After 14 years at the helm of the World Olympians Association, Joël Bouzou passed the torch to Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg. In the second part of maintenance that he granted to Francs JeuxHe shares his views on the organization's prospects and his personal future, which is aligned with the French Federation of Modern Pentathlon, but above all with Peace & Sport.
You stated that Pernilla Wiberg was "the best person" to succeed you. Why?
Because she climbed every rung of the ladder in the organization. She was part of the IOC Athletes' Commission, she was vice-president of the Olympians Association… She was trained progressively, she ticks all the boxes. She has the advantage of not having to wait until after the fact to learn what has been done in recent years; she is ready.
Is having a woman at the head of the WOA for the first time an important signal?
It's important, yes. It's good that it's happening. But if she's there, it's primarily because she's competent. We also have an Olympian as president of the IOC; I think they can do interesting things together.
What are the next challenges facing the WOA?
We must continue building the organization, working closely with the IOC, increasing the number of Olympians, and addressing the issues of insurance and pensions for athletes. We also need to organize our networks, as Olympians have the capacity to contribute and commit to long-term projects. Ultimately, what's essential is that every Olympian has prospects. We must maintain a virtuous cycle to provide Olympians with many more opportunities and continue to enhance the prestige of the World Olympians Association (WOA).
And what awaits you now that you're no longer at WOA?
What awaits me is life! Once an Olympian, always an Olympian. But it's important for me to have a little more time for my family. I'm very motivated for Peace & Sport; it's been my baby from the start. I'm very pleased with the enthusiasm the organization generates, and the support of Prince Albert II is invaluable. I try to serve this cause to the best of my ability. I still have a long way to go with this organization; it's growing, but it hasn't yet achieved everything I hope it will. Peace is the result of dialogue, and dialogue can be supported by sport because it's universal and brings people together: that's a message I want to continue spreading.
What is your ambition for Peace & Sport?
We want it to be a key player on the international stage through its concepts and expertise. We advocate for creating spaces of peace, using sport as a tool. We already have recognition from the United Nations, but we must go further, become indispensable, and perhaps even become the global agency for peace through sport. That is the goal.
You also remain president of the French Modern Pentathlon Federation, with the challenge of supporting the transition of your sport, which has integrated the obstacle.
Again, I'm just passing through. I'll pass the torch in a little while. It's true that we have to move with the times, modernize our sport. The direction they're taking seems coherent to me. There's an effect on the number of registered riders; things are starting to pick up. Horse riding used to be very expensive. Today, there are investments to be made, but show jumping doesn't cost a fortune, and it doesn't need a vet! We have opportunities in urban policy that we didn't have before. There are more and more mini obstacle courses in neighborhoods, which allows us to develop the activity, not just within the federation, and therefore creates the conditions for more recruitment in the future. Now, what's needed is the integration of show jumping as a specific discipline. This is happening internationally; it needs to happen nationally. There's a huge stake in terms of development and long-term results.
