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OLYMPIC REVIEW 49 W hile the athletes who will wow the world at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 are the undoubted stars of the show, there is another group whose efforts and dedication are almost on a par with those of the Olympians starring on snow and ice in February. They may not win any medals, nor will they march in the Opening Ceremony, but the Worldwide Olympic Partners – the 13 multinationals that make up The Olympic Partner (TOP) Programme – will still play an integral role in the XXIII Olympic Winter Games. From refreshments for athletes, fans and offi cials to the huge technology infrastructure required, the goods, services and industry expertise offered by the TOP Partners provide the foundation for the staging of the Games, while the revenues generated by their partnerships also help more athletes from more countries participate on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Many of the TOP Partners are also very experienced in Olympic Games operations and delivery, and have therefore become a major part of the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee’s operations. Among the support offered to the Games will be beverages, Cloud services, IT infrastructure, tyres, timekeeping systems, audio-visual equipment, mobile technologies, transport and payment networks. Through their innovative global marketing campaigns, the TOP Partners are also helping to bring PyeongChang 2018 to life throughout the world, building excitement ahead of the Games, promoting the Olympic values and increasing the support for Olympic athletes through social media initiatives on an unprecedented scale. Many are also offering direct support to athletes through their own sponsorship programmes. In addition, the Partners are supporting a number of community, education, sustainability and infrastructure development projects throughout the host region, while providing vital fi nancial support to every National Olympic Committee to enable them to develop and support their Olympic athletes. And while commercial support for the Olympic Games is nothing new – even the fi rst modern Games in Athens in 1896 relied on the support of private enterprises – the TOP Programme continues to go from strength to strength, proving the enduring appeal of an alignment with the Olympic Games. This continued growth was highlighted in January 2017 by the announcement that Alibaba had become a Worldwide Olympic Partner through 2028, offering “Cloud Services” and “E-Commerce Platform Services”, while Intel also joined the TOP Programme in June 2017, ensuring that its leading technology will enhance the Olympic Games through to 2024. These long-term partnerships are invaluable not only to the staging of the Olympic Games, but also to all the activities of the entire Olympic Movement and to every athlete striving to achieve their dream. It is clear, therefore, that the TOP Partners and the Olympic Games continue to be a winning combination. For more information about the TOP Partners, go to olympic.org/sponsors PYEONGCHANG 2018 PREVIEW