IOC and Masters Games Sign MOU -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR)In an effort to follow recommendation 6 of the 2020 Olympic Agenda - for the IOC to "cooperate closely with other sports organizers" - the International Masters Games Association (IMGA) President Oleg Kai Holm and IOC President Thomas Bach have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding.

The partnership was announced in Lausanne, Switzerland at the IOC Headquarters.

To promote the Masters Games the IMGA and IOC are to hold discussions on making the hosts of the upcoming Winter and Summer Olympics the organizers of the Masters Games in the next few years, according to the Memorandum.

"The IOC believes that being physically active and participating in sport is of the utmost importance for people of all ages and abilities," President Bach said in a statement.

The Masters Games presents a unique opportunity for mature athletes looking for a competitive atmosphere in a fun, relaxed environment."

The 9th World Masters Games will be held in April 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand with over 20,000 athletes expected to participate.

COC Directs Focus to Athlete Promotion in New Partnership

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Sid Lee have initiated a partnership to better support Canada’s athletes.

The media marketing agency will be a partner to the COC through the Tokyo 2020 Games and together plan to promote the stories of the country's athletes and support them in their Olympic careers.

"The COC is proud to partner with a major player like Sid Lee. Their iconic sports experience is vast, relevant and in line with the vision we have to take the COC brand to the next level, Chief Marketing Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee Derek Kent said in a statement.

"We are excited to begin this work together to make Team Canada the most magnetic, inspirational and valuable national sports brand in Canada".

According to the COC, Sid Lee is best known for its association with sports organization promotions such as the Toronto Raptors "We the North" campaign and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 100th Anniversary.

Through this partnership the COC hopes Canadians will gain more support for Team Canada.

FINA Gains Two New Sponsors

FINA has recently gained two new sponsors for major events in swimming this year.

Nikon has been named the partner to the 13th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m).

The company will provide equipment and other services to the event. In addition, Nikon intends to document the transformation of the WFCU Center into the 25m pool and release the footage on the events social media networks.

The Championships will be held from Dec. 6-11 in Windsor, Canada.

The swimwear company TritonWear was also recently announced as an official sponsor of the 4th FINA World Aquatic Convention.

TritonWear has helped coaches improve its swimmers performances by tracking athletes progress through the companies wearable data recording technology. The technology uses motion sensors to track stroke count, breathing patterns and more and syncs the information directly to an electronic device in real-time, ultimately allowing coaches to analyze swimmers more effectively.

The CEO of the company, Tristan Lehari, will be leading a panel titled "Advancing Swimming Through Big Data" during the Aquatics Convention.

"TritonWear is committed to improving our sport and believes the Convention is an excellent venue for the FINA community and its stakeholders to collaborate with leaders from around the globe" Lehari said in a statement.

The convention will take place from Dec. 3-5 at the Caesars Windsor Resort and Convention Center.

Big Mac Creator Dies

The creator of one of McDonald’s most widely known menu items - the Big Mac - has died at the age of 98 in his Pittsburgh home.

The McDonald’s franchisee, Michael James "Jim" Delligatti, invented the signature burger in 1967. The item was added to the chain’s national menu in 1968.

Billions of Big Macs have since been sold in more than 100 countries. It was determined in 2008 that 550 million Big Macs were being purchased a year, roughly 17 per second. The company has admitted that Delgatti has never received any royalties for his creation.

"Jim was a legendary franchisee within McDonald’s system who made a lasting impression on our brand," McDonald’s said in a statement announcing his passing.

"We will remember Jim as an insightful franchisee, a knowledgeable businessman, and an honorable gentleman who left a legacy of four generations of family members running great restaurants in Pennsylvania and North Carolina."

Written by Courtney Colquitt

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