Winter Olympics (Vancouver 2010) » Annecy

French business says it is right behind Annecy’s 2018 Winter Olympics bid

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:09:04 +0000

Teaming up: Grospiron and Parisot / Annecy2018

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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sport Features Communications

PARIS: The French business world has reiterated its support for Annecy's bid to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2018 after MEDEF, the country's main commercial confederation, heard a project overview from bid ceo Edgar Grospiron.

An audience of more than 200 business leaders listened to the former Olympic champion set out the city's plans to try to fend off competition from Munich and PyeongChang when it comes to the IOC vote in Durban next July.

MEDEC leader Laurence Parisot said: "Annecy 2018 is a tremendous project, first of all because it is a region which is no stranger to sporting success but also because it is an inspiration to see men and women who have already reached the heights of Olympic achievement to devote their time and efforts to serving the community.

"This is why the MEDEF and all the companies within the MEDEF are resolute in their support."

Grospiron told an audience which included bid ambassadors Florence Masnada, the double Olympic medallist in downhill skiing, and Jean-Pierre Vidal, Olympic slalom champion: "Our bid is not based only on our region's assets.

"The first Winter Games in Chamonix, in 1924, marked the beginning of the winter sports boom in the modern era. Now we want the 2018 Games to open a new route to the mountain peaks of the 21st century. This is the new model we are proposing to the Olympic movement."

Ski orienteering sets its sights on the 2018 Winter Games winning post

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:08:30 +0000

Action from the ski-orienteering world cup in Romania

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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sports Features Communications

HELSINKI, Aug 31: Ski orienteering is the latest sports discipline targeting Olympics entry at the Winter Games of 2018 - which will be staged in PyeongChang, Annecy or Munich.

The International Orienteering Federation has make a formal application on behalf of ski orienteering on the basis of its claim of considerable growth over the past few years. That progress has been enhanced by the inclusion of the sport in the Asian Winter Games and the CISM World Military Winter Games.

Some 35 nations are expected to participate in the World Ski Orienteering Championships in Sweden next March.

Ski orienteering combines extreme physical fitness and cross-country skiing skills with the ability to navigate and make difficult route choices at high speed. The events can be organised in cross-country skiing and biathlon arenas and do not require the creation of any permanent infrastructure.

Media friendly

IOF president Åke Jacobson said: "We have developed and tested new spectator and media-friendly formats. Sprint and sprint relay are intensive competition formats and well suited for TV. We have also addressed other development aspects such as the universality of the sport.

"The geographical footprint of ski orienteering is comparable to most other sports on the Winter Games programme."

The IOF athletes’ commission for ski orienteering has been closely involved in the development of the new formats. Chair Eivind Tonna said: "Sprint and mixed sprint relay have proved attractive competition formats which appeal to the athletes as well as to spectators and media.

"Our events fit nicely into a 45-minute TV broadcast and the latest technology - GPS tracking and biometric data - brings the drama of the competition to the spectators.”

Annecy 2018 : Michele Ramis joins the international bid team

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:08:27 +0000

Michele Ramis will bring her diplomatic expertise to the bid / Annecy 2018

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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/ANNECY, Aug. 27 : The Annecy 2018 bid has welcomed French diplomat Michele Michèle Ramis to serve in the international releations team together with Ceo Edgar Grospiron and their group of experts.

Ramis comes from a long background in international French politics and currently has been Ambassador for France in Guatemala since 2008. She has worked at French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris and at the embassies in Bogota and Mexico City.

Grospiron said: “We are thrilled to welcome Michèle Ramis into our candidacy team. Her superb knowledge of international circles, her expertise and her experience as a top-level diplomat will be a major asset for France’s bid to organise the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Michèle Ramis will start her new job with the bid on 1st September.

Annecy 2018 : Michele Ramis joins the international bid team for Winter Olympics

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:08:27 +0000

Michele Ramis will bring her diplomatic expertise to the bid / Annecy 2018

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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/ANNECY, Aug. 27 : The Annecy 2018 bid has welcomed French diplomat Michele Michèle Ramis to serve in the international relations team together with ceo Edgar Grospiron and their group of experts.

Michèle Ramis will start her new job with the bid on 1st September.

Olympian Katarina Witt looking to recapture YOG spirit for Munich 2018

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:08:27 +0000

Katarina Witt: double gold medal winner wants to target the youth audience for Munich / Munich 2018

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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/MUNICH, Aug 27: Katarina Witt is looking forward to inspiring the world’s youth should the IOC choose Munich to host the 2018 Winter Games. Witt, now chair of the Munich bid, remains the perfect heroine for many a budding ice skater after her own stellar career on Olympic ice.

The gold medallist was in Singapore to meet competitors at the Youth Olympic games and take notes on how Munich might engage with youth and local schools back home. Munich’s legacy to the youth of both Bavaria and Germany will feature as a strong point of the candidature file to be consigned to the IOC in January.

Witt said: “The entire bid committee and I are filled with admiration for what the IOC and the Singapore Organising Committee have achieved. Executing such an ambitious vision was a truly staggering accomplishment.

"But what made the Youth Olympic Games so special is the opportunity it has given an entire generation of young people to learn that being a champion is about so much more than medals.

“We, too, believe that it is about breaking down prejudices and bringing together young people from different cultures; about forging a sense of community that transcends international boundaries. Our goal is to stage an Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018 which instil these values in young people all over the world.”

Marlene Gomez-Islinger, a 17-year-old student from Weiden, Germany, offered her point of view from an aspiring athlete’s standpoint.

She said: “To me, training for the Olympic Games has always been a huge motivation. But even more than that, I’ve loved being part of a team of fellow students giving everything together. We may not have won all the medals we wanted but I’ve met people from all over the world and learnt some really valuable lessons. It has been great fun and we’ve got an amazing team spirit.”

Munich is competing with PyeongChang and Annecy to host the 2018 winter Olympics. The decision falls next July 6 in Durban.

Mongolians can benefit from early PyeongChang 2018 training test

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:08:27 +0000

PyeongChang's Alpensia resort would aslo stage the Opening and Closing ceremonies / PyeongChang2018

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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sports Features Communications

PYEONGCHANG, Aug 27: Young winter sports hopefuls from Mongolia will have a distinct advantage if PyeongChang beats opposition from Annecy and Munich to land the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Ambitious and talented competitors in bobsleigh and skeleton, at the request of the Mongolia sports authorities, have just completed a six day training session in PyeongChang alongside South Korean specialists.

The request was passed on by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (FIBT) and Koreans welcomed Mongolians at a specialist training camp from August 21-26.

Kwang-bae Kang, the Team Korea bobsleigh coach and PyeongChang 2018 sports director, said: “We were proud to offer these young Mongolian athletes the opportunity to train and improve their performances with our world-class facilities.

"This is an illustration of PyeongChang’s commitment to foster the growth of winter sports across Asia, and in so doing, contribute to the goals of the Olympic Movement."

'Unique experience'

He said the Koreans planned to invite more aspiring Asian athletes to similar training camps to encourage greater regional winter sports participation.

The Mongolians were delighted. Onol, Mongolia’s secretary-general of the Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, said: “This has been a unique experience for our delegation and we leave Korea with valuable knowledge about how to develop this sport at home and train a strong team.

"If PyeongChang is selected to host the 2018 Games, we will ensure we have a team ready to compete with the world’s greatest athletes.”

PyeongChang, in Gangwon province, will face the decisive IOC vote in Durban, South Africa next July 6.

PyeongChang 2018: FIBT president Storey on hand to open sledding training venue

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:08:24 +0000

The Alpensia area will be home to the sledding events / PyeongChang 2018

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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/PYEONGCHANG, Aug 24: The PyeongChang 2018 bid announced that it has opened the doors on its new sledding sports training areas today as part of the winter Games bid plan.

The president of the International Bobsleigh Federation (FIBT) Robert Storey attended the opening ceremony for the facility built to serve three key sledding sports bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. Work on the project had also been overseen by FIBT Skeleton Director Heinz Thoma to ensure top technical advice for the venue.

Storey said: “It is an honour to be here today to mark the opening of these facilities and a meaningful development for our sport in this region. These facilities are compact and specifically designed to meet the needs of the athletes and we look forward to seeing world-class performances from them on the international stage in years to come."

Also present to open the new training area were Secretary General DoBong Ha and Sports Director Kwang-bae Kang of the PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee, Acting Governor of Gangwon Province Ki-Chang Kang, PyeongChang mayor Seok Rae Lee, President of the Korean Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation Kyung-Hoon Lee, and numerous sledding athletes.

DoBong Ha, secretary general of the PyeongChang bid says, “The investment we have made to build these new sledding sports facilities shows PyeongChang’s commitment to staging the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018, and that we are delivering on our promises to the IOC and the Olympic Family. This investment will also provide us with the momentum to inspire more young people to participate in sledding disciplines, help develop their skills, and grow further interest in winter sports.”

The new facility comprises a bobsleigh and skeleton starting track, another luge starting track, locker rooms and a technical video analysis room for high level training. The costs for the new facility were approximately US$850,000 equaling 1 billion South Korean Won.

Kwang-bae Kang, PyeongChang 2018’s newly nominated sports director and the coach of Korea’s bobsleigh team says, “We are delighted that the new world class practice tracks for sledding events have been completed. With the substantial investment made in the facilities, we can offer our sledding athletes the very best chance to improve their performances and help a new generation of participants take up these winter sports.”

The sledding sports’ venues are located in the Alpensia Cluster area which will also be the main focal point of the Korean bid.

PyeongChang is running against Munich and Annecy to host the 2018 winter Olympic Games. The final decision will be voted in Durban, South Africa in July 2011 at the IOC session.

PyeongChang 2018: FIBT president Storey on hand to open sled training venue

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:08:24 +0000

The Alpensia area will be home to the sledding events / PyeongChang 2018

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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/PYEONGCHANG, Aug 24: The PyeongChang 2018 bid announced that it has opened the doors on its new sledding sports training areas today as part of the winter Games bid plan.

The sledding sports’ venues are located in the Alpensia Cluster area which will also be the main focal point of the Korean bid.

PyeongChang is running against Munich and Annecy to host the 2018 winter Olympic Games. The final decision will be voted in Durban, South Africa in July 2011 at the IOC session.

Annecy 2018: Extreme trail running event attracts thousands

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:08:23 +0000

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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/ANNECY, Aug 23: Alpine ski destination Mont Blanc will be one of the venues for a unique trail running event taking place from the 24th to the 29th August 2010. The grilling mountain race will be contended in 3 different countries (France, Switzerland and Italy), and across 7 valleys, 71 glaciers and 400 summits.

The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® is in its 8th edition and is the only trail running event of its type in the world. The event will feature four different races with Chamonix as the focal point as each race will start or finish in the city. Home to the first winter Olympics in 1924, the mountain town will welcome a good 7,000 runners coming from 55 countries and also 1,700 volunteers.

Olympian and Annecy ceo Edgar Grospiron said, “The North-Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® illustrates the region’s sporting attributes, our wide experience with regards to organising large-scale events, our volunteers’ enthusiasm and the locals’ passion for mountain and outdoor sports."

Taking part in the race are elite level athletes as well as amateur runners looking to earn a place in its history.

The management of the event will offer a trial testing opportunity for transmission technology, geotracking and computer software to keep track of the runners for security, rescue and general updating on the progress of the race.

Mont Blanc and Chamonix are both venue areas designated in the Annecy 2018 bid and have both a strong winter and summer sports following. Annecy is running against Munich and PyeongChang to host the 2018 winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The final decision will be voted in July 2011 in Durban, South Africa at the IOC session.

Annecy 2018: Le Grand Bornand hosts leading European youth cultural festival

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:08:20 +0000

A good 80,000 spectators are expected to attend the festival / G.Piel Le Grand Bornand

The program lists over 350 performances / G.Piel Le Grand Bornand
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LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

TAMPA/ANNECY, Aug 20: The resort of Le Grand Bornand is gearing up to host the 19th edition of the “Au Bonheur des Mômes” during August 22-27 and expecting about 80,000 young people. The youth fest is an international street festival dedicated to youth.

The Le Grand Bornand, in the Aravis mountain range, is the proposed biathlon venue for the Annecy 2018 bid and this unique festival exemplifies the rich cultural tapestry at the heart of the French Alps.

Olympic champion Edgar Grospiron, ceo of the Annecy bid, says, "Having youth and culture at the heart of the world's largest winter sports event is one of the priorities of the Annecy 2018 bid. This festival has the same aspirations as Annecy 2018: to offer youngsters a variety of originally fresh and use-friendly cultural activities, making the youth the center of the event."

The festival features 350 live performances (plays, contemporary circus shows, storytelling, dancing, puppet shows, mime acts, clowns, concerts, etc.) performed by 90 different companies from France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Holland and the United Kingdom.

Visitors of all age groups enjoy the performances and the Aravis mountains will host 20 stages, 8 exhibitions and 20 workshops. The workshops are centered around teaching good environmental and social practices.

The concept of the “Au Bonheur des Mômes” could be a good blueprint for the Annecy Cultural Olympiad should the French bid take home the gold in the race for the 2018 winter Games. The final vote will be held in July 2011 at the IOC session in Durban, South Africa.