| The Olympic Identity Card
At the end of the first half of 1959 the Olympic Identity Card was approved.
The first thought of the Organizing Committee was to obtain from the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs and from the Ministry of the Interior authority for
this Olympic document to be considered as a normal passport, as well as
a permit for the carrying of arms for sports shooting.
The Olympic Identity Card was printed on " papertex " produced by the
Snia-Viscosa Company. The document, consisting of four pages besides that
of the cover, contained on the first page the photograph of the bearer,
on the second a complete list of personal data while the third and fourth
pages contained the validation of the Olympic Committee and of the Authorities
of the Country to which the bearer belonged.
In addition, the Identity Cards were enclosed in covers in six different
colours, these being handed over at the moment of validation of the Olympic
Identity Card. The identity cards were valid from 1st June to 30th September
1960. According to category, all bearers of the Olympic Identity Card,
equipped with the special badge handed to them on their arrival at Rome,
were entitled to free transport on the various forms of transport placed
at their disposal by the Organizing Committee for travelling to stadia
and competition, and training grounds. In addition, the Olympic Card allowed
bearers free transport on all trams, buses, and trolley-buses of the City
network, free entrance to Museums, Art Exhibitions, as mentioned earlier.
The distribution of the Olympic Identity Cards took place in three distinct
phases, i.e.: (a) pre-Olympic: preparation; (b) Olympic period: final
adjustments, validation and release of Olympic Cards with distribution
of badges and commemorative medals; (c) post-Olympic period: closing of
activities and summing up. The first phase implied particularly delicate
work with the dispatch of the Cards to all National Olympic Committees
and International Sports Federations. The second period, from 10th August
to the end of the Games, was necessarily more complex: the validation of
Olympic Cards reached as much as 800 per day, implying continuous work
from 8 a.m. to midnight. The third period was devoted to the summing up
of distribution to each single country, which gave one the various final
totals.
DISTRIBUTION OF OLYMPIC CARDS:
| CATEGORY |
COLOUR |
TO WHOM ISSUED |
CARDS
DISPATCHED |
CARDS
VALIDATED |
| Card A |
White |
Members of the I.O.C. |
160
|
155
|
| Card B |
White |
International Sports Federations |
450
|
300
|
| Card C |
White |
National Olympic Committees |
779
|
432
|
| Card D |
Blue |
Judges, Referees, and Timekeepers |
1,450
|
1,243
|
| Card E |
Pink |
Journalists, Radio TV, and operators |
1,553
|
1,552
|
| Card F |
Green |
Athletes, masseurs, trainers, etc. |
8,571
|
7,755
|
| |
|
TOTALS |
12,963
|
11,417
|
(Source Document:
Official Report 1960, Vol. 1, page 450) |
