ATR's Golden 25 Recognizes World Leaders and Olympic Influencers

(ATR) The influence of government leaders on Olympic sport will be key in the year ahead according to Around the Rings' Golden 25.

This year’s #1 position is shared by three world leaders: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Ed Hula, editor and founder of Around the Rings, said realizing the prominent role these three heads of state will have on Olympic sport in 2017 was a real eye opener.

"I don’t think we’ve had that happen ever before," said Hula. "I know we’ve ranked Putin up high before but never the Chinese President and never the U.S. President like this and certainly the chemistry of those three is really unusual."

Hula said all three leaders were ranked number one for different reasons: "Putin is involved in trying to restore the reputation of Russian sport, Jinping is going to lead the way for investment in sport in China and Trump as the next U.S. President will likely be very much involved in the campaign for Los Angeles to host the 2024 Games."

The naming of the host for the 2024 Olympics, preparations for the 2018 Games in PyeongChang and the 2020 Games in Tokyo and ongoing criminal investigations are just some of the events that helped shape this year’s Golden 25. Around the Rings will be on the scene this year to cover these events and more.

Unlike other year-end rankings, The Golden 25 ranks the 25 most influential people, places and events connected to the Olympics for the year ahead.

Now in its 21st year, The Golden 25 offers a glimpse into what will drive the news coverage of the Olympic Movement in 2017. Rankings are developed by ATR staff based on their experiences covering the Olympic Movement throughout the year and across the globe. With 25 years of Olympic experience, ATR is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the individuals and factors that will influence global sport in 2017.

To review Golden 25 listings for 2017 and past years, click here.

The Golden 25 is sponsored by the Budapest 2017 FINA World Championships.

Media Contact:

Kathy Kuczka+1 404 874 1603 ext. 102

kathy@aroundtherings.com