POSTED: Thursday November 18th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stéphane Diagana joins the race for Annecy 2018

Stéphane Diagana, the first French World Champion in men's Athletics and an emblematic figure for the sport, backs the French bid for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Stéphane Diagana has joined the ranks of the 500 athletes backing Annecy 2018. As double World Champion, European record holder and eight-time French Champion, he has made his mark on French Athletics. He is recognised as an athlete both in France and on the international stage, has served as President of the French National Athletics League (2007-2009), and was the first French runner to carry the Olympic Torch through Paris in 2008.

"The Annecy 2018 project is driven by champions, for champions. On top of its technical qualities, that's what appealed to me most about the bid. It's only right that elite sportsmen and women should have the opportunity to contribute their experience and their passion to major sports-related projects. And that's exactly what Edgar Grospiron and all of the champions involved in the bid are seeking to do. It's a bold stance, and one which may well tip the balance in favour of the French bid," says Stéphane Diagana.

Florence Masnada, double Olympic medallist in Alpine skiing and Annecy 2018 Ambassador responsible for mobilising athletes, is delighted to have his support: "Stéphane Diagana is a recognised and much-loved personality in the French sports world, and we see him as a representative of a deeply human view of sports. That makes him an ideal ambassador for Annecy 2018, a bid which focuses on youth and passing on the values of Olympism."

Achievements:
1997 World 400m hurdles Champion in Athens
2003 World 4 x 400 m Champion in Paris
2002 European 400m hurdles Champion in Munich
1993 European Cup 400 m hurdles winner
6-time French 400m Champion (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2001)
1990 French 400m hurdles champion
1988 French 400m hurdles champion

Annecy 2018 is putting sportspeople right at the heart of its bid, and is receiving massive support from 500 champions in all disciplines, summer and winter alike, who have already signed the Charter committing to support its bid.

Annecy is a candidate to host the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The International Olympic Committee will announce its decision on 6 July 2011 at the 123rd Session of the IOC in Durban, South Africa.

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Keywords · Annecy 2018 · Edgar Grospiron · Stephane Diagana · athletics

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Name: Alexandra Carraz
Organization: Annecy 2018 Bid Committee
Email:
Phone: + 33 (0)6 22 86 73 12
URL: http://www.annecy-2018.fr

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