Heads of London 2012 and Sochi 2014 Praise New ANOC Initiative

Former London 2012 Chairman, Lord Coe, and former President and CEO of Sochi 2014, Dmitry Chernyshenko, were today united in their praise of the first ANOC Gala Awards Dinner which will provide a unique platform to recognise the outstanding achievements of NOCs and athletes from London 2012 and Sochi 2014 on the international stage.

Unlike any other awards ceremony, the ANOC Gala Awards Dinner will recognise Olympic athletes across all sports and all continents. 350 million households worldwide will be able to tune in to the historic event and relive some of the great sporting moments from the past two Olympic Games.

ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said:

"Every Olympic Games brings something special and unique. London 2012 and Sochi 2014 were very different but were united in offering excellent services and support to the NOCs. We are therefore delighted that these great Games will be the focus of our first ever ANOC Gala Awards Dinner. It is only right that we reward NOCs and their athletes for the performances which brought us so much joy and made the Games so special."

Lord Coe, Chair of the ANOC Youth Working Group, said:

"We are delighted that NOCs and athletes from London 2012 will be recognised at the first ANOC Gala Awards Dinner. At London 2012 we had the privilege of witnessing some exceptional individual and team performances. NOCs were at the very heart of that and I cannot wait to relive some of these iconic moments at this historic event.

"This week for me though is not just about looking back to the successes of London 2012. It is also about looking ahead to our future. London 2012’s legacy programme has taught us many valuable lessons. Here at ANOC, through the ANOC Youth Working Group, we are trying to use some of these lessons to get young people to take an active lead in creating a sustainable future so that NOCs and athletes can create many more special memories at future Olympic Games."

Dmitry Chernyshenko added:

"The ANOC Gala Awards Dinner is an excellent platform to give athletes and NOCs the international recognition they deserve. As President and CEO of Sochi 2014 I witnessed first-hand just how important the NOCs are in the lives of athletes and in ensuring that they have everything they need to achieve their optimum performance.

"At Sochi 2014 we had a record number of NOCs competing for a record number of medals. More NOCs won medals than at any previous Winter Games. The 88 different national teams that came together in Sochi created an atmosphere of friendship and respect from which we saw some excellent athletic performances. The first ANOC Gala Awards Dinner will honour these performances and reinforce the unity of nations through sport."

For more information, please contact: media@anocolympic.org

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