European Olympic Committees Hire Clegg for Minsk 2019 Role

(ATR) Simon Clegg has rejoined the EOC as European Games executive director in a bid to smooth fast-track preparations for Minsk 2019.

The former Baku 2015 chief operating officer held the position in 2013 before being asked to relocate to Azerbaijan where he worked with the the country’s sports minister Azad Rahimov to oversee preparations for the inaugural edition of the European Games.

Clegg’s appointment follows an EOC executive committee meeting in Belgrade on Thursday.

"Just as no two Olympic Games are alike so Minsk 2019 will be different in many ways to Baku 2015," Clegg said in a statement.

"The core component of showcasing the best athletic talent in Europe just 12 months before the next Olympic Games will be even stronger with many sports once again offering Olympic qualifications opportunities.

"I believe that Belarus will deliver an outstanding European Games and I look forward to supporting them to build on the success of Baku 2015."

The EOC said the former British Olympic Association CEO will pay frequent visits to Belarus from now until the Games open in June 2019.

An EOC coordination commission visit led by chairman Spyros Capralos will head to Minsk for an update on preparations in the summer.

Clegg will work closely with the Minsk European Games Organising Committee (MEGOC) in delivering the second edition of the EOC’s flagship multisports event.

Commenting on his appointment EOC president Janez Kocijančič said Clegg’s experience in Baku coupled with over 30 years working in the Olympic movement meant that he was well-equipped to support the EOC and MEGOC.

"Whilst still relatively young, the European Gamesconcept is the EOC's most valuable asset and this appointment further strengthens our aspirations for the brand and the future of this important event," he said.

Capralos and Minsk 2019 CEO George Katulin gave an update on preparations for the European Games to the EOC executive committee in Belgrade.

European Games consultants Pierce O’Callaghan and Asimakis Asimakopoulos also remarked on the hard work undertaken by MEGOC, the EOC and the CoCom. They suggested there was no time to lose in fast-track preparations for the 15-sport Games, with June’s year-to-go celebrations another key milestone.

Azerbaijan made efforts today to show that the European Games can leave a positive legacy. An Azerbaijani delegation presented an update on next year’s European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku at the 39th EOC Seminar that opened in Belgrade on Friday.

ANOC secretary general Gunilla Lindberg gave a brief report on the organization’s activities and spoke about the IOC’s new cost-cutting plans for the Olympic Games dubbed the New Norm. A set of 118 measures is aimed at lowering costs and increasing flexibility in the bidding process and staging of the Games.

Officials from the NOCs of five of the seven bidders for the 2026 Winter Olympics were perhaps the keenest to hear of the bidding revamp; it will affect Sion, Graz, Stockholm, Milan-Turin-Cortina d'Ampezzo and Erzurum. Calgary and Sapporo are the other bidders.

EOC chief Kocijancic and secretary general Raffaele Pagnozzi addressed all the 50 NOCs of Europe at the opening of the 39th EOC Seminar & IOC Forum.

It will mainly focus on the NOCs' preparations for the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics in October, the Minsk 2019 European Games and the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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