Chief Executive's Corner

Aerial view of the 2012 London Olympic Stadium with a newly turfed event field.
Aerial view of the 2012 London Olympic Stadium with a newly turfed event field.
I am grateful to the President, Executive Board and to the Deaf sports world for this opportunity to serve you. As you may already have seen from media interviews and elsewhere, I joined ICSD just over a month ago. I have a long professional background in sports administration and was required to go through a rigorous selection process before getting the job as Chief Executive.

My first day with the organisation came in Slovakia, just 36 hours after it became apparent that the Winter Deaflympics had failed. The current situation regarding the Deaflympics in Vysoké Tatry, in Athens and in Vancouver has made for a challenging start.

The problems that must now be overcome are immense. But I am confident that they can be overcome. There is a sound strategic plan on which to base the work ahead. The most important organisations within the Olympic Movement stand ready to help. And I am grateful to be able to count on the support of ICSD's great employees in the USA for support, together with the contribution of countless volunteers around the world. I look forward to working with you.

On the personal side, I became a father two weeks ago. And this will mean a little confusion over my name, for which I ask your understanding. Out of respect for my grandfather on my mother's side, I am giving my little boy the same family name as my grandfather: Cooper. My grandfather had only two daughters. But my family would like his name to continue. To make life simpler for my boy, I am changing my last name from Dolley to Cooper also. My ICSD email will be cooper@ciss.org

Olympic Movement Update
On 29 March 2011, the new stadium for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was completed. IOC Athletes Commission chairman Frank Fredericks laid the last piece of grass in the center of the stadium, accompanied by London 2012 Chairman Seb Coe. Temporary installations will now be added to the stadium, which was built in only three years. Then the new running and jumping tracks will be laid. Fredericks said: "I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the construction of London's Olympic Stadium for producing a truly outstanding sporting arena. When filled with fans at Games time, I am certain that the atmosphere will drive many of the competitors to achieve new personal bests."

Volunteer applicants are already being interviewed to see which of them will be lucky enough to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes coming to London next summer and tickets have also gone on sale. With demand for tickets far above supply, lotteries will be held to see who will have the chance to watch the Games in person.

The SportAccord conference, meanwhile, will see all of the leaders of the Olympic Movement come to London in early April. President Craig Crowley and Chief Executive Mark Dolley will represent ICSD and they will be meeting the President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Paralympic Committee Sir Philip Craven, and many others.

Mark COOPER (was DOLLEY!)
Chief Executive

By Mark Cooper