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ITU
Update: 8th Edition, 2003
U
P D A T E
16
May 2003: Update of the Current ITU News
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this edition…..
1. News
from the ITU Committees and Commissions: 4.
News from Europe: |
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NEWS * FROM * ITU * COMMITTEES |
| Xin
Li Appointed to ITU Executive Board Les McDonald, ITU President writes: I am pleased to report that Xin Li from China has been appointed to fill the vacancy on the ITU Executive Board. Xin Li has strong connections to the Chinese Triathlon Federation, The 2008 Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and the Chinese Olympic Committee. As well as being in a good position to support the evolution of the competition venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Triathlon, Xin Li will also be another strong voice for Asia within the ITU Executive Board. On behalf of the entire ITU family, I would like to welcome Xin Li to the ITU Executive Board, and I'm hoping that all of you will have an opportunity to get to know him in the near future. The appointment takes effect immediately and is in place until the 2003 Congress of ITU at which time there will be an election. |
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ITU
Launches Long Distance Triathlon World Tour: Ibiza,
Spain; The International The announcement, which was made at the Athletes' Briefing, the day before the 2003 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship in Ibiza, Spain was met with lots of positive support from athletes and national federations. For 2003, the events to be included in the LDT World Tour include:
The world ranking system for ITU Long Distance athletes is in place, and will award points based on elite and age group athletes' best 3 events in 2003, beginning with the Ibiza ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. While the 2003 LDT World Tour events are in Europe, the 2004 World Tour will be expanding to Asia and North America. |
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| SARS
Forces Cancellation of Beijing ITU World Cup In collaboration with Xin Li, the newly appointed ITU Executive board member, we have concluded that the Beijing ITU World Cup scheduled for 28 June must be cancelled at this time due to the crisis over SARS. Xin Li, the Chinese Triathlon Federation and the authorities in Beijing were involved in the decision. ITU, the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games and the Chinese Triathlon Association are all committed to staging a first class World Cup event in Beijing as quickly as possible. I know that everyone joins me in wishing our friends in the Chinese Triathlon Federation, and in fact all of China, a speedy resolution to this crisis over SARS. |
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The
following was taken from the "The Trinewsletter" of the Malta
Triathlon Association. Following Triathlon's debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Triathlon has become so big - what with TV commercial rights, internet sites, magazines, mega sports stories, international races with huge prize purses etc. - that one tends to forget its humble beginnings and short history - a matter of a mere 3 decades. Triathlon's governing bodies were quick to understand that the fact that the sport was so young, offered the great opportunity of being able to write a clean and clear hostory. While other sports were mired by having their top athletes banned from international competitions because of the intake of illegal substances, triathlon acted quickly to align itself with WADA - the World Anti Doping Agency. The sport of Triathlon started to attract the masses because it was clean, healthy and because it could be practised by all. These elements were there at the beginning and triathlon must never lose sight of its nurturing ground. Let the serious take the sport seriously for, after all, it is for them that we set the alarm-clocks at some uncivilized hour: to watch them race at the very top of the competitive ladder. But let us not forget also that triathlon can be practised by everyone - even, as we have seen last year here in Malta, by people with special needs. A word
of caution to you out there, therefore: When you are interviewed by
local radio/TV stations or by magazine journalists: Whatever your private
ambitions regarding triathlon, don't forget to present triathlon as
being a clean sport, as being healthy and that is is a sport for all. |
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NEWS
* FROM * THE * AMERICAS
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| Cuba
to debut at World LD Champs in Ibiza
Javier Clavelo Robinson writes from Cuba: Havana: Luis Ariel Perez, Yarisel Romero and Anmary Lopez will mark Cuba's debut at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Ibiza, Spain, on May 11. The Cubans, under coach Rafael Pino's guidance, return to Europe for a two-month training and racing tour, focusing on long distance events. I will make true one my major dreams in triathlon after a 11-year career, and I feel ready to race long, said Perez, who has won four national titles and the Island's first international victory in 1993. With his participation in Ibiza, the 30-year old will become the only Cuban to attend both standard distance and long distance world champs, after racing in the 1995 Cancun Worlds. It will be his first outing overseas after winning in San Andres, Colombia, August 2000, but my experience can never be erased and I'll do my best, he added. According to Anmary Lopez, their attendance in Ibiza will open new perspectives for Cuban triathlon. I am very honored to take part in my first world champs and the racing calendar in Europe will be more suitable as we'll have more time to recover between each competition. Like Perez, the 26-year old had a previous LD experience when they participated in the 1998 Panama City Half Ironman (USA). She finished second last year in Havana Marathon. Yarisel Romero is very motivated after finishing third in the ITU Guatemala Triathlon, the countrys best performance in the international scene since August 2000. We have prepared very well to succeed in the long distance challenge and I'm very happy to debut at world champs, focusing in the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, she explained. Ibiza will mark Cuba's third world championships, the first in seven years, after atteding the 1995 Cancun and 1996 Cleveland events, both in the standard distance. According to the ITU website, the Cubans are the only Latin Americans registed for the Ibiza race. After Spain, the trio will race in Milano (May 25), Bardolino (June 28) and Sibari (July 6), in Italy. Cubans return to their European tour after a three-year absence. They previously competed there every year from 1997 to 2000, with good results. Apart from the tour, the Cuban Triathlon Federation is ready to host its 10th National Champs, to be held in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas, norteast of the country, May 15-18, where Yacceri Leal and Yadira Gonzalez will defend their titles. |
| Pan
American Rankings
Top
10 Pan American Ranked Women: |
Top
10 Pan American Ranked Men 1, Cervantes, Eligio, MEX, Points: 1841 2, Whitfield, Simon, CAN, Points: 1823 3, Fontana, Daniel, ARG, Points: 1696 4, Kemper, Hunter, USA, Points: 1588 5, Umphenour, Joe, USA, Points: 1558 6, Miyashiro, Paulo, BRA, Points: 1505 7, De Castilho, Virgilio, BRA, Points: 1457 8, Macedo, Leandro, BRA, Points: 1434 9, Rosas, Javier, MEX, Points: 1312 10, Fretta, Mark, USA, Points: 1251 |
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NEWS
* FROM * AFRICA
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New
Executive Board for the African Triathlon Union President:
Liesbeth Stoltz (South Africa) The Athletes Representatives are Charmain Shannon from Namibia and Rory Mackie from Zimbabwe. The next African Triathlon Championships will take place in the Republic of South Africa in March 2004. The 2003 Solidarity Camp for Africa will take place in December in South Africa. The contact
for the ATU Office is: |
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Message
to the Ibiza ITU Long Distance World Championships: Ibiza is one of eleven islands in the Balearics and boasts 60 million tourists each year. The island was first settled by the Carthaginians in 654 BC, who called it Pitiusas, meaning "pine-covered island". Although the waves of civilizations swept over Ibiza; the Romans, the Arabs, the Vandals, the Barbarians, and the Byzantines, it was the Catalans who were last to conquer the island in 1235 and they remain there to this day. It is the latter group that has most strongly affected the language, giving it the melodious charm that is hard to match. Despite the ban on their language during the reign of General Franco, the Catalan people and their language survived and prospered - "El Caudillo" did not! Today this gem of the Mediterranean is quickly moving onto the world stage as a classic venue for International Triathlon competitions. Enjoy the 1 lap swim in "the Med". It will be well marked, so you won't get lost. Check out the hill on the bike course - a slow grind of about 5k, and you'll be doing it twice over the two laps. The long distance triathlon is usually won on the run, and in Ibiza you're going to need a little luck with the wind on the 3 laps course. Pray to the Carthaginian Goddess Tanit, the mother of Gods, the Goddess of earth, who controls all matters related to wind, as well as other good fortune that may affect your race. You'll see her image on many of the ceramic pots made in Ibiza today. Warning to athletes…..stay out of the nightclubs, where the pace is faster than the 2 lap bike course of the triathlon (until after the race!) Our thanks to the Event Organisers led by Joseba Gorrochategui and Rafael Gonzalez, as well as the team at Federacion Espanola de Triatlon, led by Jose Hidalgo, President and Marisol Casado, Executive Director. The Spanish Federation continues to provide our sport with strong leadership, within Europe and worldwide. I'm sure both organizers and federation will be hoping for a repeat of Ivan Rana's victory at the 2002 ITU Cancun World Championships, by one of their many long distance specialist. I would be remiss by failing to acknowledge the tremendous work of Enrique Quesada of the Spanish Federation, our meticulous statistician who keeps the ITU Rankings. Enrique will be working with ITU and several national federations to establish a World Ranking of Long Distance Triathletes, using long distance events of the Nice distance, or as we prefer to say - "the nice distance". Have a successful race, enjoy the people of Ibiza, and don't forget to visit Puig des Molins, one of the world's largest collection of Punic artifacts. |
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| Eneko
Llanos and Virginia Berasategui Win World Long Distance Titles Ibiza Island, Spain: Dawn broke over this jewel of the western Mediterranean with perfect conditions for the 2003 ITU Long Distance World Championships; clear skies, no wind, and water temperatures at 18oC. As the elite women assembled for the 7:30 a.m. start, the island's residents were beginning to line the course and gather at the finish line. The spectator-friendly design of the course included a 1 lap, 4km swim, a 2-lap 120km bike, and a 3-lap 30km run. The bike course featured the famous "San Juan climb, a challenging 5km hill on each lap. 900 elite and age group athletes competed in today's World Championships, and as one local spectator commented, "It is wonderful to have 60km of Ibiza's roads empty of cars and full of bikes." |
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In the
women's event Virginia Berasategui of Spain (left), who was 3rd in the
Nice 2002 ITU Long Distance World Championships was seeded #1, and stayed
true to her position by capturing the World title, driving the estimated
25,000 Spanish spectators into a frenzy. Once on
the bike however, Virginia Berasategui powered her way to the front
with Erika Csomor of Hungary, the 2001 ITU Duathlon World Champion,
Lisbeth Kristensen of Denmark, the 2001 ITU Long Distance World Champion,
Sione Jongstra of the Netherlands and Sophie Delemer of France in hot
pursuit. Ana Burgos had dropped back to 5th place by the time Berasategui
had breezed through the bike to run transition after posting the fastest
bike split and a 10-minute lead on the rest of the field. From then
on, it was Virginia's day, as she seemed to gather strength on the run
from the home country fans that lined the course. |
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In the
men's event, Eneko Llanos (photos-left) of ITU Olympic-distance World
Cup fame, gave the Spanish crowd lots to cheer about today. In the swim,
it was Faris Al-Sultan of Germany who exited first in a time of 46:48,
a mere 20 seconds ahead of Patrick Vernay of France, Philippe Achlettner
of Switzerland, Dean Mitchell of Australia, and Gianpetrio De Faveri
of Italy. Eneko Llanos was 35 seconds behind the leader at this point
in 7th place. Eneko Llanos' lead was seriously challenged on the run, as Rutger Beke of Belgium and Xavier Le Floch of France both reeled him back. But their running pace was not enough to overtake the Spanish favourite as he posted a 5:37:16 finish time, a minute and 10 seconds ahead of Rutger Beke who was second. Xavier Le Floch was 3rd, 30 second behind Beke. Marcel Zamora of Spain and Mika Luoto of Finland rounded out the top 5. |
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athletes and National Federation delegates headed off to the post-event
celebrations they were full of praise for the Event Organisers of the
first ever World Championship on the island of Ibiza, as well as the Spain
Triathlon Federation, for the stellar job they did in hosting the 2003
Ibiza ITU Long Distance World Championships. The next event on the ITU Long Distance World Tour will take place in Sater, Sweden on 13 July 2003. For complete results, photos and event details of the 2003 Ibiza ITU Long Distance World Championships, please visit www.triathlon.org For more information or high-resolution photos, please contact Lisa Ogilvie, ITU Media Manager, email: lisa@triathlon.org |
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 Podium winners in Salford in 2003 when they hosted the Commonwealth Games on the same course: Leanda Cave GBR, 2nd, Carol Montgomery, CAN, 1st, Nicole Hackett, AUS, 3rd |
ITU
Salford World Cup Just one year after Triathlon made its highly successful debut at the XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester in front of an estimated 100,000 spectators, the UK is to host its first ever Triathlon World Cup over the very same course. Indeed not only is it the same course but it is the same highly acclaimed organisational team led by Race Director, John Lunt of Human Race Events. You are assured of a warm welcome and a spectacular event. Our aim is to ensure that you have all the information you need to provide for and prepare your athletes effectively and this is the first of three bulletins that will be distributed to National Triathlon Federations before the event as follows:
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 Men's podium in 2002, left to right, Mile Stewart, AUS, 2nd, Simon Whitfield, CAN 1st, Hamish Carter, NZL 3rd |
The
purpose of this first bulletin is to give you all the essential information
you need to plan and prepare as follows:
1. Event Details Name: Salford Triathlon and ITU World Cup Date: Sunday 27 July 2003 Venue: The Quays - one of Manchester's most popular leisure and visitor destinations Prize Money: 80,000$ US 2.
The Course |
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The
Bike (four lap 40K): From
The Lowry right into the heart of Manchester City Centre which will
also be playing host to the city's annual Festival Live - street theatre,
plus magical outdoor spectaculars and a fusion of all things jazz. The
Run (3 lap 10km):A flat three lap loop around The Quays taking in
Manchester United Football Club (the Theatre of Dreams!) and the imposing
angular Imperial War Museum North. The race is run on paved surfaces
and crosses over the Lowry foot bridge to finish in front of The Lowry. 4. The Official Hotel: The official hotel is the Copthorne Hotel. This is a 4 star hotel adjacent to the Quays and just 10 minutes walk from the race start/finish. A special rate of £55 per room per night is available whether occupied by one or two people. This rate includes full English breakfast. To book your accommodation please contact: tony.hill@mill-cop.com and quote "Salford Triathlon World Cup". Please
note that: 5. The Programme: Although still being developed, the current programme looks as follows: Thursday
24 July 16.00-18.00 Swim training at Manchester Aquatics Centre 6. More
Information
7. What Next? Look out for Bulletin No.2 at the beginning of June but, in the meantime, should you have any queries or comments, please check out the website or do not hesitate to contact John Lunt or Peter Knowles as above. |
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6
April 2003: Media Advisory - NZ Duathlon Championships The PB
Nutrition New Zealand Duathlon Championships will be held in Rotorua
this Sunday 11 May. The event - 10km run 40km bike 5km run - starts
at 10am on Sunday and is based at the Redwood Forest of Rotorua. |
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Miles & Kate Stewart had a boy! Miles Stewart, former ITU Triathlon World Champion and his lovely wife, Kate, chef extradinaire, had a baby boy on April 24th. Ethan Trevor Stewart was born 9.7 lbs with beautiful blond hair. Congratulations to the happy family. |
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fit and the beautiful Tom Pryde, President of Triathlon New Zealand writes: It was very much a case of 'the fit and the beautiful' as the SBS (Southland Builing Society) New Zealand and Oceania ITU Triathlon Championships held in Queenstown during March. 'The fit' were the athletes who raced around the course displaying an amazing combination of physical fitness and mental hardness. 'The beautiful' was the setting. A cool, calm, clear Queenstown day with the mountains and lakes providing a surreal backdrop to the intensity of the competition. |
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| In
the Men's Elite race, Hamish Carter proved too strong for the rest of
the field and secured the NZL and Oceania title. The Women's Elite race
was won by Whangarei's Samantha Warriner who held off stiff challenges
from a number of Australian athletes. The event, which was run on the
same course that the SBS ITU World Triathlon Championships will be held
on in December, was a huge success for both competitors and organisers.
As Hamish Carter said, "This is the best triathlon course ever. I'm
not having you on. There have been some really nice races over the years
but this is 100 times better than anything I've seen. It will be really
dynamic and challenging." From the newsletter of Southland Building Society (April 2003) |
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| Jane
Seaborn, International Technical Official adds baby Fred to her list of
accomplishments (with help from Peter)
Jane writes to Les McDonald: Oh, how your memo about the Congress in Nice brought back memories from our trip to Nice and Lausanne three years ago! I am so jealous, but I hope you all have a wonderful time on the Riviera.
I don't know if I ever told you, but after we left you and Loreen in Lausanne, we found a vintage 1952 Bianchi Tour de France bicycle in a flea market in the town square for 180 francs. That was the beginning of Peter's old bicycle collecting and it unleashed a monster! He is now up to 35 in the collection which makes for interesting space usage in a two-bedroom house with a baby. Fred's cot stands underneath five classic bikes hung on the wall and we joke that his first word will be 'Bianchi'.
The mention of Nice has prompted to me write to you to catch up. I wrote to Loreen a few days ago and with Leslie's wedding I have been thinking of you all often lately and have even been a bit 'homesick' for my ITU family, I think!
Tomorrow night is the annual dinner for my state association Triathlon ACT which marks the end of the season for us. I have been otherwise occupied with young Fred (pictured below with his gorgeous mother!) for most of the season, although I did go to Mooloolaba to officiate at the Australian Championships at the end of March. It was great to catch up with all the athletes I hadn't seen for a while. |
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Actually, I got a real buzz out of seeing Emma Carney return to form. She backed up by winning the final Aussie selection race in St Kilda (over the 2006 Commonwealth Games course) for the worlds and automatically got herself into the Australian team. Good for her!
I am really enjoying being a Mum and so far have managed to juggle a bit of work as well. I don't want to miss a bit of my baby's development so I am not going to take on too much work for the remainder of the year...Just enough to pay the bills and maybe fund one or two trips to ITU races!
I see you have a very busy calendar of events, as usual! The Asian champs will be an excellent opportunity to showcase triathlon to a huge audience in India, not to mention Lou da Peng attending. The Olympic test event will also be exciting...I hope all is coming together with the Greeks. And fingers crossed for Vancouver to win the winter Games. We are still working on getting triathlon happening in Brunei, although trying to do business there is proving culturally challenging.
Well, his lordship is demanding my attention so must fly. Please pass on a big hello! to Patrick (Les McDonald's grandson). Warm regards - Jane Seaborn |
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Les
McDonald Message to the Ibiza ITU Tongyeong Triathlon World Cup
Welcome to Tongyeong, a new and exciting stop on the ITU circuit for 2003. Tongyeong takes pride in its world class marina and is a favorite tourism destination for many vacationers during the summer months. Situated in Hallyeo National Sea Park, Tongyeong is already well known for its artists - it may soon also become recognized for its triathletes. It is exciting to see the first Korean ITU World Cup Triathlon take shape. New venues continue to add to the diversity of the ITU World Cup Programme and provide an essential opportunity for young athletes to view live and become inspired by some of the world's best triathletes. Enjoy the swim, 2 laps in the clear water off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. The flat and fast bike and run courses should provide an exciting venue for the Korean spectators. Our thanks
to the energetic new event organizers and the Korean Triathlon Federation,
under the leadership of Kyung Sun Yu, President, for staging this exciting
event. Thanks also to the many elite athletes who have traveled from
24 countries around the world to guarantee the success of the Tongjeung
ITU World Cup. |
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WORLD
* ANTI-DOPING * AGENCY
W A D A |
| WADA
Announces Search For New Education Director Montreal, April 30, 2003 - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced today that it is now accepting applications for the position of director of education. The position description and information on how to apply can be found on WADA's website at www.wada-ama.org The director of education would be primarily responsible for the development of an education strategy and material for use with athletes worldwide. Additional responsibilities include further developing the educational portal on WADA's website and ethical analyses. ROLL THE CREDITSBig thanks to those contributed to this edition of the ITU Update 1. Liesbeth Stoltz2. WADA The position is one of six directors that reports to Harri Syvasalmi, WADA's director general. The new director would also be responsible for working with WADA's Ethics and Education Committee for effective dissemination of information to athletes on doping. "Following the success of the World Conference on Doping in Sport and the upcoming implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code, the proper education of athletes on doping issues becomes even more crucial," said Dr. Andrea Barthwell, deputy director at the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the United States and the chair of WADA's Ethics and Education Committee. "It is imperative to help athletes learn as much as possible about doping to protect their health and the integrity of sport." Interested applicants must submit the necessary information to WADA by May 30, 2003. Point of Contact for the media: Farnaz Khadem, Director, Communications Tel: 1-514-904-9232 Email: farnaz.khadem@wada-ama.org For more information, please visit our website: www.wada-ama.org |
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| Accommodation
and Ticket Information for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens: IOC / Info - With respect to the accommodation at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, an agreement has been signed between ATHOC and the Sportius Hospitality SA company. This agreement concerns the renting of two cruise ships, which will strengthen the accommodation programme for the Games. The two ships, the MS Oosterdam and MS Rotterdam, have a capacity for 1,848 and 1,316 passengers respectively. They belong to the Holland America Line company. * The Athens 2004 Olympic Games ticketing Programme was presented to the public at a press conference on 21 April, together with the Official Ticketing Guide. The Organising Committee for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in 2004 (ATHOC) promised that the public will be able to buy tickets in all price categories, at all venues and for all sessions of all Olympic sports, the main goal of the ticketing programme being to maximise sales and ensure full stadiums throughout the Games. In all, 5.3 million tickets will go on sale, 3 million of these to the public. In addition, the now-completed sale of tickets to contractual clients (IOC, NOCs, International Federations and rights-holding broadcasters) has exceeded ATHOC’s expectations, generating revenues of 60 million euros, some 33 % of the total projected ticketing income. * The logo of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 was officially approved by the IOC following a presentation made by a BOCOG delegation led by Mr Jiang Xiaoyu, BOCOG Vice-President, in the presence of Mr Hein Verbruggen, Chairman of the Co-ordination Commission for the 2008 Games. The competition for the logo was launched last July in Beijing at the Olympic Design Conference. Some 2,000 entries were registered. The choice of logo was made by a jury of Chinese and international design experts. The official unveiling of the emblem will take place in Beijing on 25 May. * The Sino-Swiss consortium comprising the Herzog office of Meuron Architekten AG and the China Architecture Design Group has won the architecture contest for the construction of the main stadium for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008.* Greece has announced that it will give USD 7 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for vaccination campaigns, a donation which is one of the actions undertaken in the framework of the Cultural Olympiad linked to the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens in 2004. In exchange for this contribution, UNICEF’s 2003 Christmas cards and 2004 Spring cards will mention the sponsoring of the Cultural Olympiad and will have motifs inspired by Olympism. |
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ROLL
THE CREDITS
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