AIPS Honors Winter Olympic Veterans -- Photodesk

(ATR) Seventy-six journalists from 22 countries who have covered six or more Winter Olympic Games were recognized by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) on a sunny Monday morning in PyeongChang.

Around the Rings Editor Ed Hula received a certificate and Olympic torch pen, like all, for his coverage of seven Winter Games, while yours truly (Brian Pinelli) received his award for six Winter Games.

The "Journalists on the Podium" event also included the launch of the AIPS Sports Media Awards.

AIPS President Gianni Merlo, POCOG President Hee Beom Lee and Italian IOC member Ivo Ferriani addressed the journalists, thanking them for their longstanding commitment and dedication telling stories of the winter athletes and Winter Games as well as issues affecting the Olympic movement.

"For us, your work is necessary to promote what we do," said Ferriani, also the president of the bobsled and skeleton federation."We produce emotions and you are able to send those emotions all over the world.

"The veterans here are for us a core group of people who have all the answers because having more than six Winter Games means you know exactly what, and you can also make our work much better.

"We want to be promoted by you and also sometimes criticized by you."

Four journalists led the way having covering 13 Winter Games – Swiss Hugo Steinegger and Peter A. Frei, Italian Giuliiano Bevilacqua and Hiro Yakushi from Japan.

Italian NOC President Giovanni Malago also swung by, giving congratulatory hugs to many, among the large contingent of journalists.

At what was a friendly and informal gathering, AIPS also provided details about the new Sports Media Awards – a celebration of sport storytellers and development of sport media excellence.

The AIPS Sports Media Awards will mark a new chapter in the recognition of the professionals who work tirelessly to make sport a global language, through its coverage, analysis and capture of key moments, images and characters.

The awards will be open to print and web journalists, radio and television reporters, photographers and videographers and will be judged by an international jury of esteemed journalists and experts across various fields.

Awards will be given for excellence in writing, photography, audio, video and a journalist weblog. Additionally, two special awards will be presented – a lifetime achievement award titled ‘A Life in Sport’ and a second for best investigative reporting.

Following the awards program, many smiles, photos galore, cappuccinos and a few Italian pastries, the hard-working and dedicated journalists departed Casa Italia and headed straight back to work.

Written by Brian Pinelli

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