International Olympic Committee

Getty Images and the International Olympic Committee Sign Renewal Agreement

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 7, 2023

NEW YORK, Dec. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced it has renewed a long-term agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with Getty Images continuing to serve as the Official Photographic Agency of the International Olympic Committee. Content captured as the Official Photographic Agency will be supplied to the IOC, its sponsors and other members of the IOC family, complementing Getty Images’ broader independent photographic media coverage of the Olympic Games.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Dec. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced it has renewed a long-term agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with Getty Images continuing to serve as the Official Photographic Agency of the International Olympic Committee.
  • Content captured as the Official Photographic Agency will be supplied to the IOC, its sponsors and other members of the IOC family, complementing Getty Images’ broader independent photographic media coverage of the Olympic Games.
  • Getty Images has covered 14 editions of the Olympic Games and 14 editions of the Olympic Winter Games since 1968 as Allsport and subsequently as Getty Images.
  • For more information about Getty Images’ coverage of past and future Olympic Games, visit https://www.gettyimages.com/collections/olympics

Passionate Start of the 2023 Shanghai Tower Vertical Marathon

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 23, 2023

The event was guided by Shanghai Chengtou Group and the Municipal Sports Federation, hosted by Shanghai Tower , supported by the Samaranch Foundation for Sports Development and the Lujiazui Management Bureau.

Key Points: 
  • The event was guided by Shanghai Chengtou Group and the Municipal Sports Federation, hosted by Shanghai Tower , supported by the Samaranch Foundation for Sports Development and the Lujiazui Management Bureau.
  • Vertical marathon is a special type of marathon event that has been held in various locations worldwide in recent years.
  • Since 2018, the vertical marathon event has been repeatedly certified as a major international and domestic event by the Shanghai Sports Bureau.
  • In the future, the Shanghai Tower will continue to improve the event's organization and level, showcasing a higher level and more international standard of competition.

Panasonic and Olympic Gold Medalist Malaika Mihambo Partner for Sustainability Goals

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Panasonic is collaborating with Olympian Malaika Mihambo in the lead-up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Key Points: 
  • Panasonic is collaborating with Olympian Malaika Mihambo in the lead-up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121101865/en/
    Panasonic and Olympic Gold Medalist Malaika Mihambo Partner for Sustainability Goals (Photo: Business Wire)
    Malaika Mihambo comments, “I have been interested in social and environmental issues since primary school.
  • Panasonic has been a proud Worldwide Partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since the beginning of the TOP programme at the Olympic Winter Games Calgary 1988.
  • Junichi Suzuki, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Europe B.V. comments, “Malaika is a fantastic addition to our Team Panasonic Family.

Global Times: Esports sector enters era of globalization as China welcomes international players

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 30, 2023

Athletes from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Russia, and China, among other international athletes have been vying for titles at the ongoing 2023 TGA Tencent Esports Games Winter Finals in Beijing.

Key Points: 
  • Athletes from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Russia, and China, among other international athletes have been vying for titles at the ongoing 2023 TGA Tencent Esports Games Winter Finals in Beijing.
  • Gu Sijia, director of the Tencent interactive entertainment esports department, told the Global Times on Wednesday that this year's event has become more globalized.
  • As the International Olympic Committee looks to create an Olympic esports games, Mao believes that a mentality of openness will help China stay competitive on the international stage.
  • In addition to developing Chinese intellectual property, an international vision is crucial for China to expand its influence in the global arena, Mao noted.

Ping-pong diplomacy: Australian table tennis players return to China, five decades after historic tour

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 27, 2023

Only weeks after the team’s headline-making tour, Australia’s then opposition leader, Gough Whitlam, led a delegation to Beijing promising to open diplomatic relations “when elected”.

Key Points: 
  • Only weeks after the team’s headline-making tour, Australia’s then opposition leader, Gough Whitlam, led a delegation to Beijing promising to open diplomatic relations “when elected”.
  • One was table tennis, one was basketball and one was volleyball.
  • One was table tennis, one was basketball and one was volleyball.

‘A crowd of 8,000 people’

  • A revolutionary who became one of China’s most revered statesmen, he advocated peaceful co-existence with the West and other nations.
  • The American team embarked on their tour first – setting the stage for then-President Richard Nixon’s famous visit to Beijing in 1972.
  • Paul Pinkewich had just turned 20 at the time of the visit, teammate Steve Knapp was only 18.
  • Our first match in Canton, now Guangzhou, I think it was a crowd of 8,000 people,” he recalls.
  • “Do you wear this hair because of your disagreement with society or because it is a style?” Knapp replied, “It is the fashion.”
  • “Can you believe, one table in the middle of the Capital Stadium [in Beijing] with 18,000 spectators, and that was just an amazing experience.
  • But they always let the woman win.” That woman was Anne Middleton, the other player on the 1971 tour, who has since passed away.
  • After the trip we were labelled as communists […] but we were interested in friendship first, competition second.”

Why sport diplomacy matters

  • Beijing has continued to use sport as a diplomatic tool, including becoming the first city in the world to host both a summer and winter Olympic Games (Beijing in 2008 and 2022).
  • French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, believing Olympics were a global event.
  • A new term has also emerged in recent years – almost always applied by researchers in democratic nations – to describe undemocratic nations’ forays into global sport: sportswashing.
  • “Amity between people holds the key to sound relations between countries.” At the heart of such amity, sport continues to play a significant role.


Tracey Holmes was one of the fifty Australians interviewed in the 'Fifty People, Fifty Stories' book due to her experiences of previously living and working in China.

Lacrosse to return to the Olympic Games in 2028

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 16, 2023

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Lacrosse’s decades-long vision to return the sport to the Olympic stage has been realized, with the International Olympic Committee approving lacrosse’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Key Points: 
  • MUMBAI, India, Oct. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Lacrosse’s decades-long vision to return the sport to the Olympic stage has been realized, with the International Olympic Committee approving lacrosse’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
  • World Lacrosse President Sue Redfern said: “There is no greater designation than to be recognized as an Olympic sport.
  • Marc Riccio, USA Lacrosse CEO: “We are thrilled that the International Olympic Committee has voted to include lacrosse in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
  • Having lacrosse be part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is a monumental moment for our sport and the millions of athletes who play across the United States.

Getty Images Named Authorized Photographic Agency of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 5, 2023

LONDON, Oct. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced it will be capturing the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023 as the Authorized Photographic Agency.

Key Points: 
  • A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:
    LONDON, Oct. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced it will be capturing the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023 as the Authorized Photographic Agency.
  • As Authorized Photographic Agency of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Getty Images will deploy a team of award-winning sports photographers to capture every angle of the Cricket World Cup from the Opening Match on 5th October to the Final on 19th November.
  • Since 1999, Getty Images has covered seven Cricket World Cups as the Authorized Photographic Agency and will capture over 160,000 images at this year’s tournament.
  • Getty Images has worked alongside many of the world’s significant sports leagues and governing bodies for over 25 years.

Getty Images Renewed as Official Photographic Partner of Major League Baseball

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced a renewed partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) that sees Getty Images continue as an Official Photographic Partner of MLB.

Key Points: 
  • A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:
    NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today announced a renewed partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) that sees Getty Images continue as an Official Photographic Partner of MLB.
  • As an Official Photographic Partner, Getty Images’ award-winning sport photographers and editors will deliver high-quality imagery from every MLB regular season game and dozens more Playoff and World Series games, all to be distributed exclusively on gettyimages.com.
  • To further build on the long-standing relationship, Getty Images and MLB are partnering to increase representation, diversity and inclusion within the industry and the content used by the world’s media, clients, partners and licensees.
  • Along with MLB, Getty Images is an official photographer or photographic partner to over 120 of the world’s leading sports governing bodies, leagues, and clubs, including the PGA TOUR, FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, International Cricket Council, UEFA, National Hockey League, NASCAR, PGA of America, National Basketball Association and Manchester United.

STOLI GROUP NAMES ANDREAS SIGL GLOBAL CMO

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoli Group, the global ultra-premium spirits and wines company, is thrilled to announce the addition of Andreas Sigl to the C-Suite as he steps into the newly created Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role. With over twenty-five years of experience, Sigl is recognized for business and digital transformation, breakthrough marketing strategies for prestige challenger brands, innovation, and strategic plans that drive sustainable business growth.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoli Group, the global ultra-premium spirits and wines company, is thrilled to announce the addition of Andreas Sigl to the C-Suite as he steps into the newly created Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role.
  • He brings the insight, skill, and inspiration to lead a consumer centric marketing strategy," commented Chris Caldwell, Global CEO, Stoli Group in making the announcement.
  • "A truly global leader with strong experience across multiple industries, Andreas recognizes the exceptional offerings that are uniquely Stoli.
  • "I have long admired Stoli Group and have watched on the sidelines as the organization has impressed the industry with accelerated growth, creative campaigns, innovation and passion," said Andreas Sigl, Global CMO, Stoli Group.

One year to go: Will the Paris 2024 Olympics see a return to normalcy?

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 8, 2023

The 2020 Tokyo Summer Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games were both affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant changes and schedule disruptions.

Key Points: 
  • The 2020 Tokyo Summer Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games were both affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant changes and schedule disruptions.
  • But there is hope for a return to a more traditional and enjoyable Games with the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

Athletes and sports

    • Since pandemic restrictions are no longer in place, competing at the Olympics and living in the Athlete’s Village will be a much better experience for athletes, who will be able to freely mix and mingle again.
    • There will be 32 sports and 329 events at the Paris Games.
    • In the continuing push for gender equity, there will be equal numbers of male and female athletes for the first time.

Russian and Belarusian athletes

    • Athletes from both countries have been effectively banned from international competition in the aftermath of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
    • The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly recommended banning athletes from both countries from the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, with the International Paralympic Committee following suit days later.
    • The International Olympic Committee has attempted to strike a balance between continued support for Ukrainian athletes without “punishing athletes for the acts of their governments,” as IOC President Thomas Bach stated.

Olympic culture

    • As the host city, Paris will be buzzing with excitement, offering a variety of Olympic activities.
    • These include special fan zones, free viewings of the Olympic Torch Relay and opening ceremonies, access to hospitality houses and opportunities to visit sponsor sites like Samsung, Visa and Pride House.

Record-breaking media coverage

    • While the Tokyo and Beijing Games still had extensive media coverage, the upcoming Paris Games are expected to have the most coverage out of any Olympics.
    • By May, Paris organizers had sold 6.8 million tickets — about 70 per cent of the total inventory.
    • The return of corporate sponsorships will also include extensive corporate hospitality and packages from major sponsors, including Visa, Coke, Samsung and others.

Security at the Games

    • Recent events have raised the question of whether this propensity will play out during the Paris 2024 Games.
    • Whether or not they are to be expected, a heavy anti-terrorism security presence can be expected, as has become the norm in recent decades at mega sport events.

One year to go

    • The 2024 Paris Olympics should see a return to normalcy compared to the last two games.
    • The legacy of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the French founder of the modern Olympic Games, and the Olympic Movement should continue unabated.