Joël Bouzou (born 30 October 1955) is a former French athlete and World Champion of modern pentathlon in 1987. Bouzou is the President of the

World Olympians Association The World Olympians Association (WOA) is an independent association of Olympic Games competitors. Its stated objectives are to promote the Olympic ideals and fair play, advance environmental protection, educate against doping and drug use, supply ...

Biography

Sports career

Bouzou grew up in

Auch Auch (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in southwestern France. Located in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie, it is the capital of the Gers Departments of France, department. Geography Localiza ...

, in a sporting family. His father was a PE teacher and Joël participated in many different sports, so that he naturally discovered

Modern Pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...

. He participated in four Olympic Games (Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992) and won the team bronze medal in 1984. He won the Modern Pentathlon World Championships in 1987, beating Milan Kadlec. He is currently Vice-President of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne. A member of the Executive Committee for the World Olympians Association (WOA) from 2003 to 2008, Bouzou also founded a French association Rassemblement par le Sport (Together through Sport) with the aim of helping to socially integrate young people living in volatile suburbs in France through sport.

Peace and sport

Bouzou is President and Founder of a global initiative called

Peace and Sport Peace and Sport (also known as "L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport") is a sports organization based in Monaco under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Ivorian Football player, footballer Didier Drogba became the organization's ...

L'Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport founded in 2007 to promote the use of sport to foster dialogue and reconciliation everywhere where it's needed. Peace and Sport, is a neutral international organization based in the Principality of

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

and placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Distinctions and other activities

In France, Bouzou is an Officer in The National Order of Merit and decorated with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, one of the highest civil distinctions of the French Republic. He also holds the Gold Medal for Youth and Sport (in France) and the Silver Medal for Youth and Sport (in Monaco). In March 2010 he was awarded a Honoris Causa Doctorate in Humane Letters from the

University for Peace The University for Peace (UPEACE) is an international university and intergovernmental organization established as a treaty organisation by the United Nations General Assembly in 1980. The university offers postgraduate, doctoral, and executive ...

in recognition of "his unique worldwide leadership role in promoting peace and mutual understanding among different cultures, and his leadership of organizations devoted to these objectives". He is also an advisor to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. In December 2011, Bouzou was elected president of the World Olympians Association on a four-year term. He was re-elected in 2015 for another four-year term unopposed. In 2020, was again re-elected as President of World Olympians Association after standing unopposed at the 2020 WOA General Assembly.

Sports career

Olympic Games

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

: ** Individual, 17th ** Team, 7th * 1988, in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

: ** Individual, 8th ** Team, 4th *

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

: ** Individual, 17th ** Team, Bronze Medal *

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

, in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

: ** Individual, 20th ** Team, 5th

World Championships

* Individual **

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

, Gold Medal **

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

, Bronze Medal * Team **

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

, Bronze Medal **

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

, Bronze Medal

References

External links

Joël Bouzou sur France Olympique
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouzou, Joel Living people 1955 births Sportspeople from Auch French male modern pentathletes Olympic medalists in modern pentathlon Olympic bronze medalists for France Modern pentathletes at the 1980 Summer Olympics Modern pentathletes at the 1984 Summer Olympics Modern pentathletes at the 1988 Summer Olympics Modern pentathletes at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Presidents of the World Olympians Association 20th-century French sportsmen