Olympic Legends unite to play unified with special Olympics Athletes ahead of Laureus World Sports Awards

SHANGHAI, April 13, 2015 - With just two days to go until the 16th Laureus World Sports Awards, three legends of the sporting world have shared their time with Special Olympics athletes to help advocate for the creation of a unified generation.

Yang Yang, China’s most decorated athlete with 59 world titles and the country’s first ever Winter Olympics gold medal to her name, was joined by five-time Olympic gymnastic champion Nadia Comaneci and former alpine skiing Olympic champion Franz Klammer at Shanghai’s Feiyang Skating Centre. The three Laureus Academy Members spent time in a unified skating experience on the ice rink, passing their knowledge, expertise and advice onto 30 young Special Olympic athletes from a local school.

The event was another milestone in Laureus’ 11-year involvement with the Special Olympics movement, which has seen engagement and activity around the world. As well as in China, Laureus has teamed up with Special Olympics in Russia, Europe and Malaysia, using sport to benefit children with intellectual disabilities.

Laureus Academy Member and founder of the Feiyang Skating Centre, Yang Yang said: “It was an honour to meet with Special Olympic athletes today in Shanghai, they’re an inspiration to us all and it was great to see them enjoying their sport out on the ice. Laureus has a rich history of working hand in hand with Special Olympics around the world and I’m delighted to support the organisation here in my home country.

“This is also an extremely exciting time for my sport in this country with the Chinese Olympic Committee bidding to bring the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games to Beijing and Zhangjiakou.”

Laureus Academy and Special Olympics Board Member, Nadia Comaneci said:

“Having been involved with Laureus’ partnership with Special Olympics projects worldwide, I’m delighted to share this moment with these incredible young athletes. I’ve seen first-hand the incredible impact we are having with children around the world and I’m looking forward to watching the partnership continue to grow both here in China and around the world.”

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports more than 150 community sports projects in 34 countries, including China. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.

The Awards Ceremony, attended by legends of sport past and present, celebrates the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year. The Host Partner of the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards is Chinese textile and wool company HengYuanXiang Group (HYX), and the event will receive the strong support of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

Special Olympics is an international organisation that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports everyday around the world. Through work in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is addressing inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities which leads to a more welcoming and inclusive society.

The Special Olympics Unified Sports® program joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. The Walt Disney Company and ESPN are currently the Global Presenting Sponsors and Official Media Sponsors of Special Olympics Unified Sports®. With Laureus’ support in China, over 4,000 Special Olympics athletes, over 3,000 unified partners and nearly 1,500 coaches participated in the Special Olympics Unified Sports® program. The Special Olympics Unified Sports® program is currently a strategic priority for Special Olympics in China as it continues to focus on society-wide inclusion and building a more inclusive world for all.

Shanghai, one of China’s most iconic travel destinations and one of the most spectacular cities on Earth, is a perfect location for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards. A popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks, such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yu Garden, as well as the dramatic Lujiazui skyline, it is a showcase for the booming economy of China. Shanghai mixes old world charm with a modern and vibrant city, perfectly blending the past and present. Shanghai annually hosts some of the biggest sports events in the world, including the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix and the IAAF Shanghai Diamond League meeting.

Enjoying a long-standing reputation in China, HYX is a leading force in the textile and garment industry. In recent years HYX has evolved into a modern enterprise developing its own unique ‘brand and culture’, through brands like ‘HYX’, ‘Fazeya’ and ‘Nanonan’. For many years, HYX has actively focused on sport and been a partner in sports events like football, basketball, gymnastics and marathon. In December 2005, HYX became the first non-sports textile and costume sponsor in the history of the Olympics and three years later became the first partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee, customizing the Olympic kit for Chinese athletes.

The ‘Eternal Love’ programme, co-founded by HYX and the China Children and Teenagers’ Foundation, has won the China Charity Award twice, being honoured as the No.1 activity for caring for orphaned and disabled children in China. Also, the ‘HYX Literature Star High School Students’ Writing Contest’ has become the most influential event of its kind, attracting the largest number of contestants. In 1997 and 2007 HYX supported the ‘10,000 Teenagers’ Recreational and Sports Activities’ event in Tiananmen Square, in Beijing, China, to promote the health of teenagers.

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