KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

The Flagbearers for the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony

07/02/2014

Please find below the link to the list of the flagbearers for the 87 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Independent Olympic Participants participating in the Opening Ceremony of the XXII Olympic Winter Games.

The flagbearers are listed in their order of entry into the stadium.
List of the flagbearers for the 87 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Independent Olympic Participants

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Welcome to Sochi - the YOG reporting team is here!

©IOC

07/02/2014

Priviet from Ruskiland! It’s time for an Olympic extravaganza, and the YOG reporting team is here in Sochi to bring the you latest from the YOGgies participating in the Olympic Winter Games - from athletes to ambassadors!

We are your roving reporting team who will bring you an insight, YOG-style, into the Games from bright and beautiful Sochi – the breathtakingly spectacular host city. 
Celebrating girl power, first in line is the talented Anna Konovalova, our Russian photographer. She will be snapping the athletes at their colourful best on the slope or from within the rink. This is her first Olympic experience, and the feisty 20-year-old is ready to go! On her home territory, an added advantage of having her around is her proficiency as an interpreter!
After the sweet, let’s bring in the spicy. I’m Sonali Prasad from the sub-tropical island of Singapore. As you can imagine, I am absolutely freezing here but that doesn’t stop me from making my snow angels everywhere I go. I will bring you the brightest and best about our YOG athletes, ambassadors and role models who are here and spreading the YOG spirit long after their Innsbruck 2012 experience! Being a graduate of the Singapore 2010 Young Reporter Programme, I have been on a long journey through to Innsbruck 2012 and London 2012 to finally be here in Sochi. I’m thrilled and excited, so let the Games begin!

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

World leaders attend first ever IOC President’s Dinner

©IOC/Ian Jones (3)

06/02/2014

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach tonight welcomed international leaders from the world of politics, business, media, science, culture and sport to the inaugural IOC President’s Dinner on the eve of the Opening Ceremony for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Heads of states, governments and international organisations in attendance included President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and President of Greece Karolos Papoulias.


Also attending were President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, President of Finland Sauli Niinistö, President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Latvia Andris Bērziņš, President of Mongolia Elbegdorj Tsakhiagiin, President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović, President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolić, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rhamon. Heads of State who are also IOC members included HSH Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco and HRH Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
Prime Ministers included Plamen Oresharski of Bulgaria, Najib Mikati of Lebanon, Algirdas Butkevičius of Lithuania and Abdelilah Benkirane of Morocco. Former Prime Minister of Japan and Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori joined, as did the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Gerhard Schröder.


“The purpose of this dinner is to show that the IOC is reaching out to society at large and is looking forward to an open dialogue with the worlds of politics, business, the media, science and culture. We want to share with you the Olympic spirit and the Olympic values”, President Bach said in his welcome speech.

“We have gathered here tonight just as the athletes are doing at this very moment in the Olympic Village next door”, President Bach continued. “Even though they are competitors, they are sharing a meal and enjoying being together in the Olympic community. So let us share this Olympic spirit here tonight.”

Also at the gala were President of the Russian Olympic Committee and IOC member Alexander Zhukov, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Kozak, Sochi 2014 President and CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko, and IOC members Vitaly Smirnov, Shamil Tarpishev and Alexander Popov.
Gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won 14 individual Olympic medals, more than any other Olympian in history, and legendary ice hockey goalie Vladislav Tretiak were among the prominent Olympians at the event.

Business representatives at the dinner included CEO of Coca-Cola Muhtar Kent, CEO of Panasonic Kazuhiro Tsuga, CEO of McDonalds Donald Thompson, and CEO of Omega Stephen Urquhart and the heads of Comcast/NBC and Russian broadcasters Channel One, VGTRK and NTV. The first woman in space, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, soprano Anna Netrebko and violinist-turned-Alpine skier Vanessa Mae were also warmly welcomed.

IOC doyen Vitaly Smirnov shared Master of Ceremony duties with Danka Bartekova, the youngest IOC member, aged 29. The Russian called the evening a night of firsts, both for his country and the Olympic Movement.

“As the longest-serving member of the IOC, I am delighted that I still have the opportunity to witness ‘firsts’ at the Olympic Games”, Smirnov said. “As well as this being the first ever Olympic Winter Games in Russia, this is the first ever IOC President’s Dinner, and it is a very welcome new initiative.”

Bartekova, a bronze medallist in skeet shooting at the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games, told the guests that the President’s Dinner was set to become a regular event at future editions of the Games.

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For all other questions, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
  PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.   
   
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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Athletes settle in to village life

©Getty Images

06/02/2014

Athletes have been settling into the comfortable surroundings of Sochi’s three Olympic Villages, as they prepare to compete in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Approximately 2,800 athletes will be housed in the Coastal Village, Mountain Village and Endurance Village during the Games, which run from 7-23 February.

Residents at each of the villages will have access to a canteen, a medical clinic, fitness centre, multi-religious centre, library, bank, cafes, a club and shops, with all facilities located within walking distance of the residential area. Transport connections are also available within the villages and from the villages to the competition venues, 24 hours a day.
And those athletes who have already arrived seem to be impressed with the facilities on offer. "The people have been really nice and the rooms are really good,” said British short track medal hope Elise Christie. “It's luxury for us short-trackers, really."
The villages have been designed to look completely different in style and colour, with each village featuring a different concept.

The Coastal Village, for instance, reflects the “pride of Russia” and celebrates the country’s excellence in music, ballet, literature, art, science and space. The design philosophy of the Endurance Village, meanwhile, evokes “the fairy tales of Russia” and is decorated with popular folk characters such as Baba Yaga, Firebird, Ilya Muromets, Sadko, Ivan the Fool and the Gray Wolf.
Russia’s Olympic speed skating champion Svetlana Zhurova, who won 500m gold in Turin in 2006, is the mayor of the Mountain Village and believes that the athletes will never forget the experience of living with their fellow athletes during the Games.
"When I came to my first Olympic Games in Lillehammer, I remember this [the village] first," she said. "I remember what my feeling was. Now, I say to athletes that will be at the Games for the first time, that they will surely remember this for the rest of their life."

Zhurova’s vice-mayor is four-time Olympic gymnastics gold medallist Alexei Nemov – one of Russia's most decorated Olympians of all time. Like Zhurova, the 37-year-old has fond memories of village life.
"I participated in the Olympic Games three times and the villages became a home away from home," he said. "I made many friends there and even though some of us didn't speak English, we all congratulated each other.”
As more athletes arrive in Sochi ahead of the Winter Games, they will soon discover their own “home away from home” in the comfortable surroundings of Sochi’s three unique Olympic Villages.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

UN Secretary-General speaks at IOC Session in Sochi

©IOC/Ian Jones

06/02/2014

In an Olympic first, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today addressed the IOC Session in advance of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

“Today I am in Sochi to witness countries uniting in a spirit of friendly competition and goodwill,” he said on the final day before the Games’ Opening Ceremony. It was the first time that a UN Secretary-General had attended an IOC Session.

Ban Ki-moon praised the joint efforts of the UN and the IOC to use sport as a tool for social change, describing the two organisations as teammates.

“That team – the United Nations and the IOC – are not competing on the ski slopes or skating rinks,” he said. “We are joining our forces together for our shared ideals. Sustainability. Universality. Solidarity. Non-discrimination. The fundamental equality of all people.” 
Ban Ki-moon renewed his call for all warring parties worldwide to observe the Olympic Truce and “to lay down their weapons during the Games – and to lift their sights to the promise of peace. He urged others to follow the example set by the Olympic Winter Games.

“The athletes here carry the flags of different nations – but they are all joining under the banner of equality, fair play, understanding and mutual respect,” he said. “Their histories, traditions and day-to-day lives offer a wonderful parade of human diversity. And the athletes send a unified message that people and nations can put aside their differences. If they can do that in Sochi’s sporting arenas, leaders of fighters should do the same in the world’s combat areas.”


Ban Ki-moon also referred to the IOC’s observer status at the UN and the many joint projects in the field and concluded: “The United Nations will continue to partner with the IOC to build a better, freer and more equal world. I count on your engagement and your support. Let us work together to make this world better for all,” receiving enthusiastic applause from the IOC members.

Responding to the Secretary-General’s remarks, IOC President Thomas Bach called Ban Ki-moon “a great friend of sport and an inspiring world leader who stands for the same values the IOC is embracing.”

Bach added, “Sport is standing for respect and against any form of discrimination. In this respect we are teammates, and as you said, ‘Olympic principles are United Nations principles’.”

After his speech to the Session, Ban Ki-moon attended the Session’s debate about the IOC’s role in society and, just a few hours before he was scheduled to run with Bach in the Olympic Torch Relay in Sochi, the UN Secretary-General received a torch from the IOC President.

Ban Ki-moon will also take the opportunity to tour the Olympic Village, where he will sign the Olympic Truce Wall; and later attend the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games on 7 February. Click here to read Ban Ki-moon’s speech to the 126th IOC Session   
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For all other questions, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
  PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.

To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.   
   
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For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President passes Olympic Flame to United Nations Secretary General

©IOC/Ian Jones

06/02/2014

IOC President Thomas Bach today passed the Olympic Flame to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as both ran a leg of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay in the host city of Sochi. Warmly greeted by the crowds lining the Torch Relay route, the two leaders chatted with spectators and posed for photos with their torches before running their 150 metre long legs.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay has had many special moments during its 65,000 kilometre journey across all the regions of Russia and it added another one, as Bach and Ban’s torches were brought together in the so called “kiss”. The flame being carried by the IOC President ignited the Olympic Torch being held by Secretary General Ban and the Secretary General continued the Relay carrying the Olympic values with him on its journey to the Olympic Stadium tomorrow night.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC extends TOP partnership with Panasonic to 2024

©Panasonic

06/02/2014

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Panasonic to extend its Worldwide TOP Partnership through to 2024.

Panasonic will continue as the Worldwide Olympic Partner within the exclusive audiovisual product category which includes: home entertainment equipment, including televisions; cameras; professional video equipment; professional displays, including large in-venue screens; professional audio equipment and video surveillance equipment.

Panasonic has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner since the IOC’s global sponsorship programme began in 1985, and is the first Partner to sign to 2024. Panasonic first began its involvement with the Olympic Movement at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games as the supplier of the professional sound system and large video display for the main stadium.

Panasonic is already supporting the Organising Committee for the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the Organising Committee for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016. The company’s support will now also benefit the Organising Committees of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (2018) in PyeongChang and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad (2020) in Tokyo, as well as the Olympic Games in 2022 and 2024, the host cities of which have yet to be decided. As part of the agreement Panasonic will also continue to support the IOC, the Youth Olympic Games Organising Committees and every National Olympic Committee and their team.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We are thrilled to be able to announce that we will continue to work with our long-term Partner Panasonic. Panasonic was one of the founding members of our global sponsorship programme, and is the first Partner to commit to continue its global sponsorship through 2024. This is a clear demonstration of Panasonic’s continuing belief in the Olympic values and the company’s global commitment to the Olympic Movement.”

“Panasonic has contributed to the Olympic Movement for over 25 years. Today, we are proud to announce our commitment to support the Olympic Movement for further eight years through to 2024,” said Kazuhiro Tsuga, at the signing ceremony. “Through our cutting-edge technologies and products, our staff and operations services, we will continue to support the Olympic Games, the greatest sporting event in the world.”

Gerhard Heiberg, Chairman of the Marketing Commission, said: “I am proud that we are continuing our partnership with Panasonic. This is a clear sign of the strength of the Olympic brand and its appeal to the business community – from whom we receive not only critical funding, but also support in terms of products and technological expertise that support the staging the Olympic Games. By reaching long-term agreements, we are able to better support all the constituents of the Olympic Movement including the National Olympic Committees, and ultimately the athletes themselves. As a Japanese company with a long, global Olympic experience I’m sure it will be of great assistance, in particular for the organisation of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”

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The IOC currently has 10 Worldwide TOP Partners for the 2014-2016 period (TOP VIII): Coca-Cola, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, P&G, Samsung and Visa.
The IOC currently has 8 Worldwide TOP Partners for the 2018-2020 period (TOP IX): Coca-Cola, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, P&G and Visa.
The IOC currently has 1 Worldwide TOP Partner for the 2022-2024 period (TOP X): Panasonic

http://www.olympic.org/sponsors

For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation
Tel: +81-(0)3-3574-5664 
Panasonic News Bureau
Tel: +81-(0)3-3542-6205
VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia

PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
Social media
For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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