Press Release: Salzburg 2014 Travels to Pago Pago and Tokyo

Pago Pago and Tokyo – Salzburg 2014 continues its international campaign

After the successful visit from the IOC Evaluation Commission in mid-March, Salzburg 2014 immediately resumed its international campaign: in Tokyo and Pago Pago, members of the Salzburg 2014 international relations team met with decision-makers and experts to explain in more detail the Salzburg concept for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as well as to exchange knowledge and learn from their fellow speakers.

Heinz Jungwirth, the General secretary of the Austrian Olympic Committee, visited Pago Pago in Samoa, where he took part in the meeting of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC), while Executive Director Gernot Leitner, along with Deputy Governor of the State of Salzburg Wilfried Haslauer and Salzburg 2014 Ambassador Trixi Schuba, attended the World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Gernot Leitner, who as Executive Director also oversees international relations, was very content with the progress made on that front over the last week, commenting: “It is very important for our bid that we present Salzburg 2014 internationally on a continuous basis over the coming 3 months, because it is only by doing this that we can exchange important information with the experts and decision-makers. Each attendance at an international event is a learning experience which furthers the Salzburg bid. The IOC Evaluation Commission has recently confirmed our bid as being technically excellent, but we want to offer the Olympic movement as a whole, and the athletes in particular, truly exceptional Winter Games and we are working hard on a daily basis to make our bid perfect."

For Trixi Schuba, attendance at the Figure Skating World Championships in Tokyo, as well as yielding numerous positive discussions, also represented an emotional high-point in her work so far as an Ambassador for Salzburg 2014: "It was in Japan that I became 1972 Olympic champion, but have never, until now, had the opportunity of returning to this country. To now be working as an ambassador, on the site of my greatest sporting success, to bring the Olympic Winter Games to my homeland is very moving. I am convinced that, if the 2014 Winter Games are awarded to Salzburg, Austria's new generation, and naturally all international figure skaters too, will have the chance to participate in Winter Games which will offer perfect competition conditions and an unbelievable atmosphere in what is a winter sports country par excellence. Speaking as a former top-level athlete, this is something very close to my heart."

Salzburg will continue its international campaign in the upcoming weeks at Sport Accord in Beijing, the Ice Hockey World Championships in Moscow and at the VISA Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

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