Singleton Re-Elected For Olympians Association
Incumbent World Olympians Association [WOA] Treasurer Patrick Singleton has been re-elected to his post after a strong vote of confidence at the WOA General Assembly on Thursday.
Singleton — a three-time Olympian who competed for Bermuda in the Luge and Skeleton events at the Winter Olympics — was first elected to the WOA in 2011 for a four-year term.
The election in Moscow followed the highly successful inaugural World Olympians Forum, which saw more than 283 Olympians including IOC President Thomas Bach and WOA Patron HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Russian President Vladimir Putin, come together to debate key issues within the Olympic Movement.
Patrick Singleton at the WOA General Assembly
Since then he has overseen the transformation of the WOA, helping to develop a new strategic plan and vision to strengthen engagement with the organisation’s membership and forge a deeper working relationship with the International Olympic Committee [IOC].
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, formally opened the Forum where Singleton gave the keynote Treasurer’s Report with a fully compliant audit.
Speaking following his re-election, Patrick Singleton said: “I am excited about the opportunities ahead. The forum in Moscow was an outstanding event and we achieved all of our goals, including signing a global declaration and passing a new constitution.”
“It was a fantastic few days in Moscow. One of the programs that I setup over the past 18 months went on to win the WOA Service to Society award. The program used high profile Olympians to help channel critical medical aid to Ebola hit areas in west Africa. The award was presented during a banquet at the Kremlin which was an incredibly powerful moment.”
Addressing the World Olympians Forum, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, said: “It is symbolic that this event is taking place on the 20th anniversary of the World Olympians Association, which unites 143 national associations and more than 100,000 Olympians from around the world.
Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin at the WOA General Assembly
“The association is actively involved in promoting sport and the constructive and positive values that go with it. You do this through your personal examples and the real achievements of outstanding athletes, many of whom dedicate their lives to public, state or political activity and become true ambassadors for peace.”
One of the key highlights of the WOF was the signing of the Declaration of Support for the Olympic Charter which was signed by Olympians from all five continents.
The Declaration pledges:
- To continue to spread the spirit and practice of Olympism in our communities
- To work for peace and a better life for all through sport
- To help our fellow Olympians with their life transitions and their post-career health and fitness issues
- To oppose any political or governmental interference in the autonomy of sports organisations which might prevent an athlete from exercising their right to compete in the Olympic Games or other major sporting events which also embody the Olympic Spirit.
The Declaration was signed on behalf of all Olympians by:
- HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, WOA Patron;
- Joël Bouzou, WOA President;
- Willie Banks, two-time US Olympian and former world record holder in Triple Jump;
- Anastasia Davydova, five-time Russian Synchronised Swimming Olympic Champion;
- Hicham El Guerrouj, middle-distance runner and double Olympic Champion;
- Michelle Ford-Eriksson MBE, Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist and;
- Koji Murofushi, Hammer Olympic Gold Medallist.
The high-level forum included many leading figures in the Olympic Movement including Sergey Bubka, gold medal Ukrainian pole vaulter and IOC Vice- President, Frankie Fredericks silver medalist Namibian runner, Willie Banks, one of the greatest triple jumpers ever in the USA , and Sheik Ahmed Al-Fahad Al –Sabah of Kuwait , President of the Olympic Council of Asia and IOC Vice-President.
