SPORTACCORD COUNCIL GIVES INTERNATIONAL CHEER UNION POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION
ORLANDO, Fla. (30 November 2011) —
On 24 November 2011, the International Cheer Union received a positive recommendation by the SportAccord Council. The recommendation is an important further step toward full membership rights in SportAccord, which will be voted on by the General Assembly at SportAccord’s annual convention in May.
“We appreciate this action by SportAccord and believe it will only add to the international
development of our sport, which is already expanding dramatically around the world,” said Karl
Olson, ICU’s Secretary General. “We look forward to working with SportAccord over the next
few weeks to finalize the membership process.”
The ICU is the global governing organization for Cheer and its membership includes 100
national cheer federations from 100 different countries. It has highly developed educational
training programs for athletes, coaches and officials and has been instrumental in creating
standardized rules for the sport, as well as safety programs and regulations.
The ICU also conducts a large World Championship each year, with last year’s event topping
3,000 National Team athletes from 60 different countries. Over 10,000 spectators watched the
event which was held in Orlando, Florida. The 2012 World Championship is set to be even
larger, according to Olson.
INTERNATIONAL CHEER UNION..pdf
About the ICU
The International Cheer Union (ICU) was formed as the non-profit international governing entity
whose mission is to advance cheerleading on a global scale. With over 100 member nations, the
ICU represents all geographical areas where cheerleading exists. The ICU promotes healthy
competition, rule development and education for athletes, coaches, and parents so that the
sport can progress in a safe and organized way. The ICU has formally applied for recognition by
the International Olympic Committee (IOC). More information can be found on
www.cheerunion.org . Photography is available upon request. Contact Sheila Noone at
icumediarequest@gmail.com for more information.