Three 2012 FISU WUCs in Kazan: Challenge and testing

KAZAN – The competitions of the 5th World University Canoe Sprint Championship kick off today, August 29^th at the Rowing Centre. Yesterday, the 2012 WUC Canoe Sprint organisers held a pre-championship press conference to provide journalists with an insight into how Kazan was getting ready to host the test event.

Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Vladimir Leonov, FISU Director for the Summer Universiade Marc Vandenplas, FISU Executive Committee Member Marian Dymalski and Ambassador for the 2013 Summer Universiade Sergey Ulegin took part in the press conference announcing the beginning of the Championship.

Marian Dymalski & Vladimir LeonovVladimir Leonov underlined that this test competition would be very significant for the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate since many services which will be active during the Universiade had started their work with it. “It is a global event, there are no insignificant details, we will work hard in every direction”, said Vladimir Leonov.

According to Vladimir Leonov , the organisers of the competition sought to apply Olympic principles in their job. The Rowing Centre that has become the site of two competitions, according to the Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, looks like the rowing centre he had seen at the recent London Olympics.

“We want to make sure that all services – ticket program, mass media services, accommodation and catering organization – work perfectly”, said Vladimir Leonov. He also mentioned that the Accreditation Centre and the Integrated Contact Centre had started working up to capacity for the first time in the period of test competitions. The ticket services are being tested: at kassir-kazan2013.ru people can get a free digital ticket and attend competitions as spectators. Also, free tickets are available at the entrance of the Rowing Centre.

“We hope to hold the championships at the highest level”, said Vladimir Leonov.

FISU EC Member Marian Dymalski also expressed such confidence. He assured the journalists that everything he had seen in Kazan made a good impression on him.

Vladimir Leonov & Mark Vandenplas“It is a very important championship for us as there is less than a year left until the Universiade. Today we observe how this championship is being held, how the functional sectors such as transport and accreditation are being run, we observe the living conditions of athletes in the Universiade Village. All this makes us confident that the 27th Summer Universiade in Kazan will be the best in history”, said Marian Dymalski wishing all the best to the organizers. He also noted that the facility where the championship would be held was one of the best rowing and canoe sprint competition venues in the world.

As FISU Director for the Summer Universiade Marc Vandenplas stated at the press conference, one of the purposes of the test events was to help compile the actual organizational plan of the Universiade as they allow to test the work of different functions. The fact that the competition is international lays additional responsibility on the organizers. Marc Vandenplas also informed the press that all the issues that had to do with the holding of the competitions were being controlled by FISU and the results of the observation would be given to the organizers in the form of recommendations. “The report will contain all the comments and corrections. Taking into account the proximity of the Universiade diplomacy would be redundant”, says Marc Vandenplas.

Answering the journalists’ question Marc Vandenplas also noted that there were some issues concerning the preparation of the venue that would hold the World University Sport Shooting Championship, Shooting Range Complex for Rifle and Pistol Disciplines in the Mirny Village, which is a little behind the plan. According to him, however, all the faults are being taken care of. “If there is nothing wrong during the preparation, it only means that the organizers do not challenge themselves. Which was never typical of Kazan”, summarized Marc Vandenplas.

We shall remind that 150 athletes from 18 countries will take part in the World University Canoe Sprint Championship which starts this evening. 24 gold, 24 silver, 24 bronze medals will be decided.

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)