Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games appoints Longines as official partner
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games has appointed Swiss watch brand Longines as official partner for timekeeping.
The announcement:
The Swiss watch brand Longines has today been unveiled as the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) official partner for timing, scoring and results, and will be known as the Official Timekeeper.
With 419 days until the Opening Ceremony of the largest multi-sport event to be held in Australia this decade, Longines becomes the first international Tier One Partner to join the well-respected brands supporting GC2018.
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) Chairman, Peter Beattie AC said Longines’ world-renowned experience in delivering timing, scoring and results were absolutely critical to delivering a great 2018 Games.
“With 6,600 athletes demonstrating greatness rarely seen on the field, track or in the pool, Longines will be delivering precise timing, scoring and result services to feed the global broadcast and provide official results for every heat, match and final across every event at GC2018,” Mr Beattie said.
“For GC2018, signing our first international Tier One Partner with over one year to go, illustrates the reputation GC2018 is developing as a strong brand with international appeal.
“In terms of tradition, Longines have been a long-time supporter of the Commonwealth Games movement having delivered timing services to the Perth 1962 Commonwealth Games and most recently being a partner of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“Longines support, performance and expertise as the Official Timekeeper is critical to delivering large multi-sport events and I welcome them to the GC2018 Family,” Mr Beattie said.
Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President of Longines and Head of International Marketing, is looking forward to the partnership and GC2018.
“Longines is delighted to be the Official Partner of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, one of the most famous sporting events in the world.
“We are really proud that the organisers have placed their trust in our brand and have chosen us as Official Timekeeper of all the competitions, which will be held during the event.
“We are looking forward to seeing remarkable sporting achievements, especially in Athletics (Track & Field), Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens and Table Tennis, the sports we are partnering with during the Commonwealth Games.”
Acting Minister for the Commonwealth Games, Curtis Pitt said timing is everything when it comes to a gold, silver or bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
“Longines is known around the world for excellence in precision timing and I look forward to seeing many Australian record-breaking performances captured by Longines’ official timekeeping equipment in Games competition venues and on broadcast television across the Commonwealth,” Minister Pitt said.
“Athletes from 70 Commonwealth nations and territories are training hard right now for medals on the Gold Coast in 2018, and it’s important their efforts are recorded accurately for all time.”
GOLDOC Chief Executive Officer, Mark Peters said he looks forward to working closely with Longines and welcomed their ongoing support of the Commonwealth Games.
“As we get closer to GC2018 our focus is on delivering an unforgettable global Games and our work with Longines is crucial to shaping the experience for spectators, broadcasters, working media and a cumulative television audience of up to 1.5 billion people,” Mr Peters said.
“Over 200 Longines technicians will be working across all 18 competition venues at Games time, delivering timing, scoring and results equipment and services.”
Mr Peters said as part of the sponsorship arrangements, Longines is presenting partners for a number of sports with their branding to also adorn the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) uniforms across the 388-day journey from Buckingham Palace to the Gold Coast.
“The QBR is GC2018’s longest continual promotion. Starting in London on 13 March, the Baton will travel 230,000 kilometres across 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth before arriving at the Gold Coast to start the Games,” he said.
Source: Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation
