Pierce O’Callaghan appointed European Games Senior Consultant
Rome; 29 February 2016: The European Olympic Committees (EOC) today announced the appointment of Pierce O’Callaghan as European Games Senior Consultant, following his successful role as Sports Director for the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, last year.
O’Callaghan’s immediate focus will be on all workstreams related to the selection of the host city for the 2019 European Games, and his role also includes developing the European Games concept in the long-term.
For the inaugural European Games last summer, O’Callaghan oversaw the delivery of 239 medal events across 20 sports (16 Olympic and 4 non-Olympic) in 18 competition venues in which more than 6,000 athletes participated and more than 3,000 officials were involved.
O’Callaghan, 40, was a 16-time Irish athletics champion and competed numerous times for Ireland on the international stage. In his post-athletics career he has occupied various high-profile positions in European sport including Head of Communications for the European Athletics Association. Since 2011 he has been a member of the influential European Athletics Event & Competition Commission. At a multi-sport level he has been appointed as an International Technical Official at the last three Olympic Games as well as in various roles at the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the World University Games.
In 2010, after establishing his own consultancy company SAVVY Sports, he was a member of the EOC commission tasked with exploring the possibility of staging a European Games. In December 2012, that dream started to become a reality when the EOC’s 49 members voted for the inaugural edition to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees, said:
“As we move closer to confirming a host city for the 2019 European Games, it’s vital to have the best talent in the right roles. Pierce did an excellent job in preparing the sports programme for Baku 2015 and I’m delighted that he has joined the EOC team to take up this dedicated role on the European Games. His experience will be vital right from the off as our work around the European Games 2019 is increasing significantly in 2016.”
Pierce O’Callaghan, European Games Senior Consultant, said:
“I am very excited to be working in this specialist role for the EOC on the European Games. Baku 2015 was a major success and it’s my job to maintain the tremendous momentum those inaugural Games established. Everyone in the European Olympic family is fully behind the European Games as a long-term concept because they recognise how important they are for the athletes and NOCs of Europe.”
O’Callaghan’s appointment follows the news last week that FIBA Europe has joined numerous other European sports governing bodies by becoming a partner of the EOC’s EU Office in Brussels, strengthening the EOC’s relationship with another important European Federation.
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Contact: Jack Zorab
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Notes to Editors:
The European Games is a multi-sport event for elite European athletes and will be held every four years. Approximately 6,000 athletes participated in the inaugural edition in Baku, Azerbaijan, in June 2015. The European Games was launched following a majority vote of 49 NOCs during the EOC General Assembly in December 2012.
