First-ever Olympic Virtual Series to launch leading up to Tokyo Olympics 2021
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is partnering with five International Sports Federations (IFs) and game publishers to host the first ever Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) leading up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2021 which will begin in July.
The OVS, which is set to begin on 13 May and continue through to 23 June 2021, will mobilise virtual sport, esports and gaming enthusiasts all around the world in an attempt to reach new Olympic audiences. The launch of OVS also aims to encourage the development of physical and non-physical forms of sports as recommended by the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5.
“On behalf of the Esports and Gaming Liaison Group (ELG), as well as the UCI, I am delighted to be involved in the launch of the first-ever Olympic Virtual Series,” said Chair of the IOC’s ELG, and President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), David Lappartient. “A number of IFs have well established virtual sports initiatives; and thanks to the cooperation between the IOC, the IFs and the publishers, the OVS is an exciting step forward for the virtual sports world and the Olympic Movement”.
The IFs and gaming publishers that will be part of the Olympic Virtual Series are World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) – eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2020, Konami Digital Entertainment; Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – Zwift, Zwift inc.; World Rowing – Open format; World Sailing – Virtual Regatta, Virtual Regatta SAS and Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) – Gran Turismo, Polyphony Digital.
According to a statement released by IOC, each IF will offer its corresponding event in a format that maximises online mass participation and prioritises inclusivity and participation through the OVS. The mass-participation Series will allow participants around the world to compete from home or their training facilities in order to generate excitement in the build-up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
All five OVS events will differ in form and concept, and will operate via the sport’s respective publisher platform where participants will be able to take part.
More information will soon be available online at www.olympicchannel.com