Atos, a leader in digital transformation, has been confirmed as the first Official Supporter of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships as a Timing, Scoring and Results (TSR) provider.

The announcement follows the highly successful participation of both Atos and Glasgow 2018 in Host City 2016 Conference and Exhibition in November. Glasgow 2018 exhibited at Host City 2016, while Kulveer Ranger, ‎Vice President Strategy & Communications at Atos UK & I spoke on a panel discussion alongside Julian Ternisien, Head of Sports Rights, European Broadcasting Union - the broadcast partner of the European Championships.

Atos Group is also Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games.

Glasgow 2018 is an exciting new multi-sport event that brings together some of Europe’s leading sporting competitions.

Excitement continues to build ahead of Glasgow 2018, which promises to be a new highlight on the global sporting calendar and will build on Scotland’s reputation for delivering world-class sporting and cultural events.

Starting in 2018, the European Championships will be staged every four years and will combine the existing European Championships of Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon with a new Golf team event. The first edition will be held in a unique sporting partnership between Host Cities Glasgow and Berlin.

Atos will provide the Timing, Scoring, Results and TV graphics service for Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics and Triathlon, as well as the TV graphics highlights package for all sports, providing a seamless viewing experience for a potential TV audience of over one billion across Europe.

Aileen Campbell MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “The 2018 European Championships provides Scotland with an exceptional opportunity to build on the success of hosting major events such as the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup over recent years. It will help us to further enhance our reputation as a world class venue for international sporting events.”

Councillor Archie Graham OBE, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Glasgow’s sporting reputation has never been higher thanks to our international sporting events programme. The European Championships will see us embark on the next stage of this proud sporting journey in partnership with Europe’s leading sports.

“Atos is a world leader when it comes to providing digital services for major sporting events and has shown time and time again that they can deliver on the global stage.

Their proven experience will put Glasgow 2018 in the best possible position to deliver a truly world-class event for athletes and spectators alike.”

Gavin Thomson, Senior Vice President, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and Big Data and Security UK&I at Atos said: “We are confident that the Glasgow 2018 European Championships will be a great success. Atos was delighted to play a leading role in Glasgow 2014 - an event seen as one of the best Commonwealth Games ever staged.”

Marta Sanfeliu Ribot, Chief Operating Officer, Major Events, Atos said: “We have delivered innovative IT solutions for the Olympic and Paralympic Games for more than 20 years and once again the digital transformation involved in bringing events like Glasgow 2018 to an increasingly sophisticated worldwide audience is a challenge we relish. Glasgow has an internationally acclaimed reputation for hosting major sporting events and this is another key opportunity to showcase the city, the athletes and the support sponsors involved.”

Scottish Triathlete Marc Austin, who staged a memorable performance at Strathclyde Country Park, during the 2014 Commonwealth Games said: “It is fantastic to see a world-renowned brand like Atos lend their name to the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and it confirms how highly regarded this event will be.

“The feeling of competing in front of a home crowd at the Commonwealth Games is something that will live with me forever and I’ll be working hard to gain that experience again at 2018. The addition of the Triathlon Age Group Championships will create a real carnival atmosphere at Strathclyde Country Park and everyone in the Triathlon community is looking forward to it.”

As part of the inaugural European Championships in 2018 around 3,000 athletes will visit Scotland for six events (Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon) while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships.

The event will build on Glasgow and Scotland’s track record of hosting major international events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

About the 2018 European Championships

1. The 2018 European Championships will be staged by the European Federations and the Host Cities of Glasgow and Berlin.

2. The Glasgow 2018 event will be held between 2nd and 12th August and the European Athletics Championships will be between 7th and 12th August in Berlin.

3. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the umbrella body for Europe free-to-air channels, will be the broadcast partner for the Championships. There is a potential television audience of around 1.03 billion for the event with many more viewers across multiple digital platforms.

4. Around 3,000 athletes will travel to Scotland as part of a total delegation of around 8,500 including officials, media and others. A further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin.

5. The European Aquatic Championships will take place at Glasgow's Tollcross International Swimming Centre, with diving taking place at Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool, synchronised swimming at Scotstoun Sports Campus and open water swimming being staged at Loch Lomond.

6. Four European Cycling Championships will be staged in Glasgow and its metropolitan area. Track, Road, Mountain Bike and BMX will attract 650 of Europe’s top names to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, the Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike Trails, the streets of Glasgow and a new world championship and Olympic standard BMX track to be built in the Knightswood area of the city.

7. The European Golf Team Championships will take place at the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course in Perth & Kinross.

8. The European Artistic Gymnastics Men’s and Women’s Championships will be staged at The SSE Hydro, the venue for the 2015 FIG World Gymnastics Championships.

9. The European Championships for both Rowing and Triathlon will both be staged at Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire.

10.Berlin's Olympic Stadium will be the venue for the European Athletics Championships with the road races and race walking events held throughout the city.

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital transformation with circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries and pro forma annual revenue of circa EUR 12 billion. Serving a global client base, the Group is the European leader in Big Data, Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace and provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry.

With its cutting edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, the Group supports the digital transformation of its clients across different business sectors: Defence, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline.

Atos is the worldwide IT partner of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee. The global company has provided IT solutions to the Olympic Games since 1992 and to the Paralympic Games since 2002. Atos was a crucial partner in the digital transformation of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and played a key role in the delivery of the Games Management and Information Systems to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow has signed a formal agreement to stage the 2018 European Triathlon Union (ETU) European Triathlon Championships as part of the inaugural 2018 European Championships.

The ETU event gives the chance for athletes from across a wide range of ages to be part of the 2018 European Championships – a new multi-sport event that brings together some of Europe’s leading sporting competitions.

Approximately 160 triathletes will head to Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire for three elite events (men’s, women’s and mixed relay) and 1,200 age group participants will also get the opportunity to represent their nation on the same course.

ETU president Renato Bertrandi said: “I am delighted that triathlon has been invited to be part of this new development. Triathlon is no longer a new sport but it is one of the youngest and still growing. We see whole families now attending races and the message from our sport is clear, ‘triathlon is inclusive, triathlon is good, triathlon is a way of life’.

“I was unable to attend the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but many of my technical officials were there and from their first-hand accounts and from watching the coverage on TV, it is clear that not only were the Games a huge success but also that the city was one of the most welcoming. The athletes enjoyed the atmosphere there and the public were fantastic.

“I am also very pleased that our sport, based upon inclusivity, has traditionally seen Age-Group athletes racing at the same venue for championships and 2018 will be no different with thousands of athletes, from 16 to over 80 years of age, racing the Sprint Distance, making the journey to Scotland and to Glasgow to be part of this great sporting celebration.”

Colin Hartley, Glasgow 2018 Championships director, added: “Glasgow’s sporting reputation has never been higher having delivered some of the world’s most prestigious events in recent years. We are determined to build on that position in 2018 and deliver an outstanding European Championships.

“Triathlon will be at the very heart of the European Championships and we will do all that we can to continue the proud traditions of the sport, elevating the status of European triathletes. At the same time we are looking forward to staging the Age Group Championships, giving people of all ages the chance to represent their country.

“The triathlon course at Strathclyde Country Park proved popular with athletes and spectators alike during the 2014 Commonwealth Games and by working closely with our partners at North Lanarkshire we will ensure it will be even better this time around.”

Scottish triathlete Marc Austin, who staged a memorable race at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Triathlon event, said: “It's fantastic that the European Triathlon Union have signed the Host City agreement with Glasgow 2018. It's certainly going to be one of the biggest triathlon events we've ever seen in Scotland. It's just great to have these big events coming to Scotland.”

To be staged every four years the European Championships will combine the existing European Championships of athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon and a new team golf event. The first edition will be held in the summer of 2018 in a unique sporting partnership between Europe’s leading sports federations, host cities Glasgow and Berlin, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

As part of the inaugural European Championships in 2018 approximately 3,025 athletes will visit Scotland for six events (aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon) while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships.

The event will build on Glasgow and Scotland’s track record of hosting major international events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

The European Championships is being held for the first time in 2018 in a unique partnership between Europe’s leading sports federations, the Host Cities of Glasgow and Berlin and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This sporting partnership will create a new event on the world stage elevating the status of European Champions and attracting a potential television audience of up to 1.03 billion across the continent, with a wider audience via digital platforms.

To be staged every four years the European Championships will combine the existing European Championships of Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon with a new Golf team event. Glasgow is Host City for all events with the exception of Athletics, which takes place in Berlin.

Around 3,000 athletes will visit Scotland during the Championships while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin.

And organisers have today agreed on an 11-day sports programme (2-12 August 2018), with 10 days of television coverage starting on Friday 3 August. The news comes just two months after the EBU confirmed that over 35 of its members, including the BBC, have now signed up to show the first edition of the new multi-sport concept in 2018.

Other EBU members already signed up include VRT (Belgium), HRT (Croatia), DT (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RTE (Ireland), NOS (Netherlands), NRK (Norway), TVP (Poland), SRG SSR (Switzerland), and SVT and TV4 (Sweden). The level of coverage for the inaugural European Championships is also enhanced by a deal with Eurosport.

As part of the confirmed sports programme synchronised swimming will now take place at Scotstoun Sports Campus in Glasgow, allowing the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh to focus on delivering a world-class diving competition. The move means both diving and synchronised swimming will benefit from enhanced broadcast coverage.

The 11-day sports programme contains two action packed weekends that will see venues across Glasgow and Scotland come alive as Europe’s finest athletes do battle in a bid to be crowned European champion.

Aileen Campbell, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “The Championships are an excellent platform to showcase to a global audience just how good Scotland is at hosting major events, and the fact we are going to have 11 action packed days of sport only adds to that spectacle.

“We have an outstanding track record of successfully hosting events watched across the world and I’m sure that people across Scotland will welcome athletes and give them an experience that they’ll never forget.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Excitement is building ahead of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, with the final sports programme ensuring that Glasgow will continue to shine on the global stage.

“The fact that the city will be hosting an event watched by a potential television audience of one billion people is a golden opportunity for us. We will use the magical moments that the athletes, our fantastic home crowd and our many visitors will create to showcase everything we have to offer as a visitor destination.”

European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen, co-chair of the European Championships Board, said: “The European Sports Federation members of the 2018 Board are fully supportive of having an overall programme that will deliver a schedule packed with exciting finals and gold-medal moments for television. We all believe in the power of aggregation and the benefits for our sports that come from bringing our championships together in this exciting new event.”

Fellow co-chair Paolo Barelli, President of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (European Aquatics), said: “The sports programme in Glasgow will start with a number of qualifying rounds on Thursday 2 August before a packed weekend of sport on television starting on Friday 3 August. This optimised 10-day television program will create a fantastic viewing experience with audiences able to follow finals in multiple sports across the day and evening, with great storytelling opportunities for broadcasters. Indeed, it will intensify even further the power of aggregation that this European Championships provides.”

Stefan Kuerten, Director of Eurovision Services and Sports Rights, said: “We are very happy with this exciting 10-day television schedule for the 2018 European Championships. In a multi-sport event, you can choose between the different sports and the opportunity to follow your national athletes across a variety of sport.

“Television and radio channels will be able to switch from one highly attractive sport to another without interrupting their program and digital platforms will propose a large choice of content which will accommodate all viewers. Furthermore, it creates a close synergy between Glasgow and Berlin, with broadcasters able to crisscross between events in both cities as they follow their respective national medal hopes.

Glasgow 2018 will build on Scotland’s track record of hosting major international events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

Download the programme for Glasgow 2018 here: DOWNLOAD PROGRAMME

Visit www.glasgow2018.com for further information on the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and to register for priority access to tickets, which go on sale this summer. 

[Source: EventScotland]

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations’ (ASOIF) Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) held its first meeting of 2017 and top of the agenda was the International Federations’ (IFs) increasing role in the preparations of Olympic Games as well as Youth Olympic Games.

In the light of Olympic Agenda 2020, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement, IFs are required to be more involved in the planning and delivery of the Olympic competitions, including the transfer of some technical responsibilities from the Olympic Games Organising Committees (OCOGs) to the IFs.

This comes after a number of IFs expressed concern over venue standards during the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In April 2016, the gymnastics federation, FIG, held its Rio test event and concerns were raised over power outages, the scoring system and missing equipment at a temporary training venue.

The ultimate goal is to better utilise IFs’ growing events expertise and thereby ensure seamless organisation and a reduction of costs of the Olympic Games, for instance when it comes to venue design and development or the integration of IF workforce personnel into the OCOG.  

IOC experts joined in the AOMSG meeting to update the group on the preparations for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held next year in Buenos Aires and about future plans for the development of the event.

During a detailed review of the YOG concept last year, driven by Olympic Agenda 2020, IFs gave important feedback on their experience with the first two summer YOG editions.

The IOC will deliver a report to all ASOIF members during a dedicated working meeting in Lausanne in April.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games may be seven years away, but candidate city Los Angeles has already started to recruit volunteers to boost its bid.

Competing against Paris and Budapest when the 2024 decision is announced at the 130th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Lima on September 13, the LA 2024 committee has urged ‘Angelenos’ to sign up for its recently-launched volunteer service programme.

Bid chairman Casey Wasserman said: “The LA 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games will be a celebration of all Angelenos and the diverse communities of Southern California. Eighteen million talented, creative and caring Angelenos are our greatest asset for hosting the Games.

“If Los Angeles is elected host city, tens of thousands of Angelenos would volunteer to support the events and welcome the world to our city. But we're not waiting until 2024. LA 2024 wants to use the power of the Games to galvanise volunteerism today, making LA an even better place to live for all Angelenos, well before the Games.”

The programme will spotlight opportunities in 2017 for residents to make a difference in their communities through volunteer work and community service, providing tangible benefits to the region during the bid phase.

Participants will then engage with the programme online via desktop and mobile as part of LA 2024’s commitment to communicate with young people on their platforms and on their terms. In recognition for their service, participants will receive priority consideration for volunteer opportunities during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, should LA be elected host city by the IOC.

This process will ensure that visitors in 2024 would find a dedicated and experienced team of volunteers with detailed knowledge of the LA 2024 Games Plans.

Janet Evans, LA 2024 vice chair and director of athlete relations, said: “Thank you to the hundreds of Angelenos who have already signed up to join LA 2024 as we give back to our communities and make a difference in our communities today. We hope many more join us in this effort.

“Shows of support like these bring to life what polls tell us - that an overwhelming 88% of Angelenos want to bring the Games back to LA in 2024. The Olympic enthusiasm that LA 2024 will harness to give back to our communities today is the same enthusiasm that athletes, fans and members of the Olympic Family can expect when they are warmly welcomed here in 2024.”

Expo 2020 Dubai will award 47 construction contracts worth $3 billion in 2017 as preparations for the Middle East’s first world expo continues to gather pace.

A further 98 non-construction contracts totalling more than $98 million will also be distributed before the end of the year. These will range from legal advisory services to event management and merchandising.

The construction contracts for 2017, which are open to local, regional and international businesses, include the third and final infrastructure package for the event’s support areas.

Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said: “We are committed to working with leading businesses from across the world in order to deliver an exceptional event of this scale, on time and on budget.

“This is particularly true when it comes to the development of the physical site, which will live on long beyond 2021 to become an anchor for the UAE’s developing knowledge economy in Dubai South.

“But just as importantly, the non-construction contracts to be procured this year will allow us to spread the investment made in the Expo as far as possible and enable local, regional and international businesses of all sizes to be part of what will be the most inclusive and international event in Expo history.”

In 2016, Expo 2020 Dubai awarded more than 1,200 contracts, investing more than $544.5 million in the economy. This included the appointment of an Orascom-Besix joint venture at the end of the year to develop the deep infrastructure at the Expo site in Dubai South. Once complete, the site will cover 4.38 square kilometres and host up to 300,000 people a day between October 2020 and April 2021.

Ahmed Al Khatib, vice president of real estate and delivery, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “While 2016 was an important year for design, 2017 is when the momentum of construction will really build, ahead of international participants beginning work on their pavilions in 2018.

“These important contracts will help us meet our target of completing the majority of construction with a year to go before Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors in October 2020, providing the opportunity for all-important readiness testing.”