Jacques Rogge

Belgian orthopedic surgeon and former Olympic sailor; an executive; he served as President of the International Olympic Committee from 16 July 2001 to 10 September 2013.

Rogge’s father and grandfather were both involved in professional sports. His grandfather was a turn-of-the-century cyclist, and his father was a track and field athlete as well as a rower. Sailing was his father’s choice of a recreational activity, and, as a result, Rogge began sailing when he was only three or four years old. After completing his early education, he attended the Université Libre in Brussels and the University of Ghent, earning a Doctor of Medicine and specializing in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. He sailed his way to a world championship, and then went on to sail in three Olympics, 1968 in Mexico, 1972 in Munich and 1976 in Montreal. Although at one point he was ranked between eighth and 12th in the world, his best finish was 14th place, achieved during the Munich Games. Additionally he played rugby for the Belgian National Team for approximately ten years.

Rogge became President of the European Olympic Games in 1989, a position he held until his appointment to the IOC. His commitment to the integrity of the Games was strong, and he planned to fight any sort of corruption in order to defend the values of the sport itself.

Rogge was married to Anne Bovyn; they had two children. He died on 29 August 2021 at the age of 79.