Honorary IOC President Jacques ROGGE thanked by archery athlete role model for the Youth Olympic ideal

Jacques ROGGE became an IOC member in 1991, just a year before Khatuna LORIG won archery team bronze with the Unified Team at her first Olympic Games in Barcelona.

In Nanjing, the two met at ROGGE’s most recognisable legacy from his tenure as IOC President: the Youth Olympic Games.

LORIG, who now competes for the USA, thanked the Honorary President for making the ideal a reality, and providing the opportunity for so many young archers – and athletes – to experience an Olympic atmosphere with their peers.

As athlete role model, she has had the opportunity to pass on a wealth of knowledge that comes with five Olympic appearances.

The Youth Olympic ideal has not just inspired the young athletes competing, who Jacques ROGGE spent time talking to about their time in Nanjing. Khatuna is ever more hungry to make that next Games, and has continued to train alongside the youth archers this week.

Jacques ROGGE watched LI Jiaman, China’s only archer in the competition, win individual girls’ gold yesterday, after mixed team gold the day before. Her individual final culminated in a thrilling comeback and one-arrow tiebreaker. LI shot four straight 10s to become Youth Olympic Champion.

Waiting to congratulate her outside the finals field: not her teammates – she’s the lone Chinese archer – but athletes of other nations. Which is what these Youth Olympics are about.

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