7msports > Others Video > Organisers on difficulties attracting top-level athletes and swimmers to Baku

Organisers on difficulties attracting top-level athletes and swimmers to Baku

Tuesday, June 23 2015 by SNTV
  • Intro:

    Baku 2015 organisers held a press conference on Monday as Simon Clegg, the Chief Operating Officer, described the difficulties attracting top-level athletes and swimmers to Azerbaijan for the European Games.

    Script:

    SOUNDBITE (English): Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer, Baku 2015:

    "This Games is about innovation, trying to things slightly differently, and certainly the innovation of having all of the gymnastics disciplines taking place at the same time, almost simultaneously, was a concept that came to the table from the European Gymnastics Federation. They wanted to try and change the format of traditional gymnastics. I think it is up to them to do the proper evaluation. I mean, we worked very closely with them to execute what their concept was, and what their plan was. I'm sure that it was not without its challenges, but certainly from what I saw every time I went out to the National Gymnastics Arena, I thought it was an incredibly positive experience for the spectators."

    SOUNDBITE (English): Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer, Baku 2015:

    "Just to remind you that both of these sports (athletics and swimming) had already committed where there European Championships was going to be in 2015 when Baku was awarded the Games as recently as December 2012, so effectively we've had to retro-fit whatever was available to us, because obviously they had commercial contracts that they couldn't break for their European Championships in 2015. Therefore we accept that track and field athletics is the third league of the team event, and we accept that swimming is a junior event. Would it have enhanced the Games had we had top-level athletics and swimming? The answer is yes. Does it distract from the Games that we have only got lower-level athletics and junior swimming? The answer is definitely no. I think that for the first time, we have demonstrated that you can organise an outstanding European Games with top-quality sport, even if you don't have top-level athletics and top-level swimming, and I think that puts the EOC in a very strong negotiating point when they start to talk to federations for 2019."

Attention: Third parties may advertise their products and/or services on our website.7M does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of their contents.
Your dealings with such third parties are solely between you and such third parties and we shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage of any sort incurred by you.