The IOC Executive Board has taken a series of decisions on the
disciplines and events on the programme of the Olympic Games in 2008. These decisions were
taken after consultation with the International Federations for which the Programme
Commission had recommended either excluding disciplines or changing certain events.
The Executive Board has decided to maintain the three-day event for
the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, on condition that it is organised under the new
format proposed by the FEI. The Executive Board accepted this new format for the Games of
the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens at its last meeting.
"This is great news for Equestrian," the President of the
Equestrian Federation of Australia, Mr. Russ Withers, commented. "It retains Eventing
as an Olympic Sport. Eventing has, of course, been our strongest Olympic discipline, with
four Team Gold medals, three of them consecutively in the last three Olympic Games."
The new CIC, or International One-Day format, shortens the
cross-country course and removes the two "roads and tracks" phases and the
steeplechase from the cross-country day. It retains a Dressage test, a Cross-Country test
and a Jumping test, with the top 25 riders and horses progressing to a second Jumping test
to decide the Individual medals.
In another development, the IOC appointed Mr. Gilbert Felli, IOC
Director of Sports, to the newly created position of Olympic Games Executive Director.
"The appointment of an Executive Director was decided upon by
the IOC following the recommendations of audits conducted within the organisation last
year, which highlighted the increasing importance of all the IOC's Olympic Games-related
tasks and missions. In taking up this new role, Mr Felli will be responsible for the
running, coordination and follow-up of all Olympic Games activities, from the candidature
phase to the actual holding of the Olympic Games. "
"We welcome Mr. Felli’s appointment to this
position," the EFA CEO and former SOCOG Equestrian Manager Franz Venhaus said.
"Mr. Felli has an excellent understanding of our sport and the additional issues
which the presence of a "second athlete", the horse, creates. Gilbert was great
to work with in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games."
