Jacques Rogge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
His Excellency Count
Jacques Rogge
OLY
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Rogge in January 2014
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| 8th President of the International Olympic Committee | |
| In office 16 July 2001 – 10 September 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Juan Antonio Samaranch |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Bach |
| Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee | |
| In office 10 September 2013 – 29 August 2021 |
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| President | Thomas Bach |
| Preceded by | vacant, last held by Juan Antonio Samaranch (2010) |
| Succeeded by | vacant, expected to be Thomas Bach in 2025 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jacques Jean Marie Rogge
2 May 1942 Ghent, Belgium |
| Died | 29 August 2021 (aged 79) Deinze, Belgium |
| Spouses | Anne Rogge, Countess Rogge |
| Children | One son, one daughter |
| Alma mater | University of Ghent |
| Profession | Orthopedic surgeon Sports administrator |
Jacques Jean Marie Rogge, also known as Count Rogge, was a very important person in the world of sports. He was a doctor and a sports leader from Belgium. From 2001 to 2013, he was the eighth President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This is the group that organizes the Olympic Games. After his time as president, he became the IOC's Honorary President for the rest of his life. He passed away in 2021.
Life and Career
Jacques Rogge was born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1942. His father was an engineer. Jacques became a surgeon who specialized in bones (an orthopedic surgeon). He studied at a Jesuit private school and the University of Ghent.
Rogge was a talented athlete in Belgium. He won the national championship in rugby 16 times. He was also a world champion in yachting once. He even competed in sailing at three Summer Olympic Games: in 1968, 1972, and 1976.
Rogge led the Belgian Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1992. He also served as president of the European Olympic Committees from 1989 to 2001. He became a member of the IOC in 1991. Later, in 1998, he joined its executive board.
In 1992, he was given the title of Knight. In 2002, King Albert II of Belgium made him a Count. When Rogge finished his time as IOC President, he received a special gold Olympic Order award. In 2014, he was honored by the Princess Royal in the UK. This was for his many years of work with the Olympics, especially for the London 2012 Games.
In 2014, Rogge was chosen by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a special job. He became the Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport. His role was to help young refugees through sports. He promoted sports for peace, health, education, and equality.
In his free time, Rogge enjoyed modern art and reading. He liked books about history and science. In 2016, a new sports center in Belgium was named "The Jacques Rogge Sports Centre" in his honor.
In 2017, the International Paralympic Committee gave Rogge their highest award, the Paralympic Order. They honored him for helping them avoid financial problems. He also received a lifetime achievement award from the International Fair Play Committee. This committee even named their youth award after him. It is called the Jacques Rogge Fair Play Trophy for The Youth.
Jacques Rogge passed away on August 29, 2021, at 79 years old. The IOC did not share the exact cause of his death. However, he had been dealing with Parkinson's disease.
President of the IOC
Jacques Rogge was chosen as President of the IOC on July 16, 2001. This happened at the 112th IOC Session in Moscow. He took over from Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had been president since 1980.
At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Rogge did something new. He became the first IOC President to stay in the Olympic village. This allowed him to be closer to the athletes.
In October 2009, he was chosen again to be President of the IOC. In September 2013, at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Thomas Bach from Germany was elected as his successor. Thomas Bach had won a gold medal in fencing at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
On July 27, 2011, one year before the London 2012 Games, Rogge attended a ceremony in Trafalgar Square. There, he invited athletes from all over the world to compete. The Princess Royal and Sebastian Coe showed off the Olympic medals. The Prime Minister and Mayor of London also gave speeches.
In December 2011, Rogge received a special honor from France. He was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Jacques Rogge's time as IOC President ended on September 10, 2013. This was at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires. After that, he was named Lifetime Honorary President of the IOC. He held this important position until his death in 2021.
Honours and Titles
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Jacques Rogge received many awards and titles for his work in Belgium and other countries:
- 1992: Made a Knight by King Baudouin of Belgium.
- 2002: Made a Count by King Albert II of Belgium.
- 2011: Member of the Order of Friendship (Russia).
- 2011: Officer of the Legion of Honour (France).
- 2013: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (Belgium).
- 2014: Honorary Knight Commander in the Order of St. Michael and St. George (UK).
- 2012: Knight Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands).
- 2015: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Adolphe of Nassau (Luxembourg).
- Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
- Order of Merit of Ukraine.
- Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (Ukraine).
- Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.
- Order for Merits to Lithuania.
- 2013: Olympic Order.
- 2013: Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee.
- 2017: Paralympic Order.
Academic Degrees
Rogge also received several honorary degrees from universities around the world:
- Baku State University, Azerbaijan
- Semmelweis University, Hungary
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
- Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Poland
- University of Southern Denmark
- Lithuanian Sports University
- Ghent University, Belgium (in 2001)
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine (in 2006)
- Beijing Sport University, China (in 2006)
- Galileo University, Guatemala (in 2007)
- University of Porto, Portugal (in 2009)
- National Sports Academy of Bulgaria (in 2009)
- University of Oradea, Romania (in 2010)
- Royal Military Academy (Belgium) (in 2010)
- KU Leuven, Belgium (in 2012)
- National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport (in 2018)
See also
In Spanish: Jacques Rogge para niños
