Idealism, Integration, Integrity... Dotting the i's and crossing the t's'" >> read more: Press release of March 2010 21/10/2008 After the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund paid homage to the Belgian Olympic athletes and awarded prizes to the Olympic medal winners and to 43 athletes who finished within the top 8 of their disciplines: an amount of €200,000 shared among promising athletes. Belgium can proud of its athletes! >> read more: Press release of September 2007 Press release of October 21, 2008