Bridgestone Olympic Sponsorship Committee; FINA Extends Omega Partnership

(ATR) Bridgestone's top officials are leading a new committee that steer's the company's Olympic sponsorship,Around the Ringshas learned.

"The Bridgestone International Organizing Committee" will hold its first meeting on September 1.

Bridgestone CEO Masaaki Tsuya will chair the BIOC, COO Kazuhisa Nishigai will serve as vice-chairman, and vice-president Yuichiro Takenami will be the secretary general.

"The organization will make the final decisions as needed related to Olympic programming, while regional organizing committees to be named will implement regional activities and report to BIOC," a spokesman for Bridgestone tells Around the Rings.

"We are early into our on-boarding and are still formulating resource plans and intended strategies."

Bridgestone signed its TOP Sponsorship agreement on June 13 through 2024.

FINA Extends Omega Partnership

Omega will continue to serve as the timing and scoring partner of the International Aquatics Federation, FINA.

The federation extended it partnership with the Swiss timekeeping company through 2021 for all major FINA events.

"FINA and Omega have always worked hand in hand to provide the best possible conditions to our athletes, coaches and officials," FINA President Julio Maglione said in a statement.

"We are sure that this co-operation will remain in the future for the benefit of Aquatics worldwide."

With the new deal, FINA also includes collaboration on the federation’s new General Management System.

The system is an online platform that will serve as a database for FINA, its managing partners, and member federations to quickly upload pertinent data online and access from anywhere.The GMS will launch at the 2014 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar this December.

Olympic Expert Running America's Cup Business Operations

One of the most experienced Olympic administrators is taking the helm of the America's Cup commercial interests.

Harvey Schiller will serve as the first Commercial Commissioner for the America's Cup.

Schiller previously served as the executive director of the U.S. Olympic Committee, president of the International Baseball Federation, president of Turner Sports and a member of the America's Cup Advisory Board since 2010.

He will manage all commercial interests of the world's premier yachting event, expected to take place in 2017.

"Following the thrilling event we saw last summer, when Oracle Team USA came from behind to win the Cup, interest in the event is as high as it’s ever been," Schiller said in a statement.

"Our job now is to translate those opportunities into growth of the event for the benefit of all participants."

Rio 2016 Training Center Equipment

All Rio 2016 training centers will be equipped with exercise gear from Technogym.

Under the partnership, the Italian exercise equipment manufacturer will provide 1,000 pieces of equipment for Olympians to maintain Games-time fitness.

Rio will be the sixth Olympics for Technogym.

"Rio 2016 will also represent a unique social opportunity to promote wellness in Brazil and in the whole Latin America and to get increasing number of people interested in regular physical exercise," Nerio Alessandri, President and Founder of Technogym said in a statement.

Sponsors Sign Up for Beijing Bid

Eight sponsors are now part of the the Beijing/Zhangjiakou 2022 Olympic bid.

According to a report in the English-language version of the China News Service, the companies represent four ideals"economic strength, service, brands and promotion."

Only Beijing Bank, Beijing Automotive Group, and web portal Tencent Group were named as sponsors in the report. The sponsors will reportedly cover the services of banking, vehicles, website maintenance, catering, office supplies and sportswear.

Beijing/Zhangjiakou is one of three cities bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics along with Almaty, Kazakhstan and Oslo.

The IOC will select a host for the Games at its Session in 2015.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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