The British Olympic Association and the United States Olympic Committee announce collaboration

08 March 2010 | Posted in Infrastructure, Olympics | By Tom Love

The British Olympic Association (BOA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) have signed a "groundbreaking" agreement to aid the development of Olympic sports in both countries

The deal penned by USOC Chairman Larry Probst and BOA Chairman Lord Moynihan in San Francisco, following the closing of the Vancouver Winter Games, will see the two organisations sharing a "commitment to support the growth of the Olympic Movement" in the build up to the 2012 and 2014 Olympic Games.

Specifically the agreement aims to establish a congress to take place in London in 2011 in order to develop and share information on best practices in national governing body leadership, establish joint forum to share the best practices in the development of youth and education programmes in sport and recreation, as well as paving the way for the formation of a British skiing and snowboarding governing body following the collapse of Snowsport GB.

Lord Moynihan said, "For the BOA, this agreement also represents an invaluable opportunity to provide an additional pathway of critical support for our winter sport athletes and, in particular, those athletes affected by the recent collapse of the former national governing body for ski and snowboard sport in the UK."

Probst added: "Our goal coming into the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games was to continue our efforts to engage the global Olympic Movement, learn from other National Olympic Committees and, where possible, share our own expertise.

"With this agreement, and others we've signed during these Games, I believe we have made progress against that objective. I look forward to working closely and collaboratively in the coming years with Lord Moynihan, [BOA chief executive] Andy Hunt and the entire BOA."