NEWS FLASH

The President of the International Waterski Federation, Andres Botero and the Secretary General, Graziano Tognala, will meet the President of the International Olympic Committee in Australia next week. HE Samaranch will meet them in Sydney for an important discussion.

Greece has already selected Waterskiing as their choice from sixteen alternatives as the new Olympic Sport for the Athens Games in 2004. This brings the IWSF close to the end of a 50 year campaign for full Olympic recognition. With 89 Waterski Federations around the World, the impact of a positive decision by the IOC will be global. As Greece is the true home of the Olympic Games, the arrival of Waterskiing in Athens for the first time in 2004 would be a truly historical event. Greece, with over 400 Waterski sites alone, has fully endorsed the efforts of the International Waterski Federation.

Andres Botero and Graziano Tognala will fly half way around the World to meet the International Olympic Committee armed with some very special baggage. They will personally deliver to President Samaranch over 70,000 Olympic Support Signatures from virtually every Waterski country in the World. This emphasises the enormous demand there is to see Waterskiing in Athens. Already, the representatives of most of the World's National Olympic Committees attended a full demonstration in Seville, Spain, in May 1998 - and most have also sent their written support to the IWSF to confirm their support for Waterskiing.

It is probably correct to say that this meeting with President Samaranch in Sydney will be closely watched by every one of the 30 million Waterskiers around the World this week - and of course by the organisers of the Greek Olympic Games in 2004 who have already made their choice. It has been a long 50 yearjourney for the International Waterski Federation and so this meeting with President Samaranch in Sydney is of vital importance both for Waterskiing and for Greece, the hosts of the 2004 Olympic Games.

Des Burke-Kennedy

Media Chairman

International Waterski Federation

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