De Bondt retired from the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC) in March this year, 38 years after he was appointed sports director by former President Raoul Mollet.

He then became secretary general in 1992 and stayed in that role until his retirement, working alongside five BOIC President's, including Rogge and the current chief Pierre-Olivier Beckers.

De Bondt played a key role in pioneering the first European Youth Olympic Festival, eventually held in Brussels in 1991, before becoming chairman of the biennial event thereafter.

He also served as member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The 65-year-old remains a member of the European Olympic Committees Coordination Commission for the first European Games, which is due to take place in Baku next year. 

 

Former International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge was on hand to address his longstanding Belgian colleague Guido De Bondt ©ITG



His contribution was recognised by Rogge, the BOIC President from 1989 to 1992 who went on to serve two terms as President of the IOC from 2001 until 2013.

Rogge particularly highlighted his work involving youth sport.

"High level sport and young people are two themes close to our hearts," he said.

"Thanks to you, the first edition of the European Olympic Festival was successfully staged in our competition in Brussels in 1991, and everybody present today knows what this event means for me."

"Almost 20 years later, your experience and knowledge was vital to the success of the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore."

Rogge's successor as IOC President, Thomas Bach, presented De Bondt with the Olympic Order, the highest award of the Olympic Movement given to those who have made particularly distinguished contributions.

Thomas Bach awards Guido de Bondt the Olympic Order ©ITG



After receiving his award, the Belgian spoke about how his tenure began in November 1976, shortly after Rogge ended his career as an Olympic sailor, and on the same day Rogge was elected vice-president of the BOIC.

In a light-hearted speech in front of the entire IOC Executive Board following a second morning of meetings today, De Bondt joked that Rogge's "performance at the Montreal Games that year could not exactly have been described as spectacular, but this could have helped his appointment to the BOIC, as they did not want to see him empty-handed".

He then paid tribute to Rogge and current BOIC President Beckers, before praising Bach and the Executive Board for conveying "a mark of recognition that he hardly deserves but considers of great value".

De Bondt concluded by describing how his career "has been a marvellous journey, sometimes difficult and sometimes emotional, but it has been a great honour to serve the Olympic Movement for so many years".