Fencer Vougiouka named as BAKU 2015 international athlete ambassador
Lausanne, 29 March 2015
Baku 2015 European Games has today announced a further two international athletes who will be Ambassadors for this summer’s inaugural event.
German table tennis player Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Greek fencer Vassiliki Vougiouka will represent their sports and feature in extensive marketing campaigns in their home countries and on social media to promote the Games.
Vougiouka competes in the sabre discipline, and is currently ranked sixth in the world. She won gold at the 2010 Fencing World Cup in Budapest, the first ever World Cup victory by a Greek fencer, and was a silver medallist at both the 2012 and 2013 European Championships.
Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015, said: “Being able to welcome further international Athlete Ambassadors of this calibre reflects the importance of this new event on the sporting calendar. I am sure both Dimitrij and Vassiliki will very much enjoy promoting the Games and playing an important role in the development of European sport.”
Both athletes join Irish boxer Katie Taylor, Team GB’s Taekwondo athlete Jade Jones, French rhythmic gymnast Kseniya Moustafaeva, Denmark’s canoe sprinter René Holten Poulsen and Serbia’s Basketball 3x3 team of Dušan Domović Bulut, Marko Savic, Marko Zdero and Dejan Majstorovic, as Baku 2015 international Athlete Ambassadors.
Vougiouka, 28, said: “Fencing is a popular European sport, so as a fencer it is a great honour to have been invited to promote the first European Games in Baku. I have been fortunate enough to compete all over the world so I know how sport brings people together, and I will do my best to spread the Baku 2015 message in the months ahead.”
Dirk Schimmelpfennig, Germany’s Chef de Mission for Baku 2015, said: “Dimitrij’s participation as a Baku 2015 international Athlete Ambassador reflects his support for the European Games. Germany has a strong sporting tradition, and the Athlete Ambassador programme will help to generate interest and excitement in the country ahead of Baku 2015.”
Spyros Capralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Chair of the EOC Coordination Commission for Baku 2015, said: “I have no doubt that Vassiliki will do a great job of promoting Baku 2015 to build support for all our Greek athletes in Baku this summer. As one of Europe’s best fencers, you couldn’t ask for a better ambassador for the first European Games.”
Fans and media can follow the live stream of the event on the FIE YouTube Channel and receive the latest information on the FIE twitter as well as on www.fie.org and the FIE Facebook page.
FIE Official Partners: TISSOT, MEGAFON, INTERNATIONAL CHARITY FUND FOR THE FUTURE OF FENCING
About the FIE:
The International Fencing Federation (FIE - Fédération internationale d'escrime) is the international governing body for the Olympic sport of fencing. The FIE is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Currently, the FIE has 150 affiliated member federations.
For further information on the FIE please visit www.fie.org