Canadian Olympic Committee announce four-year partnership with BMW

By Tom Degun

January 21 - The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has signed a four-year sponsorship deal with BMW Group Canada which will run through to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The partnership between the COC and BMW Group Canada was announced at the Allstream Centre in Toronto with a number of top Summer and Winter Olympic stars in attendance, including London 2012 individual trampoline champion Rosie MacLennan.

"It is really exciting to welcome BMW to the Canadian Olympic Team," said the 24-year-old from Ontario (pictured top, second right).

"It means the world to us.

"It means that we can focus on training and keep pushing to be at the top."

In addition to supporting the Canadian Olympic Team, BMW Group Canada will sponsor two national sports federations that have yet to be named.

"'We are delighted to welcome this amazing corporation as an official National Partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and look forward to driving together toward an even more exciting future for our Canadian athletes," said COC President Marcel Aubut.

COC President Marcel Aubut has expressed his delight at signing a four-year partnership with BMW Group Canada

BMW were the official vehicle supplier to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics where they provided more than 4,000 vehicles for the Games.

The German car manufacture lost out on the official vehicle supplier contract for Rio 2016 with Nissan set to carry out the role while the Volkswagen Group is the automotive provider for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

But securing the four-year sponsorship deal with the COC will be a big boost to BMW, who are already partners of the United States Olympic Committee.

The Canadian Olympic team finished in 36th place at London 2012 with 18 medals, one of which was the gold won by MacLennan, while they topped the medal table at home at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics with 26 medals, 14 of which were gold.

"This is a really great day for Canadian athletes," said Vancouver 2010 bobsleigh silver medallist Shelley-Ann Brown (pictured top, far left), who was also in attendance at the announcement in Toronto.

"It means the world to us to have a partnership with a company like BMW because they stand for excellence and they stand for world-wide innovation."

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