PROFILE: IAN JOBLING - OLYMPIC

Dr Ian Jobling, Sport and Olympic Historian, is Director of the Centre for Olympic Studies, and Honorary Reader in the School of Human Movement Studies at The University of Queensland, Australia.

He is a founding member and former president of the Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH), was Associate Editor of that society’s journal, Sporting Traditions, and is currently a member of the Editorial Review Board. He was also an inaugural Editorial Review Board member of Olympika: International Journal of Olympic Studies.

Dr Jobling was the inaugural chair of the Australian Olympic Federation’s Oceania Olympic Academy in Australia, the Education Commission, and the Australian Olympic Academy, and is currently a member of the Education Commission of the Queensland Olympic Council. Ian has been a guest presenter and speaker at the International Olympic Academy in Greece on many occasions, and at the Singapore, Danish and New Zealand Olympic Academies.

Dr Jobling has linked his research interests in the socio-cultural aspects of sport, especially the Olympic Movement, with Olympic Education. He is currently an Honorary Consultant and member of the International Steering Committee of the Greece-based Foundation of Olympic and Sport Education (FOSE), which has produced an Olympic Education program with the support of the IOC, UNESCO and ICSSPE to be used in schools globally.

In 1995 Ian was appointed as an inaugural member of the Education and Ethics Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and served until 2003.

The Queensland Olympic Council has bestowed Ian with the Pierre de Coubertin Appreciation Award, the QOC Service Award, and Honorary Life Membership.

Ian received the Australian Prime Minister and Governor General’s 2000 Australian Sports Medal for Services to the Olympic Movement and Olympic Education. In 2004 he was a recipient of the Niki Award by the Australian Hellenic Council in recognition of the promotion and support of Hellenism in Australian, especially the Olympic Games.

In successive years (2006 and 2007) Ian was awarded the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) for the best article on Olympic history. In 2008, Ian was appointed an Honorary Member of the ISOH Executive Board.

Ian is the proud grandfather of two Canadian-Australians, Leia and Finn Menard, and two Australians, Darcy and Finn. Of course, none of the above experiences and achievements could have occurred without the love and support of Ian’s wife, Dr Anne Jobling.

May the Peace of Olympia be with you.

CF: Personal – PROFILE: Olympic education Updated September 2010