Rogge, Jacques

Rogge, Jacques (zhäk rō`khə), 1942–, Belgian sports executive, b. Ghent. An orthopedic surgeon with a degree in sports medicine, Rogge is an accomplished sailor who competed in Olympic yachting in 1968, 1972, and 1976. He also played on Belgium's national rugby team. Rogge served as president of the Belgian National Olympic Committee (1989–92) and of the European Olympic Committees (1989–2001) before joining the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1991. He became a member of the IOC's executive board in 1998 and was the IOC's chief coordinator for the 2000 games in Sydney. Rogge, who was regarded as an unsullied candidate with a strong athletic background, was elected president of the IOC in 2001 in the wake of the bribery scandal associated with the selection of Salt Lake City for the 2002 winter games.