Christophe Berthaud, the general manager of OMEGA Timing presents Sir Philip Craven with an OMEGA Seamaster Vancouver 2010 Limited Edition watch

Sir Philip Craven, the President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), visited OMEGA’s Paralympic Countdown Clock in downtown Vancouver and the Olympic Games Boutique at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on Tuesday, March 16th.

Sir Philip, joined by his wife, was welcomed by Christophe Berthaud, the general manager of OMEGA Timing, the company responsible for the timekeeping and data handling at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

Berthaud introduced Sir Philip, who has been president of the IPC since 2001, to the Boutique’s staff who showed him some of the highlights of their display, including the Constellation ’09 Collection, the Olympic Pocket Watch 1932, the Seamaster Vancouver 2010 Limited Edition watch created to commemorate the Games, and the Speedmaster Professional – the legendary Moonwatch.

Afterwards, Sir Philip signed OMEGA’s guestbook and Christophe Berthaud presented him with a commemorative Olympic Pin Set and an OMEGA Seamaster Vancouver 2010 Limited Edition watch. Sir Philip and Mr. Berthaud then posed for photographs with members of the Boutique’s staff and chatted with visitors and well wishers.

In addition to his high-profile role as president of the IPC, Sir Philip Craven is one of the most successful Paralympians of all time, having represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketball at five editions of the Paralympic Games between 1972 and 1988. Remarkably, in 1972, he also competed in track and field athletics and swimming.

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games opened on the 12th of March and will continue through the 21st of March.

Gold Medal winner Maelle Ricker, and OMEGA President Stephen Urquhart in bobsleight, standing in the back is Astronaut Tom Stafford and in the back is Astronaut Gene Cernan

Snowboard cross star was the first Canadian woman to win gold at home

One of the most thrilling finishes at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games resulted in a tale of national pride and Olympic redemption. Maëlle Ricker, competing in snowboard cross only a few kilometers from where she grew up, became the first Canadian woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal in her homeland.

OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Winter Games, presented Ricker with a Seamaster Planet Ocean wristwatch in celebration of her accomplishment. She joined OMEGA president Stephen Urquhart and NASA astronauts and OMEGA brand ambassadors Gene Cernan and Tom Stafford in the brand’s lounge at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver where the presentation of the watch took place.

They then crossed the street to pose for photographers in OMEGA‘s red bobsleigh in front of the Official Countdown Clock in downtown Vancouver.

When he presented Ms. Ricker with her watch, Stephen Urquhart said, “We are so happy to share this gift of time with Maëlle. She’s a true champion and embodies all that is great about the Olympic Winter Games. She demonstrated drive, determination and a winning spirit. We are particularly pleased to be making this presentation to a national hero in her home city.”

Maëlle Ricker responded enthusiastically, “This amazing Omega watch is a great honour. Now I definitely won’t be late for any of my upcoming snowboard world cups. Olympic partners like Omega really keep the Games running on time and I’m really happy to have created a gold medal moment for Canada.”

When Maëlle Ricker participated in snowboard cross at the Turin 2006 Olympic Winter Games her hopes for a medal were dashed by a fall which resulted in a concussion. She has said that Turin served as a motivation to work particularly hard in preparation for the Games in Vancouver.

Ricker is an established star in her sport. She has 23 World Cup medals in snowboard cross, including 12 victories. She has been to the podium seven times in World Cup halfpipe competition and has claimed two gold medals.

OMEGA and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

OMEGA’s famous logo is a familiar site in Vancouver and Whistler and on television screens around the world. The brand’s association with the Olympic Games dates back to 1932 in Los Angeles. That year, OMEGA became the first company ever to be entrusted with the timekeeping at every Olympic event. The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games are the 24th at which OMEGA has been Official Timekeeper. The IOC and the Swiss watchmaker recently extended their agreement through 2020.

The OMEGA Olympic Countdown Clock in Vancouver

As the giant OMEGA Countdown Clock in Vancouver approaches the minus one year point in its steady march toward the Opening Ceremony on the 12th of February, 2010, OMEGA’s professionals are actively involved in preparations for the competition where, for the 24th time, the Swiss specialists will serve as Official Timekeepers at the Olympic Games. On the 12th of March, they will play the same role at the Paralympic Games.

At OMEGA’s first timekeeping assignment for the Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in 1936, a lone OMEGA technician brought 27 stopwatches which were used to time each event at the Games.

Seventy years later in Turin, OMEGA deployed 208 professionals – 127 timekeepers and 81 data handlers – armed with 220 tons of equipment.

Those numbers will be exceeded at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games as OMEGA mobilizes the largest timekeeping contingent in the history of winter sport.

OMEGA began its Olympic Games timekeeping tradition at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games. In addition to its prominent Olympic Games role, OMEGA has been behind many of the most important technological developments in all of sports timekeeping.

The Games in Vancouver will take place over a 17-day period beginning on the 12th of February. More than 5,500 Olympic Winter Games athletes and officials from more than 80 countries will make it the largest Olympic Winter Games ever. The Paralympic Winter Games, for which OMEGA is also Official Timekeeper, start on the 12th of March and will continue for ten days. The Games’ organizers anticipate that the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games will attract 1,350 athletes and officials from more than forty countries.

100 days to go till the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Sustainability a key theme

As the cities of Vancouver and Whistler prepare for the Games, there is a lot of attention being paid to the philosophy of economic and environmental sustainability promoted by VANOC, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Committee is doing its best to see that any changes made to the splendid local landscape will integrate smoothly into the community once the Games are over. While Beijing had such spectacular venues as the National “Bird’s Nest” Stadium and the “Water Cube”, VANOC is relying on providing facelifts to existing structures and to creating facilities which will serve the people of Vancouver and British Columbia long after the spectators and press have gone home. It can be argued that the natural splendour of British Columbia and the breathtaking beauty of Vancouver and Whistler would not be enhanced with the addition of large new purpose-built structures.

Accordingly, existing buildings are being adapted to the needs of the Olympic Winter Games and new ones have only been considered when it was clear that they would improve the quality of life for local residents following the Games.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will attract an estimated three billion television viewers worldwide. More than 10,000 members of the press are planning to attend and it is projected that the vancouver2010.com website will be visited 75 million times.

Source: www.omega.ch