Helsinki 2005 logo (© c)
Yesterday in the Finnish capital which will host the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics 6 -14 August 2005, the press conference to launch the official mascot for the championships was held.
The mascot for the World Championships which are returning to Helsinki for the second time, the first city to have been given this honour in the event’s history, was designed by Esa Ylä-Anttila and symbolizes the famous tower of the 1952 Olympic stadium. As in 1983 when the inaugural World Championships were celebrated in Helsinki, the stadium which is undergoing extensive renovation this summer will also host the 2005 edition.
“The unique and exciting nature of the Championships experience is guaranteed by the massive size and international atmosphere of the event: the World Championships in Athletics will be the largest sporting event in the world in 2005. It brings to Helsinki over 3000 team members and about 3500 representatives of the media from around the world,” said President of the Organising Committee Ilkka Kanerva, who is an IAAF Council member.
Recruitment for volunteers starts on 1 March
“Correspondingly, we will have around 3000 volunteers in addition to the permanent Championships organisation responsible for the operational functions”
The massive recruitment of volunteers will start on 1 March on the official webpage of the Championships.
Tickets for the general public on sale on 15 August
“Because of seats reserved for the media and other accredited guests, there are only 25,000 tickets per night on sale for the public,” confirmed the CEO of the Championships organisation Mr. Antti Pihlakoski. “It is only half of what was sold at the Championships in Paris, thus ticket sales are essential for the success of the Championships. All those interested in coming to Finland should therefore be prepared as the ticket sales begin on 15 August 2004,” concluded Mr. Pihlakoski.
The first Championships partnerships were also announced on Thursday. Official IAAF Partners of the Championships include TDK, Epson, Seiko, Eurovision, and TBS. On the level of National Partners, agreements were signed with Amica Restaurants Ltd, Finnair Ltd, Fortum Corporation, TeliaSonera Finland Ltd, and national lottery company Veikkaus. Agreements for National Suppliers of the Championships were signed with Edita Prima Ltd, Engel Group, Lainapeite, Muuttopalvelu Niemi, Scandic Hotels, Silja Line, and Finland Post Corporation.
Helsinki 2005
Click here to the Helsinki 2005 web site
