Zurich, 31st October 2019 - Today, the Lausanne 2020 Olympic flame made its first appearance in German-speaking Switzerland, at Zurich railway station. A show was held in the main hall in the presence of Swiss athletes Sarah Meier and Dominique Gisin, as well as representatives from Lausanne 2020, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Today, the many passengers transiting by Zurich railway station had the chance to enjoy the Lausanne 2020 Torch Tour show. Its aim is to spread the Olympic spirit throughout the country in preparation for the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will take place from 9 to 22 January. The flame was escorted by 2011 European figure skating champion, Sarah Meier, and Dominique Gisin, who won the gold medal in downhill alpine skiing at the 2014 Sochi Games. Together, they lit a symbolic cauldron.
After the show, a press conference was held in the presence of the two athletes, Ian Logan, CEO of Lausanne 2020, René Fasel, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and Daria Martinoni, SBB East Region Manager. This was the opportunity to reiterate Lausanne 2020’s vision to create unique Games, to breed new ideas for the future of the Olympic movement, all while participating in the blossoming of young talents and showcasing Switzerland to the rest of the world as a modern, inspiring and innovative country.
Ian Logan, CEO of Lausanne 2020: "What a welcome in Zurich today! We were really looking forward to the flame arriving in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and we could not have hoped for greater enthusiasm than what we have seen here today. During the Games, the skeleton, luge, bobsleigh and speed skating competitions will all take place very close to here, in St. Moritz. For the first time in more than 70 years, St. Moritz's legendary Olympia Bob Run and natural ice rink on the frozen lake will host Olympic competitions. Lausanne 2020 will be bi-national Youth Olympic Games, but they will also be a great national celebration, with three Swiss cantons directly involved: Vaud, Valais and Grisons. For Lausanne, it will be an opportunity for the public to discover the new ice rink at the Vaudoise arena and to put the Olympic capital into the spotlight with a magnificent sporting and cultural event. All competitions will be free of access, so we hope to see lots of you there from 9 to 22 January! "
René Fasel, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation: "We are looking forward to the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lausanne. In addition to hosting two excellent men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments, the YOG allows players coming from outside the top ice hockey nations to take part in the Olympic experience, first through the Skills Challenge in Innsbruck 2012 and Lillehammer 2016 and now with the new 3-on-3 tournaments. We are thankful to the IOC and the vision of Jacques Rogge, that has given the IIHF and other IFs the opportunity to come together with all of these gifted young athletes."
Daria Martinoni, SBB East Region Manager: "As a partner in the Youth Olympic Games, the Swiss Federal Railways and the Swiss public transport system are ready to demonstrate their exemplary performance. We are firmly committed to the «environmental responsibility» principle enshrined in the Swiss Olympic Charter. Our ambition is for the Youth Olympic Games to go down in history here in Switzerland as the Winter Games of Public Transport."
Dominique Gisin: "Lausanne 2020 is an amazing opportunity to develop our young athletes and to inspire the next generation to get involved with sport. It is such a great joy to have the opportunity to experience the Olympic atmosphere in Switzerland at last."
Sarah Meier: "Figure skating has been so well received in the past here in Lausanne. The brand new Skating Arena promises to be a magical venue for the Lausanne 2020 figure skating competitions in January. We hope to see you there!"
About the Lausanne 2020 Torch Tour
For the full Torch Tour schedule, please visit www.lausanne2020.sport/fr/torch-tour
#Lausanne2020 #TorchTour are the official hashtags for the Torch Tour. Please use these hashtags in any messages related to the event and we would be really grateful if you could tag @Lausanne2020 anytime you share a story on Instagram.
Animated GIFs for the Lausanne 2020 Torch Tour and for each discipline on the Lausanne 2020 program are available at Giphy and on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat if you search for "Lausanne 2020". Go ahead and use lots of these animated icons in your social media messages.
Finally, don't forget to follow us at @Lausanne2020 on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube. For TikTok and Snapchat you can follow us at @YOGLausanne2020.
About Lausanne 2020
The Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 9 to 22 January 2020 with 1,880 athletes (15-18 years old) from more than 70 countries. The competitions will take place in the cantons of Vaud (Lausanne, La Vallée de Joux, Leysin, les Diablerets, Villars), Valais (Champéry), Grisons (St. Moritz) and neighbouring France (Les Rousses, Les Tuffes stadium).
For more information on Lausanne 2020, please visit www.lausanne2020.sport
Press contact Lausanne 2020
Media team – press@lausanne2020.sport
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