CK Wu, the president of the International Boxing Federation (AIBA), is one of the six candidates to succeed Jacques Rogge at the head of the IOC. A few days before the vote, the Taiwanese shared his ideas and vision with FrancsJeux. Interview.
FrancsJeux : What is your vision of the Olympics?
CK Wu: The foundation of my candidacy is based on the vision of an IOC and an Olympic movement that would go further than Olympism. The IOC and the Games have a capacity to play a role in society far greater than any other organization in the world.
What do you mean by the idea of going “further than Olympism”?
One of the first responsibilities of the next president will be to ensure that the IOC continues and develops an active role in the peace process and in the humanitarian movement. When I talk about going “beyond the Olympics”, I mean that our organization absolutely must better share its financial resources, its marketing power and the talents that make up the Olympic family. This involves establishing stronger relationships between the president and the members of the IOC.
If you were elected on September 10, what kind of president would you be?
Our next president must be a leader capable of harmonizing relations between members, delegating a large part of responsibilities to them and supporting them in their Olympic ideal. He should also encourage them to represent the IOC in their own country.
How do you imagine the future of the Youth Olympic Games?
The Youth Olympic Games are an important part of our future. But I believe it would be useful to lower the minimum age of access to the event for participants. There should also be a stronger synergy between the YOG and the Olympic Games. In this sense, I propose that the Youth Olympic Games be organized in the same cities and on the same facilities as the Olympic Games.
How do you want to develop the Olympic program?
All sports present at the London Games in 2012 and those in Sochi in 2014 must be protected, because they belong to the history of our movement.
But how could the IOC, in this case, bring in new sports?
We could consider including “demonstration sports”, proposed by the Games organizing committees.
How can we control the size and cost of the Games?
I propose that, from now on, at least half of the Olympic installations be temporary or demountable. These facilities would be developed in agreement with the international federations, in particular for all those which do not require technical developments.
What role will the next president have to play in bringing the Olympics to previously unexplored parts of the world, like Africa and the Middle East?
A major role. It must contribute to ensuring that the values of Olympism are shared in all regions of the world. I am personally in favor of Games in Africa. This continent embodies the future. We must help it develop, and I am convinced that granting the Games to Africa could greatly contribute to this.
Should we return to the principle of visiting candidate cities by all IOC members?
I propose that IOC members visit candidate cities in groups, with representatives of international federations and national Olympic committees. These visits could take place 3 or 4 months before the vote. And they would be financed by the IOC.
If you win on September 10, what mark would you like to leave on the Olympic movement?
I believe that the IOC, after my presidency, would be even stronger, that its position would be strengthened in the world and that it would be more active in the peace process. Within our organization itself, power would be better shared between the president and the members. Finally, I would even say above all, I hope to be the first president who will bring the Games to Africa.
