The Österreichische Olympische Comité (ÖOC; Austrian Olympic Committee) has nominated 70 athletes (31 female, 39 male athletes) for the Olympic Games in London. Swimmer Markus Rogan will be the flag bearer.
Not less than 30 athletes participate in Olympic Games for the first time, four (Markus Rogan, Ludwig Paischer, Andreas Geritzer and Christian Planer) have already gained Olympic medals. Shooting sports athlete Thomas Farnik holds the record of six Olympic Games participations.
"According to statistics, we gain three medals – this would be very satisfying this time, especially since the team is smaller than before", ÖOC president Dr. Karl Stoss explained. The team of trainers and advisers consists of 60 people. In the Olympic Village in Stratford, 107 bed have already been reserved for Austria, at the housing for the sailors 16, and another six for the canoeists.
Upcoming, important dates in the Olympic countdown: On 14 and 15 July the official outfitting is taking place at hotel Marriot in Vienna (Stadtpark). On Sunday evening (15 July) the official Lotterien Farewell Celebration takes place at Studio 44, starting at 6 PM (broadcast live on ORF1 from 6:35 PM). On 16 July, federal president Dr. Heinz Fischer is welcoming the athletes at the Hofburg (11 PM) for the oath and farewell wishes. In the evening, the first Austrian athletes are moving in at the Olympic Village in London.
Facts and figures concerning the ÖOC nominations:
Austria’s team for London 2012 is small but nice, consisting of 70 athletes (31 female, 39 male athletes) and 60 trainers/advisers. To have a comparison: in Beijing, 70 athletes (30 ladies/40 men) participated, in Athens 74 (54/20) and in Sydney 94 (56/38; plus the ladies’ handball team). Only in Montreal in 1976, Austria participated with a small team than this year’s (64 athletes).
The youngest participants are swimmers: 17-year-old Lisa Zaiser from Carinthia (born August 23, 1994) respectively 18-year-old Christian Scherübl from Styria (born April 6, 1994).
The oldest participants are dressage athlete Renate Voglsang (41 years old) and record participant Thomas Farnik (45), who is participating in his sixth Olympic Games (first participation in Barcelona in 1992). Helmut Oblinger and Werner Schlager are participating in their fifth Olympic Games; Liu Jia, Andreas Geritzer, Markus Rogan and Günther Weidlinger in their fourth. (Günther Weidlinger is also competing in another competition for the fourth time. After 3.000 m steeplechase, 5.000 m and 10.000 m, he is now trying out marathon).
Four athletes of "Team Austria" have already won Olympic medals: swimmer Markus Rogan (silver twice/2004), judoka Ludwig Paischer (silver/2008), sailor Andreas Geritzer (silver/2004) and shooting sports athlete Christian Planer (bronze/2004).
There are two athletes in the ÖOC team that participated in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010: Ivona Dadic (heptathlon) and Lara Vadlau (sailing, 470). Vadlau won a gold medal in Singapore. All over the world, approximately 40 athletes were able to qualify for the participation in the Summer Olympic Games two years after their participation in the Youth Olympic Games.
30 athletes (16 ladies/14 men) are participating for the first time.
Ladies: Ivona Dadic/heptathlon, Hilde Drexler/judo, Elisabeth Eberl/javelin, Barbara Gasser/gymnastics, Corinna Kuhnle/K1 wild water canoeing slalom, Livia Lang/synchronized swimming duo, Andrea Mayr/marathon, Stephanie Obermoser/shooting, Lisa Perterer/triathlon, Simone Prutsch/badminton, Eva-Maria Schimak/sailing, 470; Beate Schrott/100 m hurdles, Amelie Solja/ table tennis, team; Lara Vadlau/sailing, 470, Renate Voglsang/dressage, Lisa Zaiser/swimming, 200 m individual medley;
Men: Thomas Daniel/modern pentathlon, Alexander Gehbauer/mountain biking, Andreas Giglmayr/triathlon, Amer Hrustanovic/wresting, Greco – 84 kg, Michael Lahnsteiner/badminton, Fabian Leimlehner/gymnastics, Karl Markt/mountain biking, Alexander Peya/tennis double, Florian Raudaschl/sailing, Finn; Andreas Scherhaufer/shooting trap; Christian Scherübl/4x200 m free-style, Daniel Schorn/cycling - road, Andreas Vojta/1.500 m, Tamira Paszek/tennis.
Tallest ÖOC athlete: Clemens Doppler (2.00 m); smallest ÖOC athletes: Livia Lang and Liu Jia (1.60 m); heaviest: discus thrower Gerhard Mayer (109 kg); lightweight: Liu Jia (47kg).
Participants of all Austrian provinces can be found in "Team Austria" (location of their sports club). Five athletes belong to foreign clubs, therefore they are not taken into consideration for the following statistics: Most athletes come from Lower Austria (15), Upper Austria (14), Vienna (8), Burgenland, Carinthia and Salzburg (all of them 6). Also: Styria (5), Tyrol (3), Vorarlberg (3).
The swimmers are the biggest unit in the team (13 athletes), followed by sailors (8), track and field athletes (7) and table tennis players (6).
Since 1896, Austria has won 26 gold, 39 silver and 42 bronze medals at Olympic Summer Games. This is an average of 4.1 medals each participation. During the last 10 Summer Games, 30 medals were won overall, an average of three each time. Five times out of 10 (since 1972), the ÖOC delegation won three medals (2008, 2000, 1996, 1984, 1972). The most successful Games for Austria since 1972 took place in Athens (seven medals, two of them gold). In 1976 and 1988, only one medal was won. In 1964, Austria did not win any medals at the Olympic Summer Games.
Three athletes were suggested as flag bearers by sport associations: Markus Rogan (swimming), Jürgen Melzer (tennis) and Andreas Geritzer (sailing). Ludwig Paischer (judo), silver medalist of Beijing, would have been a candidate as well, but as the athlete from Salzburg competes in the first day of the Games, he will not participate in the opening ceremony the night before.
ÖOC Media-Contact: Wolfgang Eichler
Mobile phone: +43 664 2469084 E-Mail: eichler@olympia.at
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