London Olympic-Highlights of the Week

IOC Announces Olympic Highlights of the Week

On 24 April in The Hague (Netherlands), IOC President Jacques Rogge took part in a talk and round table. The Prince of Orange, an IOC member, also attended.



(PRWEB) April 27, 2012

IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
On 24 April in The Hague (Netherlands), IOC President Jacques Rogge took part in a talk and round table. The Prince of Orange, an IOC member, also attended.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
This year, World Athletics Day will preferably be held on 12 and 13 May. As part of the centenary celebrations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), 12 youth age group athletes, (one boy and one girl per Area, aged 16-17) will be invited to the IAAF Centenary Gala in Barcelona (Spain) on 23 and 24 November 2012. The World Athletics Day - IAAF Centenary Draw to decide the lucky winners will take place in July 2012.

During a visit to Sofia (Bulgaria), International Boxing Association (AIBA) President and IOC member, Ching-Kuo Wu, and AIBA Vice-President and President of the European Confederation Humbert Furgoni met the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Sports Minister Svilen Neykov, Boxing Federation President Krassimir Ininski and NOC President Stefka Kostadinova. The main subject of the visit was AIBA’s professional boxing programme and the role that Bulgaria can play in its development.

On 22 April, International Cycling Union (UCI) President and IOC member Pat McQuaid, accompanied the President of South Korea, Myung-bak Lee, on a bike ride along a section of Korea’s extensive network of cycle paths. McQuaid was in South Korea for the start of the eight-day Tour of Korea and the Korea Cycle Grand Festival, held in parallel with the national tour. The government has invested in 2,000km of bicycles paths nationwide.

Two Russian athletes, Svetlana Tsarukaeva and Khadzhimurat Akkaev, have been voted the Best Lifters of 2011 by readers of “World Weightlifting” and the public worldwide. The two winners received the “Jenő Boskovics Lifter of the Year Challenge Trophy” at a ceremony organised recently in Moscow (Russian Federation). It was presented to them by International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President Tamás Aján, who is also an IOC honorary member, and Kornel Jancsó, Editor in Chief of “World Weightlifting”, in the presence of Russian Weightlifting Federation President Sergey Syrtsov and many other personalities.

The women’s water polo teams from Spain, Italy, Russia and Hungary recently earned their ticket to the London Games at the Qualification Tournament held in Trieste (Italy) from 15 to 22 April. These teams will join Great Britain, Australia, the United States and China. The draw for the Olympic tournament will take place on 5 May 2012 in London.

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)’s 2012 World Cup, an official test event, is currently taking place in London at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Britain’s Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson, visited the venue and met ISSF President and IOC member Olegario Vázquez Raña and ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber. Over 800 athletes representing over 100 countries are competing in 15 Olympic events. It is worth noting that only 390 shooters will compete at the Games this summer.

This week, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) organised the first ever coaching course in Iraq, in the city of Erbil. Fourteen women and 11 men took part in this course, funded by Olympic Solidarity and supported by the ITU. All the manuals and reference sources had been translated into Arabic, which will aid in triathlon’s development not only in Iraq, but also in the entire Arab region. ITU President and IOC member Marisol Casado, accompanied by ITU Executive Board member Ahmed Nasser, attended this course, and also met the Iraqi NOC President and the Iraqi Sports Minister.

WINTER IFS
The World Curing Federation (WCF) and the Canadian Curling Federation (CCA) recently announced that the city of Fredericton will host the 2013 World Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships and World Mixed Doubles. These three events will take place from 13 to 20 April at the Grant-Harvey Centre. Over 30 teams should compete for the mixed doubles title, while over 40 teams should be vying for the men’s and women’s world titles.

NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
With a few months until the London Games, the Chilean NOC has just published Chilenos Olímpicos: Historia de la Participación Nacional en los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano 1896/2008 [Olympic Chileans: the history of national participation in the Summer Olympic Games from 1896 to 2008]. Funded by Olympic Solidarity, this book is by journalist Cristián Muñoz Funck.

The IOC’s Worldwide Partner, Procter & Gamble, recently launched its Gracias Mama [Thank You, Mom] campaign in Colombia. Among the many personalities at this event were Colombian NOC President Baltazar Medina, and the athletes who have already qualified for London 2012, Mariana Pajón, Paulo Cesar Villar and Angelica Hernández, accompanied by their mothers, as well as the mother of boxer Jeisson Monroy.

On 18 April, British Olympic Association (BOA) Board of Directors approved the appointment of the British Golf Association Limited (BGAL) as the National Governing Body for Olympic golf and an officially recognised member of the BOA.

We recently learned that Olympic medallist Elizabeth Ferris died on 12 April. She was the last Briton to win an Olympic medal in diving – bronze in the 3m springboard at the Rome 1960 Games. She assisted in the creation of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, of which she has been a member since 1995. She also assisted in the creation of the British Olympians Club and the World Olympians Association (WOA), of which she was Vice-President for over 10 years.

On 18 April, the Italian NOC (CONI) hosted a ceremony to present the “Collari d'Oro” Sporting Merit awards and honorary diplomas to the best athletes, technicians, sports leaders and sports companies for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti was present on this occasion, and received from CONI President Giovanni Petrucci a personalised set of the official equipment of the Italian delegation for London 2012. A tribute was paid to the three Italian athletes who have died in recent months practising their respective sport: Marco Simoncelli, Vigor Bovolenta and Piermario Morosini.

At the Ajinomoto National Training Centre, the Japanese NOC recently received students from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences’ Leisure Management division (Netherlands). This one-week visit to Tokyo was part of the students’ project on the impact of the Olympic and Paralympic Games on a city. The Director of the NOC President’s Office, Yasuhiro Nakamori, and the young students from Rotterdam, a city in the running to organise the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2018, exchanged opinions and comments on how the Games can be a catalyst for positive change in host cities.

On 22 April at the Kaunas Sports Hall, a ceremony was held to commemorate 90 years of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation. The event was attended by Lithuanian basketball veterans, distinguished guests from abroad and Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius. Present and former heads of world and European basketball federations as well as the NBA congratulated the Lithuanian Basketball Federation and basketball players of all generations in a televised message. On this occasion, Lithuanian NOC President Arturas Poviliunas, presented legendary Lithuanian basketballer Arvydas Sabonis – currently President of the Federation – with the NOC’s Olympic Rings award.

With 100 days to go until the London Games, all the members of Mongolia’s national teams were able to conduct face-to-face discussions with the President of Mongolia, Ts. Elbegdorj, who was accompanied by Mongolian NOC President Demchigjav Zagdsuren. Mongolia has currently secured 14 Olympic places in the marathon, shooting, wrestling, boxing, archery and swimming. Ten other athletes will compete in judo and weightlifting. The NOC hopes to send up to 40 athletes to London.

We have just learned that, on 30 March in Bratislava, the Slovakian Olympic flame was lit electronically by Slovakian NOC President Frantisek Chmelar, who passed it to Slovakia’s oldest Olympian, 89-year-old kayaker Jan Matocha. He then passed it on to the athletes preparing for London 2012: Danka Bartekova (shooting) and Samuel Piasecky (gymnastics). The next day, the torch, named “Slovak message to the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London 2012” with the motto of “We All Are One Team” began its relay, which will travel the country for 84 days before returning to Bratislava on 23 June, Olympic Day.

Swedish athlete Ingeborg “Kickan” Sjöqvist celebrated her 100th birthday on 19 April. She is the oldest Olympian in the world. Ingeborg competed in the diving competitions at the Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936 Games. In Los Angeles, she was the only woman out of 51 athletes in the Swedish delegation. In an interview, she declared that she will be following the Games this summer.

Through Olympic Solidarity, the Uruguayan NOC, whose President is IOC member Julio Cesar Maglione, awarded a grant to coaches Federico Camiña (basketball) and Mariano Miraldi (judo) to participate in the 27th training course in sports sciences for coaches. This course will be held between 12 April and 10 July 2012 at the Sant Cugat High-Level Centre in Barcelona.

RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recently launched the first web site of the Oceania Paralympic Committee (http://www.oceaniaparalympic.org). This new site provides information on member countries, athletes and sports, as well as the on the IPC and the Paralympic Games, ranking of Paralympic sports and anti-doping issues.

For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team.

London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics Mural

London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics Mural to Highlight ‘Walk for Truce’ and ‘Plight of the Handicapped’

London Art Wall Group is planning a large social awareness mural for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to acknowledge Lord Bates’ ‘Walk for Truce’ & Baroness Grey-Thompson’s ‘Plight of the Handicapped’ on a prime London wall in Shoreditch near great clubs, pubs, restaurants & the Olympic Village. Former clients are Disney, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Beck’s Beer & Namco Bandia.



Santa Cruz, CA (PRWEB) April 24, 2012

Today, the London Art Wall Group announced that they are to commission a sixty square meter mural for theShoreditch Art Wall (SAW) to coincide with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games focusing on social awareness. The mural will feature Lord Michael Bates’ ‘Walk for Truce’ and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s ‘Plight of the Handicapped.’ The backdrop will be the iconic opening beach scene from the OSCAR winning film “Chariots of Fire,” and will coincide with the British Film Institute’s (BFI) re-release of this classic 1981 20th Century Fox movie.

Located in London’s fashionable Shoreditch district, this imposing mural will highlight two major social issues: Lord Bates’ recent solo walk across Europe and Asia, meeting with international leaders and dignitaries along with way, calling for all warring countries to lay down their weapons during the London 2012 Olympics, as was the practice during the Ancient Olympic games in Greece established in 776 B.C. Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, a former Paralympian, also has a message to convey concerning the continuing plight of the handicapped in Britain, as was highlighted recently when she was stranded on a London train at midnight because the aid she had called ahead for failed to show up, leaving her unable to disembark in her wheelchair, because there was no mechanism to lower her to the ground.

A spokesperson for SAW commented, “The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games create a unique opportunity for us to make vital social statements on a world stage,” Continuing, ‘Messaging on urban walls dates back to the Victorian era and has recently come back as a popular and lucrative venue for advertisers because of their high-traffic proximity and key eye-level impact. Outdoor media conveys a powerful message to locals and tourists alike, and as London is expecting over one million visitors during these global media-intense events, this is a wonderful opportunity for Lord Bates and Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE to get ‘their’ messages across.”

View London Art Wall in action video

SAW, a high-profile sixty square meter floodlit wall, just minutes from the Olympic Village, is surrounded by an array of great clubs and pubs and fantastic restaurants, and is regularly featured as a venue for major advertisers, as well as a canvas for new and established artists. Those who have been seen on this space include: Beck’s Beer, Walt Disney Company for ‘Tron Legacy;’ 20th Century Fox for ‘The Rise of the Planet of the Apes;’ Universal Pictures for ‘Killing Bono;’ the launch of Namco’s new game, Soul Calibur V, in addition to renown Graffiti artists, Roid and Horfe, who have shown their work here.

Although SAW is one large sixty square meter wall, which can be utilized in its entirety, it is composed of four recessed 8 ft. by 10 ft. panels, each of which can be painted individually or have canvases hung in front of them from preinstalled hooks. SAW can be rented by the day, week, or month and is available for rent all year long. The London Art Wall Group has their own team of professional advertising designers and painters.

If you wish to take part in this project as a sponsor, an artist or in any other capacity please contact:

Lisa Foster / Peter Mackeonis
The London Art Wall Group
lisa(at)londonartwall(dot)com
peter(at)londonartwall(dot)com
or call +1 831.840.3729

Websites of interest:
Lord Michael Bates: Walk for Truce
Baroness Grey-Thompson: Plight of the Handicapped

London 2012 Olympic Football Tournament Draw

London 2012 Olympic Football Tournament Draw Made

The draws for the London 2012 Olympic Football Tournament took place at Wembley Stadium today (Tuesday 24 April) confirming the Group Stages for the men’s and women’s tournaments.

(PRWEB) April 24, 2012

The draws for the London 2012 Olympic FootballTournament took place at Wembley Stadium today (Tuesday 24 April) confirming the Group Stages for the men’s and women’s tournaments.

*Global stars take part in official draw event at Wembley Stadium

*Stuart Pearce’s Team GB’s men drawn against Senegal, Uruguay and United Arab Emirates and Hope Powell’s women placed in a group with New Zealand, Cameroon and Brazil

*Spain to play Japan in their first game while Brazil will take on Egypt

Brazilian legend, and a former Olympic bronze medalist at the Atlanta 1996 Games, Ronaldo, was one of several figures from the world of football who conducted the draw which saw Stuart Pearce’s Team GB’s men drawn against Senegal, Uruguay and United Arab Emirates and Hope Powell’s women placed in a group with New Zealand, Cameroon and Brazil .

Other highlights in the men’s tournament saw Spain drawn against Japan, Morocco and Honduras while Brazil will take on Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand. In the women’s tournament, USA, gold medallists in 2008, will face Columbia, France and North Korea and Japan, winners of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, were matched with Canada, Sweden and South Africa.

The tournament will kick off two days before the London 2012 Opening Ceremony when Team GB women play New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. With matches being played at venues across the UK the tournaments represent a fantastic opportunity for football fans to see the world’s best players in the women’s tournament and some of the stars of tomorrow in the men’s tournament.

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: “Now that the draws for the Olympic Football Tournament have taken place, fans can begin to get excited about the amazing spectacle, the incredible teams and world class players – in both the men’s and women’s tournaments – that will be coming to Great Britain this summer.

“With matches taking place across England as well as in Scotland and Wales, and with tickets still available, football also provides people with a unique opportunity to still enjoy the Olympic experience this summer.”

Tickets for the football tournament will go on sale in early May.

For photos from today’s draw, please follow this link:
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr166616682

Notes to editors:
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.

About Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB is proud to partner the London 2012 ticketing programme and is supporting communities all over Britain on their journey to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. To find out more about its London 2012 programmes visit Lloydstsb.com/London2012

Paralympic Gold Medallists Heading to Eton Manor

Paralympic Gold Medallists Heading to Eton Manor Wheelchair Tennis International

Peter Norfolk, British gold medallist from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, and Paralympic gold medallist Esther Vergeer from the Netherlands, unbeaten over an incredible 452 singles matches since January 2003, are two of the stars among the entries confirmed for the Eton Manor Wheelchair Tennis International from 3 to 6 May.

(PRWEB) April 21, 2012

Peter Norfolk, British gold medallist from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, and Paralympic gold medallist Esther Vergeer from the Netherlands, unbeaten over an incredible 452 singles matches since January 2003, are two of the stars among the entries confirmed for the Eton Manor Wheelchair Tennis International from 3 to 6 May.

Download images from Eton Manor

Part of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis circuit and the London Prepares series, the official London 2012 test events, the tournament will give players the chance to compete in the London 2012 venue for Wheelchair Tennis ahead of the Paralympic Games.

The world-class line up for the tournament will feature players from around the world competing in all six Paralympic-featured events: men’s and women’s Singles; men’s and women’s Doubles; Quad Singles; and Quad Doubles.

In the men’s competition, British No1 Gordon Reid will expect strong competition from Robin Ammerlaan of the Netherlands - the Singles gold medallist in Athens 2004 and silver medallist from Beijing 2008.

Esther Vergeer will also be expected to set the standard on behalf of the Netherlands for the women. Vergeer has won Singles gold at the last three Paralympic Games. Britain’s 19 year old No1 Jordanne Whiley will be among those to provide the latest opposition to Vergeer’s unbeaten status in May.

The Quad competition features GB stars Peter Norfolk and Andrew Lapthorne. Peter has won the last two Paralympic Singles gold medals. Andrew is the current world number 4 and recently partnered Peter to the Australian Open Quad Doubles title in January. As well as featuring in the Doubles, they will also compete against each other at Eton Manor.

The tournament will be vital in giving the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) the chance to test its operations including the athlete and wheelchair movements around the venue, the results and scoring systems, and workforce.

The competition lasts for four days and 3,000 tickets have been sold to the public for Saturday 5 May. On the same day four other Olympic venues will be in operation simultaneously as LOCOG test operations with over 70,000 people on the Olympic Park.

The full list of entries can be found here:
http://www.londonpreparesseries.com/wheelchairtennis/whos-competing/index.html

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

Notes to editors:

Esther Vergeer (NED) – World number 1 since 1999. She already has five Paralympic gold medals and is unbeaten in over 452 singles matches since January 2003, including 20 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles.

Jordanne Whiley (GBR) – Great Britain’s number 1 at just 19 years old. Jordanne is one of the top wheelchair tennis players in the country, following her father who is a wheelchair tennis player and was also an Athletics medallist at the 1984 Paralympics in New York. She became Britain’s youngest ever national wheelchair singles champion when she won the title in 2007, aged just 14. Jordanne made her Paralympic debut in Beijing, where she reached the quarter-finals of the doubles tournament with fellow British player Lucy Shuker.

Peter Norfolk (GBR) - Quad singles champion from Athens and Beijing, won his fifth Australian Open in January. Peter has dominated the Quad classification of wheelchair tennis since it was introduced into the Paralympic programme for the Games in Athens in 2004. This domination earned him the nickname “The Quadfather”. Peter won Britain’s first ever tennis medal at a Paralympic Games by becoming Paralympic Champion in 2004, he retained the title in Beijing in 2008. Peter also helped Great Britain’s medal tally at both Games by also medalling in the doubles.

Andrew Lapthorne (GBR) – Andrew took up wheelchair tennis six years ago. Andrew made his Grand Slam debut at the 2011 Australian Open in Melbourne, where he partnered Norfolk to win the quad doubles, thereby winning his first Grand Slam title. Lapthorne and Norfolk retained the Australian Open title in January this year.

Gordon Reid (GBR) - from Scotland, has beaten the current world number 1 Maikel Scheffers of the Netherlands twice in 2011.

London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.

London Olympic Highlights of the Week

IOC Announces Olympic Highlights of the Week

IOC President Jacques Rogge was in Moscow last week for the joint IOC Executive Board-ANOC Council meeting and the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

(PRWEB) April 20, 2012

IOC ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT
IOC President Jacques Rogge was in Moscow last week for the joint IOC Executive Board-ANOC Council meeting and the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). The opening of the GA was attended by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who also had a private meeting with IOC President. President Rogge made a keynote speech to the sports ministers attending the 2nd World Olympic Sport Convention in Moscow. The IOC President also attended a reception given by President Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah of Kuwait, IOC member and President of the Olympic Council of Asia, was voted in as President of ANOC at the opening of its General Assembly in Moscow.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATIONS
SUMMER IFS
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has announced that the 2013 World Boxing Championships will take place in Kazakhstan. AIBA President and IOC member Ching-Kuo Wu has signed an agreement with the President of the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation (KBF), Timur Kulibayev, confirming Astana as the host city. The AIBA World Boxing Academy is currently being built near Almaty and is expected to be open by the time the 2013 Championships take place.

The International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) General Assembly held in London has awarded the 2018 ISSF World Championships in all events to the city of Changwon, Republic of Korea. The ISSF said that the Korean Government had agreed to invest more than USD 30 million to rebuild existing venues and to organise the event. The new compound will feature six shotgun layouts, 100 50m targets and 100 10m targets, 14 25m layouts as well as several running target layouts.

The first event in the International Triathlon Union’s World Triathlon Series has taken place in Sydney. More than 2,500 triathletes took part, including elite participants vying for Olympic qualification.

Participants have arrived in Rostov, Russia, for the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) World Cup, which takes place this weekend. The event is the final opportunity for pentathletes to gain valuable ranking points to qualify for the final in Chengdu, China, next month, the key event for Olympic qualification. Rostov is hosting a World Cup for the first time.

A total of 161 athletes from 34 countries are taking part in the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Olympic Games Synchronised Swimming Qualification competition, a five-day event at the aquatics venue in London. Twosynchronised swimming events are on the Olympic programme - duet and team - with six medals on offer. The competition will also serve as a test event and is a key opportunity for the teams to test the pool and familiarise themselves with the venue ahead of the Games.

The qualification process for Asian nations for the International Rugby Board World Cup 2015 has begun in the Philippines. There is strong interest in rugby in Asia following a GBP 9 million investment programme from 2009 to 2012. According to the IRB, there has been an 18 percent increase in rugby participation in Asia since the 2007 World Cup. Japan is due to stage the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the first Asian country to do so.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)’s World Junior Championships in Barcelona, from 10 to 15 July, are on course to become the biggest gathering in terms of participating national IAAF member federations in the history of the Championships. Some 186 IAAF national member federations have indicated they will participate, with around 1,856 athletes competing, compared with the previous high of 176 countries in Beijing in 2006.

WINTER IFS
The 2002 Olympic gold medallist Bent Ånund Ramsfjell has been elected as a Vice-President of the World Curling Federation (WCF) at the Federation’s annual general assembly in Basle. The election of Ramsfjell follows the decision of Patrick Hürlimann, himself an Olympic gold medallist, to step down from the position he had held since 2010 due to work commitments. The next assembly will take place during the inaugural WCF Congress at the Turnberry Resort in Scotland from 16 to 20 October this year.

The second International Skating Union (ISU) World Team Trophy concludes in Tokyo, Japan, this weekend. The event is normally held every two years, however the ISU World Team Trophy 2011 was postponed until 2012 due to the series of natural disasters that struck Japan in March 2011. The next ISU World Team Trophy is due to be held in 2013. The six best national figure skating teams of the 2011/12 season are performing. They are Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the USA. The ISU World Team Trophy is a competition between six national figure skating teams. Each team has eight skaters - two men, two ladies, one pair and one ice dance couple.

NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES
In all, 203 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and 170 ministers and government sports authorities met in Moscow this week for the 2nd World Olympic Sport Convention. Issues discussed included the importance of good working relations and close collaboration between NOCs and governments for the positive development of the Olympic Movement. Other issues included the critical role NOCs play in the fight against doping and illegal betting; the development of grass-roots sport; the importance of a collaborative high-performance sports system; and the role of sport as a catalyst for improved social and education policies.

Milan Jirasek, President of the Czech NOC, has presented triathlete Tomáš Slavata, a member of the Board of the Czech Fair Play Club, with the IOC Sport and Social Responsibility Trophy. The award recognises Slavata’s efforts to support children from socially-disadvantaged backgrounds and organise events aimed at integrating these children into society and foster a sense of community among young people.

ORGANISING COMMITTEES FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES
LONDON 2012
The London Games Organising Committee (LOCOG) marked 100 days to go to the start of the Games by unveiling the official slogan: “Inspire a generation”. London 2012 also unveiled the latest “spectacular” installation of Olympic rings, this time at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in west London. The rings are 50m long, made up of 20,000 plants and visible from the Heathrow airport flight path. London 2012 also announced that the Red Arrows - the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team - will perform a flypast across the UK to mark the Opening Ceremony on 27 July.

The Sochi 2014 volunteer team’s participation in the All-Russian volunteer “Youth Train” event has finished. Having covered 5,000km over 10 days and carried out more than five hours of Olympic warm-up in eight Russian cities, the Sochi 2014 volunteer team has returned to Moscow. During the trip to the Russian cities, volunteers explained about the Olympic and Paralympic Movement and organised mobile registration points for anyone who wanted to sign up to become a Sochi 2014 volunteer.

TOP PARTNERS
Worldwide Olympic Partner McDonald’s marked 100 Days to go to the London 2012 Olympic Games this week, with the launch its ‘Champions of Play’ programme. A two-fold scheme developed for children aged 6-14, McDonald’s will bring nearly 200 youngsters from more than 34 countries to the London 2012 Olympic Games for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Participants will attend Olympic sporting events, meet athletes, tour cultural sights and enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at selected venues. Meanwhile, the Champions of Play Olympic Games Challenge website, to be launched in June, will see Olympians motivate children from all over the world to get active by participating in a series of fun challenges.

Dress Rehearsal for Olympic Torch Relay

Dress Rehearsal for Olympic Torch Relay Takes Place Today

Today the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is holding a full dress rehearsal to test the operations around the Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The rehearsal is taking place on the Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay route and is the culmination of the Olympic Torch Relay test schedule. Previous tests have focused on torch performance, hotel operations, desk top exercises and testing the vehicle convoy.

(PRWEB) April 20, 2012

Today the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is holding a full dress rehearsal to test the operations around the Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The rehearsal is taking place on the Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay route and is the culmination of the Olympic Torch Relay test schedule. Previous tests have focused on torch performance, hotel operations, desk top exercises and testing the vehicle convoy. 

• Dress Rehearsal covers the Relay route from Leicester to Peterborough
• Rehearsal day to test operational elements of the Relay
• 122 students and participants acting as Torchbearers

The Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay was chosen because it will test every element of the Relay including convoy splits and alternate modes of transport. It represents a typical day of the Relay including both rural and city locations and is the first time that elements such as crew, convoy and communications are being tested. The convoy consists of 14 core vehicles, including a pilot car, Torchbearer drop-off and pick-up shuttles, Presenting Partner vehicles, a media vehicle, a command car and security vehicles.

The rehearsal is an operational rather than a spectator event as there is no evening celebration and no Flame, meaning that torches will not be lit. The exercise is also a chance for host communities to experience how the Relay looks and operates in advance of the Olympic Torch Relay start at Land’s End on 19 May 2012.

A crew of approximately 400 people are working on the dress rehearsal; a typical day on the Relay will include around 370 people. The rehearsal will test rotational team members and allow each of them to test their individual roles. Core teams of LOCOG staff, the Metropolitan Police Torch Security Team, Presenting Partners, host Police Forces and host Local Authorities are working together in a live environment for the first time.

Photos from today’s Olympic Torch Relay rehearsal will be available to download throughout the day. Broadcast footage will be available on request from footage@london2012.com

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: ‘The dress rehearsal is a great opportunity to test all parts of the Olympic Torch Relay. I would like to thank the host Local Authorities and Police Forces for working with us on this rehearsal.

‘Tests are essential to ensure the smooth running of our operations around the Torch Relay. When all the final elements are added for the Relay itself the excitement will really build for the start of the London 2012 Games and the UK will get its moment to shine.’

During the dress rehearsal, the convoy will pass through 12 communities along an 80-mile route. Starting the day in Leicester and continuing through Quorn, Loughborough, Hoton, Wymeswold, Asfordby, Melton Mowbray, Langham, Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford before finishing in Peterborough. 122 participants are acting as Torchbearers during the rehearsal. These participants have been recruited through the host Local Authorities, the Relay’s three Presenting Partners and from the Royal College of the Blind, Loughborough College and Leicester, De Montfort, Loughborough and Northampton universities.

The Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land’s End, Cornwall on the morning of 19 May 2012. On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Flame comes to a place near them.

The Relay will take the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of 95% of the population and will showcase as much of the UK as possible. The route for the rehearsal and for all 70 days of the Olympic Torch Relay were devised after extensive consultation with representatives in each nation and region.

James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, The Coca-Cola Company, said: ‘With just a few short weeks to go before the Olympic Flame arrives in the UK, we’re really excited to be putting our Torch Relay operations to the test during the Leicester to Peterborough Dress Rehearsal. We’ll be unveiling our ‘Beat Fleet’ – the vehicles that will travel around the UK galvanising nationwide support the Relay and for our Future Flames, the inspirational people we have chosen as Torchbearers. We can’t wait for Relay to begin on the May 19th and for everyone around the UK to share in the magic of London 2012 by lining the streets to celebrate their local Future Flames!’

Sally Hancock, Director, 2012 Partnership and Group Sponsorship at Lloyds Banking Group, said: ‘As the National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch relay Lloyds TSB is bringing the Olympic Flame closer to our customers and communities. For Lloyds TSB, the Relay binds all of our programmes together in 2012; allowing us to continue to take the inspiration and excitement of the Games to the heart of communities across the UK.

'Our Torchbearers will be representing their local communities, Local Heroes will be carrying the Flame for their sport and young athletes all over the UK; schools will be lining the route and helping us celebrate along the way, and with branches on nearly every high street we’re inviting our customers and the local community to celebrate with us as the Torch passes their front doors. The test event brings us one step closer to the start of the Relay and the moment when every corner of Britain will start to feel the excitement of London 2012.’

Mr Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: 'Today is about fine tuning the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay logistics and as Samsung thrives on robust testing, we're delighted to be part of this final run through. The dress rehearsal marks nearly two years of creative and logistics planning by Samsung with LOCOG, so as a Presenting Partner this is a tremendously important milestone in our London 2012 journey. This is a very exciting time for everyone and we look forward to welcoming all our Olympic Torchbearers and Olympic fans from across the UK and around world. I believe this will be the very best Olympic Torch Relay in the history of the modern Olympic movement and we're extremely proud to be playing our part in making it happen.’

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

Notes to editors:

About the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners:

As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola's national nomination campaign - Future Flames – has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. This summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities.

As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the spirit and inspiration of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. Schools can be right at the heart of the celebrations through our Flame Followers programme, giving them access to free resources to get their pupils inspired and excited about the Olympic Torch Relay. Customers can be the first to hear how they can follow the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme Trackside.

As a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung aims to encourage everyone to be part of the greatest show on Earth to make London 2012 ‘Everyone’s Olympic Games.’ We aspire to offer new and memorable experiences for everyone around the world through our own innovative and smart wireless technology. Samsung is providing 1,360 Torchbearers, who have “gone the extra mile” by contributing to the local communities, through its worldwide public nomination campaign. In total over 25,000 nominations were received. Samsung will support towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay and help showcase Great Britain’s cultural landmarks to provide a more enjoyable experience to everyone. The evening celebrations that will be staged by Samsung in 66 towns and cities throughout the Olympic Flame’s journey across the UK, will allow Samsung to entertain the community they are visiting. The Samsung caravan, complete with LED screen on the side showcasing runners and goodwill messages, will follow the Torchbearers around the UK cheering up everyone to celebrate the Torch Relay with music and interaction with local communities. It is Samsung’s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion.

The Supporters of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay are:

Worldwide Olympic Partners Procter and Gamble and Visa, Tier One Partners adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT and EDF, Tier Three Providers Aggreko, Holiday Inn and NATURE VALLEY.

London 2012 Games partners:

The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.

There are now 28 domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery

World’s Best Wheelchair Rugby Teams Arrive in London

The World’s Best Wheelchair Rugby Teams Arrive in London

Four of the world’s best Wheelchair Rugby teams will compete in the London International Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament this week, a test event for the London 2012 Paralympic Games and part of the London Prepares series.

(PRWEB) April 19, 2012

Four of the world’s best Wheelchair Rugby teams will compete in the London International Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament this week, a test event for the London 2012 Paralympic Games and part of the London Prepares series.

Taking place from 18-19 April in the Basketball Arena in the Olympic Park, the event will give the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) the chance to test its operations including the field of play, results and scoring systems, and workforce.

For the competing teams this will be their one chance to compete in the same venue that will host the Wheelchair Rugby competition during the Paralympic Games.

Wheelchair Rugby is one of the most fast and thrillingParalympic sports and with Australia, Sweden, Canada and Great Britain ranked second, fourth, fifth and sixth in the world respectively competing in the tournament, it is set to be a fierce contest.

Debbie Jevans, Director of Sport at LOCOG, said: 'The London Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament is the first Paralympic test event of this year and will be a vital test of our operations. Wheelchair Rugby is an exciting sport and we are delighted to be hosting some of the world’s best teams as well as being able to offer the opportunity to thousands of people from the local area to come and watch the competition.'

Tickets for the Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament have been given to local schools and colleges as well as members of the sports governing body. Over 2000 spectators will enjoy the action over the two days of competition.

Wheelchair Rugby during the Paralympic Games takes place from Wednesday 5 September – Sunday 9 September 2012 with eight teams battling it out in the Basketball Arena.

For more details, visit http://www.londonpreparesseries.com

Notes to editors:
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

London 2012 Games partners:

The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.

Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9421385.htm

UK Get Ready to Welcome the World

Millions of People Around the UK Get Ready to Welcome the World to London in 100 Days' Time

Millions of people around the UK are getting ready to welcome the world to London in 100 days' time.

(PRWEB) April 18, 2012

Millions of people around the UK are getting ready to welcome the world to London in 100 days' time. 

• Red Arrows flypast confirmed in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
• Giant Olympic Rings, visible on Heathrow flight path, unveiled at Kew Gardens
• Games motto revealed – 'Inspire a generation'

70,000 volunteers are already a significant way through the million hours of training they will receive ahead of the eight million hours of volunteering they will deliver; over eight million people have said in a recent survey they are getting ready to line the streets and cheer the thousands of community heroes carrying the Olympic flame around the UK; two million school children are learning about the values of the Games and the countries and cultures of the 10,000 plus athletes from over 200 National Olympic Committees coming to the UK; and eight million Olympic and Paralympic tickets will be in the hands of British sports fans by the summer.

While the UK gets ready to host the Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced that the world-famous aerobatic display team the Red Arrows will perform a nine-ship flypast in Big Battle formation across the UK to mark the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games (27 July), providing a stunning curtain raiser to the show. Flying over London 2012 Live Sites in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London before the Opening Ceremony begins, the iconic Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team will herald the start of the Games, and welcome the world in quintessentially British fashion.

London 2012 Live Sites will be among the destinations in 22 towns and cities across the UK for communities to come together and cheer on the athletes this summer. Up to 500,000 people per day are expected to celebrate the Games at Live Sites throughout the country, and watch the sporting action on the big screens. The sites, run in partnership between London 2012, the BBC and local authorities, and supported by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, partners BT and Lloyds TSB, and supporters Cisco and Cadbury, will become fully dedicated to London 2012 from May. Fully branded, there will be seating provided so crowds can watch the sporting action in style. Many Live Sites will also feature 'have a go' sessions for Olympic sports.

LOCOG also today unveiled the motto for the Games – 'Inspire a generation'. Reflecting the promise made when London bid for the Games, the motto will appear on branding and publications in the run-up to, and during, the Games.

Today sees the latest ‘spectacular’ installation of the Olympic Rings unveiled – at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, west London. The Rings, which are 50m long, will be made up of 20,000 plants and will be visible from the Heathrow flight path. The flowers were planted over a period of five days by a team of volunteers and Kew staff and consist of Pansy ‘Light Blue’, Viola ‘Clear Yellow’, Viola ‘Black Delight’, apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) and Viola ‘Red Blotch’ plants. They will be in full flower for the summer.

LOCOG and its delivery partners are getting ready for the Games – 31 out of 42 sport test events have been successfully completed, with the biggest test event to come in May, involving over 80,000 people on the Olympic Park for six events. In total, around 250,000 people will have attended the London Prepares series of test events.

Finally, preparations are well advanced for the London 2012 Festival - the country’s biggest ever arts festival which will see over 1,000 events held across the UK to welcome the world as part of the Cultural Olympiad. There will be 10 million free opportunities to take part in events across the UK.

Across the UK, thousands of people will be marking 100 days to go. At Weymouth and Portland, the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing competitions, a giant sandcastle has been built featuring the Olympic Rings. There will also be activities including have a go sessions and interactive video games at many Live Sites throughout the day on 18 April.

To celebrate the UK's role in the birth of the modern Olympic movement, a total of 40 'Coubertin Oaks' oak trees are being planted at venues around the UK. Trees grown from acorns taken from an oak planted in 1890 during the visit of the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, Pierre de Coubertin, to the Wenlock Olympian Games will be planted at Kew Gardens; William Brookes School in Much Wenlock, Shropshire; the Forestry Commission’s National Arboretum; and at the UPS London Central Centre, in Camden. Twenty-six Get Set schools will also plant oaks as part of this project.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: 'Organising the Olympics is a team effort and over the next hundred days, people from all walks of life and from all around the world will play their part in helping to make London 2012 a Games that will inspire a generation. From the athletes refining their technique, to the volunteers learning about their roles, to the torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame and the people supporting them as they go, each and every one of them is playing their part in making these a Games to remember. Around the world, the excitement is growing and expectations are high but I am confident that Britain and London will deliver a great sporting event and a warm welcome too.'

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: 'With 100 days to go to the start of the Games, millions of people are getting ready to do the best work of their lives and welcome the world this summer. There is a groundswell of support and excitement, not just in the UK, but internationally as the final countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games begins. Whether it’s the competing athletes or people getting ready to join their communities in supporting Torchbearers on the streets of the UK, the whole world is getting ready for London. Expectations are high, and we won’t disappoint.’
Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said, ‘The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are within touching distance now and there’s something incredibly exciting about that. The country is getting ready to welcome the world this summer, and it’s set to be an amazing celebration that we will never forget.'

Officer Commanding the Red Arrows, Red 1, Squadron Leader Jim Turner said, ‘The Red Arrows are honoured to have been invited to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games celebrations to represent both the Royal Air Force and the very Best of British. My whole Squadron, pilots and ground support staff alike, share the pride and privilege of being part of such a special occasion.'

Notes to editors:

The horticultural rings are being planted at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class Herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world.

Live Site activity on 18 April:
In Belfast, members of the public will be treated to boxing, fencing and athletics ‘have a go’ sessions, as well as four schools competing in the interactive screen game 'Dash Dodge Dive'.
In Birmingham, sports volunteers will gather at the Live Site to take part in a ‘100’ photo call to launch Olympic-related activities taking place in Birmingham, including Pre-Games Training Camps (USA and Jamaica) and the Torch Relay.
In Coventry, 'Team Extream' will be on site with their urban freestyle show which includes freestyle football, break dancing and BMX.

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners – adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.