Jacques Jean Marie Rogge was born on May 2, 1942, in Ghent, Belgium, to Charles and Suzanne Rogge. He learned from his father the sailing skills that would later take him to the Olympics. “My father sailed, and kids do what their father does,” he told The Times in 2001. One thing he dealt with as committee president was how much linkage there should be between a country’s government and its Olympic team. Belgium was such an ally, but Dr. Rogge pressed for the team to compete in Moscow anyway, and ultimately it did.

Source: International New York Times August 30, 2021 22:41 UTC