Live Webcast from Torino on ParalympicSport.TV
Live Webcast from Torino on ParalympicSport.TV
Contact: Miriam Wilkens, IPC Media and Communication Director on +49-228-2097-230, e-mail: Miriam.wilkens@paralympic.org or www.paralympic.org
(Bonn, Germany) February 1, 2006 - The Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games will mark the beginning of a new level of broadcasting coverage for Paralympic sport, establishing a unique opportunity to connect with a worldwide audience. It will be the first time that all sports of the Paralympic Winter Games can be seen worldwide: via an Internet television channel.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will, in its capacity as an International Federation (IF) for 13 sports, also be the first IF to launch is own Internet television channel: www.paralympicsport.tv. The channel will be launched and fully operational beginning 20 February 2006.
ParalympicSport.TV will be a top quality 24/7 television channel broadcasting via the Internet, free of charge. This means that people all over the world will be able to watch live broadcasts, or see the coverage 'on demand' at a time convenient to them. Developed and managed by Narrowstep Inc., ParalympicSport.TV will underline the truly global nature of Paralympic broadcasting. Narrowstep's technology is the most comprehensive system in the world for managing, protecting, distributing and commercializing video content. The implementation of the new channel is co-ordinated by the IPC together with brand stage, a Hamburg based marketing agency.
Webcasting offers an opportunity for a targeted delivery of content to a global interest group. ParalympicSport.TV will allow the IPC to reach a new audience of enthusiastic viewers and provide a commercially successful broadcasting platform.
Samsung and Visa are the first presenting sponsors to join ParalympicSport.TV.
For information on Narrowstep Inc contact Andria Allan or Clifford Webb on +44 207 731 424 email: aallan@narrowstep.com or cwebb@narrowstep.com
For information on brand stage GmbH contact Andreas F. Schneider
or Markus Salzmann on +49 40 32 50 965 email: as@brand-stage.de
or ms@brand-stage.de
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the international
governing body of sports for athletes with a disability and acts
as the International Federation for 13 sports. It supervises and
co-ordinates the Paralympic Games and other multi-disability competitions
as well as supporting the development of athletes at a local,
national and international level.
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International
Paralympic Committee Elects New Governing Board(Beijing, China) November 20, 2005 - Today, the members of
the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) present in Beijing,
China, for the 2005 IPC General Assembly (GA) elected a new Governing
Board. This was the largest GA to date, with more than 300 participants
from 90 National Paralympic Committees, five Regions, four IOSDs
(International Organizations for the Disabled) and 24 Sports.
Sir Philip Craven (Great Britain) was re-elected President with
103 votes out of 123 possible for a four year term. Miguel Sagarra
(Spain) was elected Vice-President by a majority of 70 votes.
The following people were elected Member at Large:
Mr. Masoud Ashrafi, Iran
Mr. Jose Luis Campo, Argentina
Ms. Ann Cody, USA
Mr. Alan Dickson, Great Britain
Mr. Greg Hartung, Australia
Mr. Patrick Jarvis, Canada
Mr. Karl Vilhelm Nielsen, Denamark
Dr. Nabil Salem, Egypt
Mr. Zainal Abu Zarin, Malaysia
Mr. Shen Zhifei, China
The IPC Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez and the Chairperson
of the IPC Athletes' Council, Ljiliana Ljubisic, are also ex-officio
members of the IPC Governing Board.
During today's session, six people received the Paralympic Order,
the highest recognition presented by the IPC. The award honours
those members of the Paralympic Family who have made an outstanding
or long-lasting contribution to the Paralympic Movement and/or
to the overall success of the Paralympic Games. The reciepents
present in Beijing were: Chris Cohen, Leen Coudenys, Ian Harrison,
Enrique Perez, Deng Pufang, Dr. Youn Dai Whang. Please click here
for more info on the recipients.
At the Closing Dinner, the 2005 Paralympic Awards Ceremony was
held. The Paralympic Sport Awards 2005 were awarded in five categories,
based on performance at the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games:
Best Male Athlete: Clodoaldo Silva (BRA), Swimming
Best Female Athlete: Mayumi Narita (JPN), Swimming
Best Team Performance: Canadian Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team
Best Games Debut: Chui Yee Yu (HGK), Wheelchair Fencing
Best Official: Jonquil Solt (GBR), Equestrian
The Paralympic Media Awards 2005 honour members of the media who
presented the highest quality and most dynamic coverage of the
ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games, in four categories:
Broadcast: BBC (GBR)
Written (Print): Daily Telegraph (GBR)
Written (Online): Yahoo! Japan (JPN)
Photo: Lieven Coudenys (BEL)
The Paralympic Scientific Award 2005 recognized one outstanding
contributor (academic or scientific) for research in the field
of sport for persons with a disability. The winner of the 2005
Paralympic Scientific Award was: Dr. Colin Higgs (CAN).
The 2005 Paralympic Awards were made possible by the generous
contribution of Charity & Sport. Please click here for more
information about the Award winners and their achievements.
_____
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the international
governing body of sports for athletes with a disability. It supervises
and co-ordinates the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games and other
multi-disability competitions, of which the most important are
World and Regional Championships. The IPC also supports the recruitment
and development of athletes at a local, national and international
level across all performance levels.
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U.S.
Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2006 Finalists
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ESPN Announces 2005
ESPY Awards Nominees(Colorado Springs, CO) June 24, 2005 - Today ESPN announced the nominees for the 2005 ESPY Awards. Six out of the six nominees in the Best Athlete with a Disability category are U.S. Paralympians. Nominees include:
Cheri Blauwet (Menlo Park, CA) - Track & Field
Rudy Garcia-Tolson (Bloomington, CA) - Swimming
Paul Martin (Broomfield, CO) - Cycling & Triathlon
Competitor
Erin Popovich (Butte, MT) - Swimming
Marlon Shirley (San Diego, CA) - Track & Field
Tandem duo - Karissa Whitsell (stoker/Eugene, OR) &
Katie Compton (pilot/Colorado Springs, CO)
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Seven Teams Finish Day One of
Goalball Nationals Undefeated
Contact Nicole Jomantas, Communications Director, U.S. Association
of Blind Athletes, at (719) 630-0422, ext. 10 or njomantas@usaba.org
(Colorado Springs, CO) June 23, 2005 The opening day of
the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes Goalball National Championships
served as a preview of what's to come as teams from Michigan,
Colorado, Florida and California all finished the day undefeated.
Goalball is a Paralympic sport played by blind and visually impaired persons both in the United States and around the world in which three athletes on each of two teams aim to launch a ball at speeds of up to 40 mph into the opposing side's goal. Nine bells located in a ball roughly the dimensions of a basketball help the athletes track the ball's location.
In a rematch from last year's men's gold medal game, the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Athletes took on the New Jersey Thunder. While New Jersey won the national title last season as well as both the USABA Mideast and Midwest Regional Championships earlier this season, the PABA Venom capitalized on its dominant throwing to win the game, 7-4.
Northeast Florida defeated their high school opponents from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, 8-1. The Michigan Spitfire defeated the Utah Explosion in a close match, 6-4. Finally, the Bay Area Outreach Program (BORP) won a mercy rule decision over the Illinois Tsunami, 16-6.
On the women's side, the Colorado Bandits won their first game, defeating the Illinois Tsunami, 3-1. Lindsay Sloan (Wauconda, IL) scored the first goal of the game off a corner shot; however Athens Paralympians Jennifer Armbruster (Colorado Springs, CO) and Robin Theryoung (Clarkston, MI) each scored goals to secure the victory. Colorado continued its success later in the evening with an 11-2 win over BORP's women's team.
Athens Paralympian Asya Miller (Battle Creek, MI) showed that she still has one of the most powerful throws in women's goalball, scoring six goals in a 7-1 Kalamazoo Chaos win over the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Preliminary round play continues Friday from 8 a.m. 5:55 p.m. at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.
USABA, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, the world's second largest athletic competition that draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.
The United States Association of Blind Athletes' mission is
to increase the number and quality of grassroots-through-competitive,
world-class athletic opportunities for Americans who are blind
or visually impaired. For more information, visit our Web site
at www.usaba.org
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(Lausanne, Switzerland
) February 25, 2005 - The International Olympic Committee
(IOC) today announced the composition of 24 IOC Commissions
for 2005. In ten of these Commissions, Representatives of
the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) also contribute
to the meetings and help to guide the IOC and the Organizing
Committees for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in their missions.
The following are IPC Representatives on
IOC Commissions:
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(Beaverton,
OR) November 3, 2004 - Jesse Billauer, a motivational speaker
and surfer who suffered a spinal cord injury when he hit a sandbar
headfirst while trapped beneath the waves in 1996, was named the
2004 Casey Martin Award recipient in a ceremony at Nike's™
World Headquarters today. The Award ceremony included PGA Tour
golfer Casey Martin, Nike Brand President Charlie Denson, Hurley
International CEO Bob Hurley, Nike's™ first employee Jeff
Johnson, U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, U.S. Gold Medal Paralympic
Tandem Cyclist Karissa Whitsell, and Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, last
year's Award winner.
Nike created the Casey Martin Award in 2001 to recognize the efforts of an athlete who, like Martin, has overcome physical, mental, societal, or cultural challenges to excel in their sport, or who advocates for other athletes who face similar challenges. The award includes a $25,000 Nike grant. This year's grant will go to the foundation that Jesse founded, Life Rolls On.
"The Casey Martin Award reminds us how important it is to continue advocating for the rights of athletes of all abilities to compete in their chosen sport," Denson said. "Nike was founded on the principle that if you have a body, you are an athlete. As a passionate surfer both before and after his injury, Jesse's strength is an inspiration to athletes everywhere who may differ in their physical capabilities but share the same dreams and drive."
Developing a passion for the water from an early age, Billauer quickly added surfing to his repertoire of sports in which he excelled - a category that already included baseball, soccer, snowboarding and ice hockey. Surfer Magazine labeled him as one of the top 100 up-and-coming surfers in the world, and at age 16, Billauer became the youngest member of the California State Lifeguard team. Billauer, now 25, survived a serious car accident in 1995, rebounding to rank No. 1 among juniors in the Pacific Surf Series. But six months later, while surfing with friends one morning before school, a wave knocked Billauer down, headfirst in the sandbar just a few feet below the surface, shattering his cervical spine and severing his spinal cord.
His friends brought him ashore, but Billauer had suffered a complete spinal cord injury at the C-6 level - a less severe but similar injury suffered by Christopher Reeve, who would become a close friend. The injury robbed Billauer of any sensation or movement below his chest and limited use of his arms and hands. It was two weeks before he was to begin his career as a professional surfer.
His foundation, Life Rolls On (LRO), is a non-profit foundation dedicated to increasing awareness about spinal cord injuries within youth culture via influential action-sports athletes and raising funds for research. LRO works closely with the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation to find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
"Through the Life Rolls On Foundation, I have tried to motivate others to appreciate their abilities but recognize their fragility," Billauer said. "Being honored today by Nike with the Casey Martin Award in turn motivates me to continue educating the public about spinal cord injuries and continue encouraging athletes of all abilities to face their challenges." Four years after his accident, Jesse returned to surfing with the help of his friends. One carries him to his board, and others tow him out and surf next to him to provide assistance if needed. He is able, once again, to participate in the sport he loves so much.
In May 2002, Billauer graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in communications. He now speaks regularly, particularly to young people, about the importance of family and friends, and about the need to live life to the fullest and never give up on your hopes and dreams.
"Jesse represents the true spirit of the Casey Martin Award," said Jeff Johnson, Nike's™ first employee and a speaker at today's ceremony. "As a tireless advocate for spinal cord research and an inspirational speaker, he turned a life-altering experience into something positive for not only himself but also for all the individuals he has touched through his work."
About the Life Rolls On Foundation
Life Rolls On is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation dedicated to
increasing awareness of spinal cord injuries (SCI) within youth
culture via influential action sports athletes. Through recreational,
educational, and developmental programs, Life Rolls On also raises
money to fund research for the treatment and cure of paralysis
caused by SCI. Its Web site is www.liferollson.org.
About the Casey Martin Award
Nike established the Casey Martin Award in 2001 to honor an individual
who, like Martin, is changing the very face of the sport in which
they compete. The Casey Martin Award is given annually by Nike
to an individual of any age with a current disability as defined
by the Department of Justice; someone who has pursued their sport
of choice to a level of success despite challenges; or someone
who has taken a personal or public stand to support athletes with
disabilities to participate in sports. In addition to individual
recognition, the recipient will be able to direct a grant award
of $25,000 to a qualified nonprofit organization of his or her
choice.
The award was named in honor of pro golfer Casey Martin, who has Klippel-Trenauny-Weber Syndrome, a rare, incurable and degenerative condition that causes chronic leg pain and makes it physically impossible for him to walk during tournaments. Martin sued the PGA Tour on Feb. 2, 1998, claiming that the Tour's denial of his request to ride a cart during PGA Tour events violated his civil liberties under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld Martin's victory in that trial. The PGA Tour appealed the decision to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Martin in May of 2001.
The Casey Martin Award is an integral part of Nike's overall diversity commitment to ensure that there are employees of all abilities in its workplace, and athletes of all abilities on the playing field. Judges on the award committee, including representatives from Nike Golf, Global Community Affairs and the Nike Disabled Employees Network, selected Billauer among 62 candidates. For information about the award, including past years' recipients, go to www.nikebiz.com/caseymartinaward.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading
designer, marketer, and distributor of authentic athletic footwear,
apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports
and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include
Converse Inc., which designs, markets, and distributes athletic
footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading
designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan®
a leading designer and marketer of luxury shoes, handbags, accessories,
and coats; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets, and
distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel
and accessories and Exeter Brands Group LLC, which designs and
markets athletic footwear and apparel for the value retail channel.
For more information about Nike Corporate Responsibility, visit www.nikeresponsibility.com.
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- New Organization, New Logo
* Originator of the renowned Stoke Mandeville model of
sport for persons with a disability
* Creators of the international pathway from grass roots
to elite
* Founders of the Paralympic Games
* Over 50 years experience and success worldwide
* Founder member of the International Paralympic Committee
(IPC)
Contact: Maura Strange, Executive Director IWAS - Tel: +44 1296 436179; email: maura.strange@wsw.org.uk; IWAS Secretariat, Olympic Village, Guttmann Road, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 9PP, UK
(Stoke Mandeville) October, 2004 - The recently combined body of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation and the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled reflects the unification of the two international organisations responsible for the establishment of the Paralympic Games and movement that emerged from humble beginnings at Stoke Mandeville in the late 1940's.
Since the start of unified operations in January of this year, the interim Executive has been looking for a name and logo which gives immediate impact and reflection of the combined organisation's remit within the Paralympic movement, and has pleasure in announcing that ISMWSF-ISOD merged activity will be carried out under the name INTERNATIONAL WHEELCHAIR & AMPUTEE SPORTS FEDERATION.
The logo for the new organisation is now revealed and reflects the fusion of wheelchair and amputee athlete constituencies at international level, with the arms raised gesture personifying the motto friendship, unity and sportsmanship conveying the aspiration, celebration, and positive goals of athletes with physical disabilities in sport
The Stoke Mandeville model for sporting opportunity for athletes with disabilities continues under the name "International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation, firmly upholding traditional values and the long established foundation on which international recruitment, development, and participation from grass roots to elite for the majority of paralympic athletes is based.
With a full programme of wheelchair and amputee sport-specific events, training and education clinics and the World Wheelchair & Amputee Games scheduled for Rio, Brazil in September 2005, the activity of the original instigators of sporting opportunity for persons with a disability continues unabated under its new banner International Wheelchair & Amputee Sport.
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Figl and Petitclerc Take Gold at Olympic Games Exhibition
Events
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Out-of-Competition Testing in Paralympic Sport
Contact: Miriam Wilkens, IPC Media and Communication Director,
+49 228 209 7180; Miriam.wilkens@paralympic.org; or www.paralympic.org.
At WADA, please contact Farnaz Khadem, +1-514-904-8827; Farnaz.khadem@wada-ama.org.
(Bonn, Germany) May 19, 2004 - As an International Federation
for 13 sports, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has
signed a monumental agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) on out-of-competition testing. This is the first time that
the IPC will ensure that their member federations are subject
to such testing; in the past, testing has only taken place at
sanctioned competitions.
The Agreement outlines that WADA, in consultation with the IPC,
will manage the out-of-competition testing and sample analysis.
National Anti-Doping Organizations or third parties will carry
out the testing on behalf of WADA and in accordance with the World
Anti-Doping Code and the IPC Anti-Doping Code. All athletes competing
at an international level (Paralympic Games, World and Regional
Championships, etc) may be subject to out-of-competition testing.
If an athlete is unavailable for testing three times during any
period of 18 months, this will be considered an anti-doping rule
violation resulting in two years of ineligibility (if a first
violation).
Said IPC President Phil Craven: "Out of competition testing
is the most effective means of doping control. Signing this Agreement
with WADA is a further step towards the IPC's goal to make Paralympic
sport free of doping."
The Agreement comes into effect immediately and will continue
until 31 December 2007. Any National Paralympic Committee that
has not signed the IPC Ant-Doping Code will not be allowed to
participate in the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games. "We are
committed to ensure all sports increase their capacity to carryout
effective out-of-competition testing and are very pleased with
the IPC's commitment to ensure doping free sport," said David
Howman, WADA Director General.
In further compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, the IPC
has revised its Equestrian rules to allow for doping control of
horses at IPC sanctioned competition, including the Paralympic
Games.
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Keith Newerla Wins 2004 NDSA Championship For Riders
With Disabilities
(Kingston, RI) May 12, 2004 - For the second consecutive year, Keith Newerla of Seaford, NY, won the National Disability Sports Alliance (NDSA) Equestrian Championship for riders with physical disabilities. Riding Ballyshannon, Newerla won the Championship at Good Horseman's Dressage in the Horse Park at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA, May 1-2.
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U.S.
Men's National Goalball Team in Athens, Greece, for Test Event
(Colorado Springs, CO) March 26, 2004 - Today members of the U.S. Men's Goalball Team are taking the next step on their journey to the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games as they begin competition at an international goalball test event in Athens, Greece. From today through March 28, five members of the U.S. Men's National Goalball Team are participating in an international goalball test event at the Faliro Sports Pavilion, the future Paralympic goalball venue. The U.S. Team will compete against some of the top-ranked goalball teams in the world, including Denmark (gold medalists at the Sydney Games), Lithuania (silver medalists at the 2002 International Blind Sports Association World Championships), and host country Greece.
Goalball is a Paralympic team sport played by blind and visually impaired athletes in 120 countries around the world. A team of three athletes on each side of the court aims to launch a ball at speeds of more than 30 mph into the opposing side's goal on an indoor court. All athletes are blindfolded to create a state of total blackness and four bells encased in a ball the size of a basketball help the athletes track the ball's location. Members of the team who are attending this event are Daniel Gallant, (Boston, MA), Tyler Merren (Kalamazoo, MI), Donte Mickens (Tallahasse, FL), John Mulhern (Lebanon, PA) and Edward Munro (St. Augustine, FL). John Bakos (Parma, OH) and Tom Parrigin (St. Augustine, FL) are the team's head and assistant coaches, respectively. Trainer Thomas Koto (Boise, ID) is also traveling with the team. "This is an invaluable opportunity for our guys not only to compete against some of the top teams in the world less than six months before they will meet again in Athens, but they also will get first-hand experience playing at the Paralympic venue on a Taraflex floor created specifically for the sport of goalball," Bakos said.
The U.S. Men's Goalball Team qualified for the Athens Games as a result of their silver medal finish at the 2003 IBSA World Goalball Championships.
For more information, contact Nicole Jomantas, USABA Communications Director, at (719) 630-0422, ext. 10 or njomantas@usaba.org. USABA, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, the world's second largest athletic competition that draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.
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U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (Colorado Springs, CO) March 10, 2004 - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today the return of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Presented by Allstate, and supported by associate sponsor Kleenex® Brand tissue, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame has been inactive since 1992. In conjunction with today's announcement, the USOC introduced a list of finalists (see below) eligible for induction as members of the Class of 2004, along with an online interactive component, encouraging the public to cast votes at usolympicteam.com to help select the honorees. The Class of 2004 will be announced following the voting period, which starts today and runs through April 14.
Distinguished Members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and gold medalists Bob Beamon (1968 Track & Field), Bart Conner (1984 Gymnastics) and Debbie Meyer (1968 Swimming) were on hand in Chicago to help announce the event.
The awards show-style induction ceremony will be held July 1 in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre and will air in a nationally-televised special on USA Network (if and when the NBC-Universal merger closes). Envisioned as a lasting tribute to the pursuit of excellence and the Olympic ideals, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established to celebrate the achievements of America's premier athletes in the modern Olympic Games.
The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame returns to its roots in Chicago where the charter class was enshrined in 1983, with such Olympic legends as Beamon, Cassius Clay, Peggy Fleming, Al Oerter, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, Jim Thorpe, and the 1980 " Miracle on Ice" Hockey Team. Annual additions continued through 1992, adding Olympic legends such as Conner, Donna de Varona, Dorothy Hamill, "Sugar Ray" Leonard, Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Phil Mahre, Meyer, John Naber and Mary Lou Retton. The Hall of Fame consists of 151 Distinguished Members, including 68 athletes from individual sports, five teams and 11 special contributors. Corporate support from presenting sponsor Allstate sparked the Hall,'s revitalization, along with additional support from Kleenex® Brand Tissue.
"The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is a celebration of the unique spirit and heritage of the Olympic movement in America," said USOC Chief Executive and Chief of Sport Performance Jim Scherr. "We appreciate the support of Allstate Insurance Company, which has taken a lead role in reviving the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, as well as Kleenex for their commitment to honoring the accomplishments of America's Olympic greats and, in doing so, preserving the Olympic ideals."
Many well-known names are among the list of finalists for the Class of 2004, including 19 individuals, six teams and five Paralympians. The complete list of 2004 finalists is below, while the list of existing Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame is available at usolympicteam.com
From today through April 14, fans are invited to log onto usolympicteam.com, the official site of the U.S. Olympic Team, to vote for the athletes they feel are deserving of Hall of Fame induction. Participating online voters will be automatically entered to win one of three VIP trips to Chicago to attend the 2004 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Earlier this year, a 10-person nominating committee consisting of athletes, distinguished members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, media, historians and USOC representatives selected the finalists for the 2004 ballot. Voting weight will be divided among U.S. Olympians, select U.S. Olympic family/media and fans.
The Hall of Fame is comprised of five categories, each with
different qualifications and processes for induction:
1.) Individual Sport/Event - Finalist must be retired from
Olympic competition for at least four years following the last
Olympic competition to qualify. Nineteen finalists were selected
by the nominating committee and six (6) will be inducted.
2.) Team - U.S. team must have participated in Olympic competition at least four years prior to the induction ceremony and must consist of two or more athletes competing in an event. Six finalists were selected and one (1) will be inducted.
3.) Paralympian - U.S. athlete must be retired from competition for at least four years following the last Paralympic Games. A Paralympic nominating committee selected five (5) finalists in this first-time category and one (1) will be inducted.
4.)Veteran - An Olympian who competed 12 Olympiads (48 years) prior to the ceremony. The nominating committee selected the one (1) inductee to be announced in May.
5.) Special Contributor - An individual who has demonstrated extraordinary service to enhancing the Olympic Movement in the United States. The nominating committee selected the one (1) inductee to be announced in May.
"Allstate proudly maintains a relationship with its customers characterized by 'protection' and 'preparation' and the company sees its U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame sponsorship as a way to extend those very concepts," said Allstate Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Joe Tripodi. "By contributing to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame revitalization, Allstate is helping to protect the Olympic ideal and prepare America,Äôs blossoming athletes for the same commitment to excellence on which the Hall of Fame was built and will be reborn."
Allstate's role as Presenting Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame completes the company's strategic Olympic involvement this year, including its recent sponsorship of USA Basketball. Allstate also supports youth basketball clinics at Boys & Girls Clubs in select cities. In 2002, Allstate began its Olympic sponsorship support, reuniting the celebrated 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team.
"The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will pay tribute to some of the most emotional U.S. victories in Olympic Games history, where we find athletes at their most human of moments. As an Associate Sponsor of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the Kleenex Brand is proud to help revive this important Olympic Games tradition," said Mary Goggans, Associate Marketing Director of Kleenex Brand Tissue.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly
held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're
In Good Hands With Allstate"®
slogan, Allstate provides insurance products to more than 16 million
households and has approximately 12,900 exclusive agencies and
financial specialists in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access
Allstate products and services through Allstate agents, or in
select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate. EncompassSM
brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through
independent agents.
About Kleenex Facial Tissue and Kimberly-Clark
The world's first and America's best-selling facial tissue, the
Kleenex® Brand is recognized by families in more
than 150 countries. Invented in 1924, Kleenex tissues were initially
marketed as a sanitary way to remove cold cream and makeup. Once
advertising was shifted to emphasize the product's use as a disposable
handkerchief, however, sales soared. Always the innovative leader,
Kleenex Brand®
facial tissue has met the needs of consumers for more than 75
years with products that provide the comforting, reassuring touch
to make things better. Kimberly-Clark Corporation is a leading
global consumer products company with manufacturing operations
in 42 countries. Kimberly-Clark brands of tissue and personal
care products, such as Kleenex facial tissue and Cottonelle Fresh
flushable moist wipes, are sold in more than 150 countries. For
more information about Kimberly-Clark's well-known brands, visit
the Kimberly-Clark Web site at www.kimberly-clark.com.
| Individual Finalists -- Six (6) to
be inducted 1. Evelyn Ashford (Track & Field) 2. Greg Barton (Canoe/Kayak) 3. Bruce Baumgartner (Wrestling) 4. Joan Benoit (Track & Field) 5. Matt Biondi (Swimming) 6. Bonnie Blair (Speedskating) 7. Jeff Blatnick (Wrestling) 8. Valerie Brisco (Track & Field) 9. Oscar de la Hoya (Boxing) 10. Janet Evans (Swimming) 11. Rowdy Gaines (Swimming) 12. Florence Griffith Joyner (Track & Field) 13. Dan Jansen (Speedskating) 14. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Track & Field) 15. Mary T. Meagher (Swimming) 16. Shannon Miller (Gymnastics) 17. Tracie Ruiz (Synchronized Swimming) 18. John Smith (Wrestling) 19. Kristi Yamaguchi (Figure Skating) |
| Team Finalists -- One (1) to be inducted 1. 1976 Women's Swimming 4x100m Freestyle Relay 2. 1988 Women's Track and Field 4x100m Relay 3. 1992 Men's Basketball 4. 1996 Women's Soccer 5. 1996 Women's Gymnastics 6. 1998 Women's Ice Hockey |
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