Holiday Season "Captures the Ideals of the Olympics" -- Monday Memo

(ATR) IOC, WADA, OCOGs,ATRandbid committees shutting down for holidays and share warm wishes.

An IOC spokesperson tells ATR the IOC will be closed from December 24 until January 8.

Around the Rings will close its offices on December 26 and January 2.

"Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympics with an idea of spreading joy and peace throughout the world," said Around the Rings Editor and Founder Ed Hula. "The holiday season is a time of harmony, making this the one time of year that uniquely captures the ideals of the Olympics. We hope the happiness all of our readers feel now can be enjoyed and shared through the new year."

Around the Rings Publisher Sheila S. Hula concurred. "We send our very warmest wishes to the entire Olympic family and our hopes that everyone has a prosperous, healthy and peaceful 2017."

With a little over 400 days until the Olympics, PyeongChang 2018 is barely slowing down for the holidays.

"We will celebrate Christmas on the 25th December and be back into work from 26th to prepare for a busy year ahead," a POCOG spokesperson said to ATR. "We wish all of the readers of Around the Rings a happy and peaceful holiday season."

Soohorang and Bandabi, the 2018 mascots, are rollicking in the holiday spirit—even if the rest of the POCOG team is working.

Tokyo 2020 will also take a short break, closing from December 29 to January 3.

"Our preparations are on course and we are ready to continue our efforts in 2017 to deliver a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games," Tokyo 2020 said in a statement to ATR."Very best wishes to you all for a very happy, healthy and sporting New Year!"

The World Anti-Doping Agency will shut its doors December 23, reopening on January 3.

Bid cities for the 2024 Olympics will take a break as well. But they insist they will still be working while taking time off.

Budapest 2024’s offices will be closed December 23 until January 2, Paris 2024 says they "will continue to work during the festive period" and Los Angeles 2024 will take time off from December 26 until January 2. (The LA bid will have a float during the famous Rose Bowl on January 2).

"At the turn of the old year and beginning of the new, we salute the commitment and dedication of sports people around the world," Budapest said to ATR. "And at this time of reflection and time of new hope, we commit ourselves to work with the Games Family in 2017 to make this a year of optimism and prosperity for sport across the world."

Paris 2024 co-chair Tony Estanguet told ATR "On behalf of everyone at Paris 2024, I wish to offer festive greetings to our friends at Around the Rings and your readers all over the world... As we head into 2017, we look forward to working with our friends around the world to protect, treasure and promote everything we value about sport, the Games and the Olympic spirit. At this time of year, we also recognize the strength that can be created when people from different and diverse places can celebrate together - a sentiment that sits at the heart of the Paris 2024 vision."

"LA 2024 wishes all of our friends and colleagues in the Olympic Movement our warmest wishes for a festive holiday season and a successful 2017," LA said in a statement emailed to ATR. "We are honored to be a candidate city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games alongside two great European cities. LA 2024 looks forward to sharing our vision of a low-risk, innovative and sustainable new Games for a new era in the new year!"

Homepage photo: Getty Images.