John Furlong (sports administrator)

John A. F. Furlong
OC OBC
CEO of Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
In office
February 21, 2004[1] – February 28, 2010
IOC PresidentJacques Rogge
Preceded byValentino Castellani
Succeeded byDmitry Chernyshenko
Chair of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
In office
February 21, 2004 – June 27, 2014
Preceded byCommittee establish
Succeeded byPosition dissolved
Personal details
Born (1950-10-12) October 12, 1950 (age 74)
County Tipperary, Ireland
NationalityIrish, Canadian
Spouse(s)Margaret Cook (m. 1970–76)
Dayle Turner (1978–82)
Gail Robb (m. 1984–2011)
Deborah Sharp (m. 2012–her death 2013)
Renee Smith-Valade (2013)
ResidenceBC
OccupationSports administrator
Websitejohnfurlong.ca

John Furlong, OC,[2] OBC[3] (born October 12, 1950)[4] is a Canadian sports administrator who oversaw the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics and was President and CEO of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC).

Furlong is chairman of Rocky Mountaineer,[5] corporate director of Canadian Tire,[6] volunteer chair of Own the Podium and a public speaker.[7]

Furlong first visited Canada as a physical education teacher and missionary from 1969 to 1972 at two Catholic day schools in Burns Lake and Prince George in British Columbia. It has been reported he physically and emotionally abused multiple children while at those schools. At the conclusion of his teaching term, he returned to Ireland and served as a sports administrator at Newpark Comprehensive School before emigrating to Canada in 1975.[8][9][10] He was also president of the Arbutus Club, a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and head of the BC Summer Games, BC Winter Games and Sport B.C.[3]

He has cited Canada as being possibly unique in appointing an immigrant to be CEO of their Olympic Games.[11]

His performance and leadership in the Canadian Sport community and specifically in the highly successful staging of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games led to him receiving the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia as well as numerous honorary degrees.

After the Games, accusations of errors and omissions in his autobiography and abuse allegations were published dating back to his years as a missionary and teacher.[12] Furlong has vehemently denied all the allegations.[13]

  1. ^ CBC Sports (February 21, 2004). "Furlong chosen CEO of Vancouver 2010". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  2. ^ "Order of Canada Citation". Gg.ca. May 6, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  3. ^ a b orderbceditor (January 15, 2009). "Order of BC Citation". Orderofbc.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  4. ^ "CANOE – Canadian Online Explorer – Canada's news, sports, entertainment, finance and lifestyle site". Blogs.canoe.ca.
  5. ^ "Board of Directors". Rocky Mountaineer. September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  6. ^ "Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited – Investors – Corporate Governance – Board of Directors". investors.canadiantire.ca. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "John Furlong | Speakers | National Speakers Bureau". National Speakers Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  8. ^ "Rapist Swim Coach George Gibney Appears to Have Overlapped at Ireland's Newpark School With Controversial Vancouver Olympics Chief John Furlong | Concussion Inc. – Author Irvin Muchnick". concussioninc.net. November 8, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  9. ^ Robinson, Laura (September 26, 2012). "John Furlong biography omits secret past in Burns Lake". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  10. ^ "John Furlong claims he didn't hide Christian missionary past under cross-examination at defamation trial". Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly. June 23, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  11. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (December 23, 2010). "John Furlong is Canada's Nation Builder of 2010". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  12. ^ Maki, Allan (June 23, 2016). "Troubled COC turns to John Furlong to punch up next Olympic bid". The Globe and Mail.
  13. ^ "John Furlong back: UBC president reverses controversial decision". CBC News. January 9, 2017.