Visa Europe announces title sponsorship of the
Visa International Gymnastics and the 18th FINA Visa
Diving World Cup 2012
London, 16 December 2011 - Visa Europe has
today announced title sponsorship of the Visa International
Gymnastics (10-18 January) and the 18th
FINA Visa Diving World Cup 2012 (20-26 February) as part
of the London Prepares series of test events being organised by
LOCOG ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The
events will be the first of the London Prepares series to take
place in 2012 and will provide an exciting start to the Olympic
countdown which begins in the New Year.
- The Visa International Gymnastics will take
place in the North Greenwich Arena between 10-18 January
- The 18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup
2012 will take place in the Aquatics Centre between 20-26
February
The test events will give the athletes and the public a taste of
the atmosphere and excitement they can expect next summer at two of
the landmark venues of the London 2012 Olympic Games. In addition,
the 18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup
2012 held at the Aquatics Centre will mark the first time the venue
will be used for an event.
In addition to Visa’s TOP sponsorship of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, Visa Europe is also the presenting partner of
Team 2012 which supports the 1,200 athletes preparing for selection
as part of Team GB and ParalympicsGB at London 2012. The London
Prepares series of test events will signify one step closer to the
Olympic dream for many Team 2012 athletes as they compete to secure
their place at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Colin Grannell, Head of Partnership Marketing at Visa
Europe, said: “As a global sponsor of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games we are proud to announce our additional
sponsorship of the Visa International Gymnastics and the
18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup 2012. We hope these will
be the first among a selection of test events we will be able to
support this year. Being the first two test events in the New Year,
they represent an exciting opportunity for Team 2012 athletes to be
put through their paces and for the British public to get involved
in the atmosphere that London 2012 will bring.”
Louis Smith, Olympic bronze medalist and Team 2012
Presented by Visa athlete, comments: “I am really excited
about the prospect of competing at the Visa International
Gymnastics. These test events are an amazing opportunity for all
athletes to challenge themselves in preparation for the Games. For
the GB Men's team it's also hugely important for us as it acts as
the vital Olympic qualifying event for the team, so we're all
working really hard towards it. Being in front of a home crowd is
going to be a huge boost for us and is something we will really
look to make the most of.”
About Visa Europe
In Europe, there are 438 million Visa debit, credit and
commercial cards. In the 12 months ending June 2011 those cards
were used to make purchases and cash withdrawals to the value of
€1.7 trillion. 12.5% of consumer spending at point of sale in
Europe is with a Visa card, and more than 70% of that is on Visa
debit cards.
Visa Europe is owned and operated by more
than 4,000 European member banks and was incorporated in July 2004.
In October 2007, Visa Europe became independent of the new global
Visa Inc., with an exclusive, irrevocable and perpetual licence in
Europe. As a dedicated European payment system it is able to
respond quickly to the specific market needs of European banks and
their customers - cardholders and retailers - and to meet the
European Commission’s objective to create a true internal market
for payments.
Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around
the world. In addition, Visa/PLUS is one of the world’s largest
global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in over
200 countries.
For more information, visit http://www.visaeurope.com/
About Team 2012
Team 2012 presented by Visa is a fundraising programme designed
to provide UK athletes with the tools and support to reach their
full potential and win more medals at European Championships, World
Championships – and of course at the London Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games in 2012. It is a joint venture between the British
Olympic Association, ParalympicsGB, UK Sport and LOCOG. Alongside
the vital role played by The National Lottery and Exchequer
funding, Team 2012 will help fund our athletes over the next two
years. The vast majority of funds raised through Team 2012 will be
distributed by UK Sport through its World Class Performance
Programme which ensures that the UK’s most talented athletes have
every chance of reaching their potential. Having run their
programme since 1997, UK Sport has developed a highly successful
‘No Compromise’ approach, which ultimately means taking no short
cuts in resourcing the best athletes to realise their medal
ambitions. Funding is provided to athletes via their sport’s
governing body, in support of a performance programme that includes
coaching, training and competition support, medical and scientific
services and equipment and access to the best facilities.